Big Time Rush (group)
Big Time Rush is an American pop music boy band formed in 2009. The group is composed of Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos PenaVega. They initially signed with Nick Records in 2009 and then transferred to Columbia Records. The group starred in Nickelodeon's television series of the same name, Big Time Rush. The show ran from November 28, 2009, to July 25, 2013. The pilot episode featured the group's first promotional single, "Big Time Rush". The group has released four studio albums: BTR in 2010, Elevate in 2011, 24/Seven in 2013, and Another Life in 2023. The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2014 that lasted until 2021 when the group resumed live performances and released the single "Call It Like I See It".[1]
Big Time Rush
BTR
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- 2009–2014
- 2021–present
Career
2009–2010: Formation and BTR
Nickelodeon signed Big Time Rush to a record deal in 2009 simultaneously with the television series, Big Time Rush.[2] Then, Nickelodeon partnered with Columbia/Epic Label Group to produce the show and include the original music to the show.[2] For the series, their debut single, "Big Time Rush", was released on November 20, 2009.[3] Officially announced by Nickelodeon, the series was first broadcast in the U.S. in November 2009,[4] until it was eventually released worldwide.[5][6] It debuted during a one-hour special preview of the series and was the show's opening theme.[3] The series also saw the releases of promotional singles. The first promotional single, "Any Kind of Guy" was released digitally on February 2, 2010.[7] Another song, "Halfway There", was released to iTunes on April 27, 2010.[8] The single became their first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 93.[9] Big Time Rush also covered a Play song titled "Famous", and was released via iTunes on June 29, 2010.[10] On August 3, 2010, "City Is Ours" was released digitally as the fourth promotional single from the album.[11]
Artistry
Musical style and themes
Because the group is associated with the TV series and children's network Nickelodeon, they have been presented as a "child-friendly" group, but have musical differences. In a review of their first studio album, BTR, Jessica Dawson from Common Sense Media wrote: "Big Time Rush is a standout, not only because of their boyish charm and good looks, but because their music is a cool blend of synth-pop, hip-hop, and boy-band harmonies."[73] The sound of the band is described as "pop-inspired dance-rock".[74]