PRETTYMUCH: The Boyband That Broke the Mold and Found Creative Independence

"We’ve gone through the ups and downs of it all, and we dropped the ego. It lets us create freely. It encourages us to make better music and to push the dial harder."

Apr 05, 2023

When you think of boybands, the image that comes to mind is likely that of a carefully crafted group with a heavily scripted approach to their music and image. However, PRETTYMUCH, the group hailed as the official successor of One Direction, broke the mold with their unique approach to music and artistry.

Formed in 2016 with the help of pop impresario Simon Cowell, the group consists of Brandon Arreaga, Edwin Honoret, Austin Porter, and Zion Kuwonu. Many of the same songwriters and producers that worked on One Direction's global superhits also helped craft PRETTYMUCH's early songs (including Savan Kotecha and Ilya who are titans in the world of pop). The band was also signed to Sony and were managed by some of the same team who were part of One Direction’s success.

Despite the similarities between PRETTYMUCH and One Direction, there was one crucial difference that set the former apart. Each member of the group brought their own point of view, unique aesthetic, and sense of authentic artistry to the band from the very beginning. This was a radically different approach than how many boybands had operated until that time.

The group's raw and honest approach fit the times of Instagram's heyday, Snapchat’s first rise, and the birth of live broadcasting on social media. Having each of the band members be themselves, filter-free, right from the beginning was a perfect match for that era of social media.

And then there was the music, of course. I remember sitting in Max Martin's West Hollywood studio and hearing the early PRETTYMUCH demos, including “Would You Mind” and “Open Arms.” I was blown away by the quality of the performance and the universal appeal of the music. When I spent time with the group in the house they shared in the Hollywood Hills, I was impressed by their energy and undeniable star power. There was no doubt in my mind that PRETTYMUCH, and more importantly, each of the band members separately and together, was the real deal.

Their debut followed along with a bunch of great singles, but the group wasn't necessarily interested in selling out stadiums and pleasing the bosses. The more they got to know the music industry, the more they learned about making pop, and the more they were interested in making their music interesting and fun.

Warner Records recognized that vision, and the group departed Sony to join a new roster. The group released "Stars," "Corpus Christi," and the gorgeous "Parking Spot" from their Smackables project that showcased a mature R&B inspired pop that helped shed their boyband image.

The global pandemic put many of their plans on hold, ultimately causing the group to pursue new passions that led to the decision to break from the major label system to have full creative independence. The group's freewheeling and creative spirit was a vital part of their DNA, and it was only a matter of time before they broke free. (Nick Mara, the group’s original fifth member, took the opportunity late 2022 to pursue other creative endeavours and leave the group while their friendship lives on.)

Music NFTs and digital collectibles were the perfect vehicle for the group to freely share the many songs stuck on their hard drives while opening up a new revenue source and a meaningful way to connect with fans. After the release of their genesis release "H2L" in 2022, four more NFT releases followed, including "Better Than The First Time," "Nervous," "Enough Love," and "Wrong."

The pop quartet has also continued to release music on streaming platforms, including the double-A single, “Excited” and “Maria,” which dropped at the end of March.

At the start of an exciting new era for PRETTYMUCH, let’s take a moment to delve a little deeper into their thoughts on Music NFTs and digital collectibles, as well as their newfound creative freedom. We spoke with Edwin to detail the future and reflect on the past. (Spoiler alert: An album may be on the way this year.)

What inspired you to venture into Web3 and explore the new music format?

“We have always been at the forefront of NFTs from a creator and trading standpoint. I introduced NFTs as a way for us to get our music out there, monetize it, and continue to commission off of it. I thought that was such a powerful thing. It's about putting the power back in the hands of the artist and not in the hands of the collector or investor.

When I saw that NFTs were putting that power back into the artist's hand, it definitely inspired me to learn more about it and to step into the space. So I started trading a little bit, and it opened my eyes to the community aspect of NFTs. People wanted to see people win, people wanted to help people. C

oming from a boy band perspective, I know a lot about community. I know what it takes to drive a fan base and to interact with a following. Web3 is the ideal setup for PRETTYMUCH. We know exactly what we want to do, bring community to the music, and put ourselves in control of the music together with our fans.

The whole concept is just based on a fair exchange. It's the idea that if I have a Lamborghini and you have a rare Pokemon card, as long as we think that the value is the same, there's an even exchange, and everyone's happy. When I have conversations with fans about what it means to support an artist, they always ask, ‘What are the ways that we can support you?’ I really couldn't give them an answer because the money was always given to somebody else.

Now that we’re independent, the support comes directly to us. The equal exchange where the giver and receiver both see value in something and walk away happy is the most empowering part to me”

How did you go about selecting your first NFT?

“Enough Love” was a demo that Brandon brought to us. We loved the record and how different it sounded. It didn't sound like anything else, especially with the pre-chorus, how the words get chopped up. We actually sang every word in that pre-chorus individually to give that choppy effect.

We recorded it once, and we still kind of didn't know where it fit in our release plan in our structure, so we kind of banked it for a bit. And then once we started talking about getting out of our record deal, then we started constructing our release plan for our independent album.

Also, the lyrics of “Enough Love” are very true to our situation. It’s about the fans who have stuck with us from the beginning. It felt right to make that track our genesis Music NFT release.

How has the response been from fans that you're getting into the NFT space?

I think there’s a lot of propaganda around Web3, crypto, and the ecosystem. A lot of people don’t know a lot about it, and so we help educate our fans so they understand it’s a meaningful way to support us.

We don’t dive into something without really understanding it. What we do and how we do things is ultimately how we are perceived. We wouldn’t jump into something that wouldn't benefit the fans or us.

We realize though it can be a big hurdle for fans who can listen to our music for free. It’s about explaining to our community that Music NFTs are a great way to support us monetarily, directly.

What's your take on Music NFTs from an artistic point of view? Does it spark new creativity?

Yes. We can take more risks musically and do what we want to do for our fans. It’s not about pleasing anybody else.

When I listen to the artists on Sound.xyz, for example, I hear so much diversity. Many of these artists don’t have a lot of followers on social media, but it’s a level playing field.

There are people with zero followers who are making high-level records that can compete with big artists signed to major labels in this new space. PRETTYMUCH was in the major label space, so we know how it works. There’s a lot of ego once you’re there. We’ve gone through the ups and downs of it all, and we dropped the ego. It lets us create freely. It encourages us to make better music and to push the dial harder.

It also inspires us to want to collaborate with artists who don't have that following or stick to the status quo, the status that we've been so accustomed to being around.

Who are the people in the NFT space you look up to?

I look up to Daniel Allen, Grady, and Reo [Cragun] who I can call my friends. I look up to them because they made the Web3 system their own, and they did it in such a way where it gets everyone around them excited. They've given us so much advice, and they have taught us so much when it comes to the Web3 space, how to drop music, and lots of best practices. Overall, there is so much camaraderie in the Web3 community. Artists want to see artists win.

Elsewhere in the music business, there can be so much politics, which makes the creative process hard sometimes. My aspiration in Web3 is to help build the community where people in Web3 can look at and be like, ‘wow, I wanna be a part of that.’ Everyone in Web3 can move as a force and show there’s a different way to release music, have your fans hear it, and also be able to make a living off of it.

What do you think is the biggest misconception from artists about music NFTs? What may be holding them back?

It’s the miseducation. It creates some fear about jumping in. You have to educate yourself and give it a try. The moment you do a drop and you see how fans can directly support you, you understand how it’s a game-changer.

You have to come in selflessly being a part of the community and love for real talent. It should not be about money.

At the end of the day, and I know you know this too, Arjan, talent will always prevail. And if you're pushing yourself, if you're hungry, your talent will always show, and someone out there will respect your music and your art and see its worth. Everyone in the NFT space has a winning chance.

Disclaimer: As a day one supporter of PRETTYMUCH, Arjan is a proud collector of “H2L,” “Better Than The first Time,” “Enough Love,” “Nervous,” and Wrong.”

Arjan Writes

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