I think we’re all in a Big Time Rush right about now; it’s just that point in the semester. Still, it’s important to take time for ourselves amid the mountains of work, and the way a friend of mine chooses to do that is by watching kids’ television and movies. Don’t get it twisted, though — this is the majority of what she watches all the time. For a movie night, how about some Cloud 9? Want to sing along to something? Forget Wicked, put on Teen Beach Movie or Descendants. You may be chuckling, but I think she’s onto something here. Watching childhood TV movies from Disney and shows like Victorious, iCarly and Big Time Rush from Nickelodeon takes me back to a simpler, significantly less stressful time — a valuable feeling when I’m staring down the barrel of finals week; that being said, I unironically listen to the music of Big Time Rush all year round, similar to my friend. And why would I be listening to it any other way? Big Time Rush’s music is — also unironically — really good. So, I’ve decided to dedicate this Test Spin to their 2010 debut album BTR, and end this semester the same way I started it: by listening to some boy band bangers.
BTR starts off with “Til I Forget About You,” the first single off the record. I’ll admit: it’s a pretty paradoxical opener, considering the song focuses on doing what you can to move on from someone and we haven’t been introduced to a love interest yet. But they knew what they were doing putting “Til I Forget About You” first — they were setting the tone right off the bat. Led by Kendall Schmidt, this upbeat, cleverly-worded chorus is exactly what came to define the band in later years. Next in the queue is the ever-popular “Boyfriend,” which sees Schmidt take the wheel again while Logan Henderson holds down the backing vocals. This is hands-down the best song on the album, and features some gorgeous vocal climbs from Schmidt set against a smooth, production-heavy track. It’s simple, but oh-so-effective — Big Time Rush’s bread and butter. The autobiographical “City Is Ours” brings James Maslow to the forefront and describes the band’s quick rise to fame. It’s just a fun, happy track. Henderson and Schmidt trade their places from “Boyfriend” in “Nothing Even Matters,” but it’s Maslow who steals the spotlight during the bridge with his soaring vocals.
I saw Big Time Rush live last summer (I say, surprising absolutely no one), and their performance of “Worldwide” was by far the most memorable part of the concert. That’s appropriate, given that nearly everyone I’ve asked that watched Big Time Rush as a kid remembers the exact context in which it appeared … but for those of you who are still scratching your chins, it was the scene in which Kendall’s girlfriend, Jo Taylor, walks through the airport to go to Australia, and he’s saying his goodbyes. Even at my ripe age, memories of this serenade flood me with every listen, but the song stands on its own, too. Every member of the group whips out their very best vocals, and that call-and-response action is impossible to resist. “Worldwide” is followed by "Halfway There,” the ultimate encouragement to power through finals. Schmidt sings, “When the chips are down / Back against the wall / Got no more to give / ’Cause we gave it all / Seems like going the distance is unrealistic / But we’re too far from the start,” and he’s right. Almost there!
Carlos PenaVega, formerly Pena Jr., proves he has range in “Big Night,” and opens the track with deeper vocals than we’ve ever heard from him before. It’s followed by “Oh Yeah,” Big Time Rush’s detour into pop rock. Maslow’s falsetto in the intro was jaw-dropping for me to hear as a little girl, and still is now. BTR slows down a bit with “Count On You” featuring Jordin Sparks. The harmonies generated in this song are beautiful, and the song as a whole diversifies the group’s repertoire a bit. Meanwhile, “I Know You Know” featuring Cymphonique is dopamine itself. Henderson and PenaVega do some incredible things during the chorus, and the quick pace of the two-part chorus reminds you that this is exactly what Big Time Rush does best. It’s impossible not to have a good time singing along to the chorus: “We can party like the weekend / You got me thinking, we could be a thing, yeah / I know you know, I’ve got your heart pumping / I know you know, we know we’ve got something,” Henderson sings. BTR concludes iconically with “Big Time Rush,” the theme song to the show. Anyone who watched this as a kid can probably sing it bar for bar, and when it came on during my listening for this article I truly forgot where I was for a second. It may be the last song on the album, but it was the start of something that really stuck with people, which is precisely the reason for this Test Spin. So, when you’re in the deep depths of Olin Library cramming or writing a paper in Uris Library and wishing you were anywhere else, don’t be shy — pop on some Big Time Rush. There’s nothing ironic about it.
Test Spins is a fortnightly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every other Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a Senior Editor specializing in music and was the Arts and Culture Editor on the 142nd and 143rd Editorial Boards. She can be reached at slevinton@cornellsun.com.
