I, as well as most likely every person reading this, am looking forward to the new Hanson CD. Album X, as we have all taken to calling it. We long for the summer of '97 when those three lads that we couldn't get enough information about took over our radio dials and, more than likely, our homes as well.

Constant interviews on television, albums, videos and the Internet kept our "Hanson fixes" supplied. That has waned quite dramatically over the past several months, with promises of a new album soon. Now we have learned that Album X will not be given to us until "early 2000" (I, however, have a feeling it will be pushed back again. Something always comes up.) We, the rabid fans, are left with "Before They Were Stars" clips which air repeatedly on VH1.

But I propose this question: How different will they be? When I say "they" I obviously mean Hanson as a group and also as individuals, but I am also referring to their music. By the time the Albertane Tour rolled around last year we were met with a different sound than that of the Middle of Nowhere album to which we had become accustomed. The guys, as we who act as if we know them personally like to call them, obviously tapped into one more facet of their sound. In other words, they evolved as a band, like all good bands should. Without change and growth, stagnation occurs.

So I'd have to say that we the fans were all in all pleased with the harder, edgier sound we heard. It made us all realize that yes, Hanson could indeed move on to bigger and better things like we all had hoped they would.

Superficial Change 

The earring-- I know it sounds like a teeny’s thoughts and in a lot of ways it is silly to spend time talking about it but, this is about change and the earring was a change. It’s just a tiny piece of metal, why do we care? We care (and some of us cheered) because by having that little piece of metal implanted through his ear, Taylor showed that he, and in effect Hanson, was not afraid to do something that didn’t quite fit into their image. I know that an earring isn’t that big of a deal, but you have to admit it didn’t quite fit in with the image that had been made for them.

The haircuts--you knew it would come up. As of this writing, Zachary has not allowed the public to view what he has done to his mane so, commentary will not be provided on it. We saw Taylor’s first. Surprise ensued and much discussion took place. I myself like the new look. Isaac followed with a more extreme haircut maiming those curls we’ve all come to love since he stopped trying to stifle them. Personally, I don’t like this cut. Of course, I haven’t seen a decent picture yet due to Hansonline’s inability to put well-lit pics up for us to view.

But that’s another rant.

The haircuts again show us that Hanson isn’t afraid to do something that might rock the boat a bit. Surely they knew that some of their fans would be less than pleased with the new look. I’m sure that record executives still trying to cling to the "teen idol" image that Hanson once had were rather upset as well.  

A Look Towards the Future

We’re now starting to see change, but more importantly feel and hear that change as well. It has long been known that Hanson would not be able to release another Middle of Nowhere. The fans that would appreciate another album like that have moved on to other groups in the industry. The fans that love Hanson first and foremost because of the music would feel cheated and angry that our guys had let us down.

The "demo issue" (Everyone pretty much knows what that means, I’m assuming.) is a sensitive one. Most people are either enjoying them greatly or upset that they’ve made it to the Internet and we’re listening to them before Hanson is ready for us to. That’s not the point. The point is that anyone who has listened to them can hear the change and evolution in Hanson’s sound. In a way, even if Hanson’s new album bombs, they’ve won for changing and growing-not letting some suit tell them what to do.

Of course that last sentence may have been typed too soon,  'X' is far from being released so, who knows what the suits will do to the it.

I am thinking, and hoping, that we will see a different Hanson emerge when Album X is released. I know we’re going to see that they have become more mature. Lyrics such as "lust for your lover" don’t come from Hanson unless they have taken a good look at themselves as individuals and as a band and have decided to let the world know that they have indeed done some growing in the last two years.

It almost seems a pity that they’ve been kept in such a box for almost three years. We haven’t really allowed them to lead even partially normal lives. Perhaps with this change the guys will be able to admit to having girlfriends and even be able to take these girlfriends to public events and award shows. One can dream. I seem to recall that at the MTV Music Awards not too long ago, a certain unnamed "boy group" commonly referred to as a band, brought their perspective girlfriends along with them. To my knowledge, these girls didn’t even get attacked.