In Real Life (IRL) was an American boy band composed of Brady Tutton, Chance Perez, Drew Ramos, Sergio Calderon, and Conor Smith, the final five vocalists from the American

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early ...

music competition series '' Boy Band.'' The show premiered June 22, 2017, on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

History

2017: Formation

The ten-episode season of the American television music competition series '' Boy Band'' began with thirty young male vocalists competing to become a member of the new five-member boy band. Each week, the boys would rotate into different groups and perform, at the end, the "architects" would put either two or three boys up for elimination and through live voting, a boy would be chosen by America to be saved. At the end of the season, the five remaining boys would form the boy band and receive a recording contract with Hollywood Records. After a 24-hour voting period the week before, it was announced at the final live show on August 24, 2017 that Tutton, Perez, Ramos, Calderon and Smith were the winning members, thus forming the boy band In Real Life and performing their debut single, "Eyes Closed". Following their formation, In Real Life performed live on various television programs including ''

Total Request Live ''Total Request Live'' (known commonly as ''TRL'') was an American television program broadcast on MTV that premiered on September 14, 1998. TRL featured popular music videos played during its countdown, and was also used as a promotion tool by ...

'' in November 2017, '' Good Morning America'' in December 2017, and on ''

Live with Kelly and Ryan ''Live with Kelly and Ryan'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American syndicated morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show formula has aired under various hosts since ...

'' in February 2018. That same year, they released an acoustic version of "Eyes Closed", along with two holiday songs—"Feel This Christmas" and "I'll Be Home Christmas".

2018–2020: ''She Do'' and split

In February 2018, they appeared on ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's lea ...

'', and performed on ''

Despierta América "Despierta" (English: ''Wake Up'') was the first single from Edurne's debut album, ''Edurne Edurne García Almagro (; born 22 December 1985) is a Spanish singer, actress, and television presenter. She rose to fame in late 2005 when she too ...

'' that April. In 2018, the band released several singles, starting with "Tattoo (How 'Bout You)", which peaked at number 29 on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart for radio play. Other released singles included "How Badly", "Tonight Belongs to You", and "Got Me Good". In May 2018, it was announced that In Real Life would open in a supporting slot in July and August on the 2018 ''American Idol'' summer tour. In September 2018, they headlined the Tonight Belongs To You tour, performing in small venues across the U.S. and Asia. The tour concluded in November. In 2019, they released the singles "Crazy AF", "Somebody Like You", and "Hurt For Long". Their debut album ''She Do'', which features all of their singles from the past two years along with three new songs, was released on August 23, 2019. Their third Christmas single, "California Christmas", was announced to be released on November 29, 2019. The band created their own label, Broke Hero Records, after being dropped from Hollywood Records. On January 20, 2020, In Real Life announced their separation on Instagram.

Artistry

In Real Life was a pop boy band that experiment with other sounds such as

pop-rap Pop rap (also known as pop hip-hop, hip pop, melodic hip-hop or melodic rap) is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes. This genre gained mainstrea ...

, dance-pop,

teen pop Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well as elements o ...

and Latin pop. They cite

One Direction One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...

as their main influence and are compared to them for both starting off on

. They also cite

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...

, Boyz II Men and

The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most o ...

. Individual members of the group also cite influences including

Charlie Puth Charles Otto Puth Jr. (; born December 2, 1991) is an American singer and songwriter. His initial exposure came through the viral success of his song videos uploaded to YouTube. Puth initially signed with the record label eleveneleven after p ...

Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...

Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premise ...

Machine Gun Kelly George Kelly Barnes (July 18, 1895 – July 18, 1954), better known by his pseudonym "Machine Gun Kelly", was an American gangster from Memphis, Tennessee, active during the Prohibition era. His nickname came from his favorite weapon, a Thom ...

, Future,

Shawn Mendes Shawn Peter Raul Mendes (; born August 8, 1998) is a Canadian pop singer. He gained a following in 2013, when he posted song covers on the video sharing platform Vine. The following year, he caught the attention of artist manager Andrew Gert ...

Ed Sheeran Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently re ...

, Justin Timberlake,

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on Disclosure's breakthrough single " Latch", which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart, they ...

Jon Bellion Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his song "All Time Low," along with his writing and producing cred ...

, Jay-Z,

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

Rita Ora Rita Sahatçiu Ora (born Rita Sahatçiu; 26 November 1990) is a British singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence in February 2012 when she featured on DJ Fresh's single, "Hot Right Now", which reached number one in the UK. Her debut stud ...

, Eminem, NF and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air ( ...

Members

Brady Tutton

Brady Patrick Tutton was born on and is from Shorewood, Wisconsin. For his ''Boy Band'' audition, Tutton sang "

On Bended Knee "On Bended Knee" is a song by American R&B group Boyz II Men for the Motown label. The song, which was written and produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, was released in November 1994 as the second single from their second album, '' II'' (1994 ...

" by Boyz II Men. He went through the ten-week competition without being placed in the bottom two or three. He is an experienced classical music singer, as well as an actor. He played Brock on the ABC sitcom ''

Fresh Off the Boat The phrase fresh off the boat ''(FOB)'', off the boat ''(OTB)'', are sometimes-derogatory terms used to describe immigrants who have arrived from a foreign nation and have yet to assimilate into the host nation's culture, language, and behavior, ...

'' in 2015, and played the lead role in the 2018 film, ''The Rocket''.

Chance Perez

Chance Nickolas Perez was born on and originates from

Seal Beach Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. Seal Beach is located in the w ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. In 2016, Perez auditioned for '' America's Got Talent'' along with bandmates Jordan Perez and Tyler Reardon as "The WVKE". The group was buzzed by Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum and criticized by

Simon Cowell Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality, entrepreneur and record executive. He is the creator of '' The X Factor'' and ''Got Talent'' franchises which have been sold around the world. He has judged on ...

, leading to their elimination during the audition phase; however, Perez's vocals were individually praised by Cowell. In 2017, Perez auditioned for ''Boy Band'' singing " Somebody to Love" by

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

Drew Ramos

Andrew Luís Ramos (known professionally as Drew) was born on and originates from

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York. In 2017, Ramos auditioned for the first season of ABC's '' Boy Band'', with

's " Stay with Me". Along with Tutton and Perez, Ramos went through the competition without being placed in a bottom two or three. His breakout performance during the competition was MAXED's performance of

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

's rendition of "

Can't Take My Eyes Off You "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a we ...

Sergio Calderon

Sergio Aguilar Calderon Jr., known professionally as Sergio JR., was born on from

Redwood City, California Redwood City is a city on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California's Bay Area, approximately south of San Francisco, and northwest of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people to being a ...

. He was a student at Woodside Priory School before auditioning for ''Boy Band'' with an English/Spanish hybrid rendition of

Prince Royce Geoffrey Royce Rojas (born May 11, 1989), known professionally as Prince Royce, is an American singer. At an early age, Royce took an interest in music, and in his teenage years began experimenting with music and writing poetry. By age nineteen ...

's "Stand by Me". On August 10, 2017, Calderon was placed in the bottom two along with former contestant Devin Hayes, but he was saved by America. On May 22, 2020, he released his first single "No es Facil".

Conor Michael Smith

Conor Michael Smith (formerly known as Michael Conor until June 2019) was born on . He is from

Shaker Heights, Ohio Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, a ...

. He auditioned for ''Boy Band'' as a rapping violinist with " A Little More" by

. Like Tutton, Perez, and Ramos, he was never in danger of elimination. In January 2019, Smith made a remix to " Lucky You" by Eminem featuring

Joyner Lucas Gary Maurice "Joyner" Lucas Jr. (born August 17, 1988) is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Lucas first received widespread exposure and critical acclaim after the release of his single "Ross Capicchioni" in 2015. In June 2017, he relea ...

. After the success with the first remix, Smith released "Do or Die" which contains a sample of "

Morph Morph may refer to: Biology * Morph (zoology), a visual or behavioral difference between organisms of distinct populations in a species * Muller's morphs, a classification scheme for genetic mutations * "-morph", a suffix commonly used in tax ...

" by

Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots (stylized in all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who ...

. "Do or Die" and was released in March 2019. Thomas Crane filmed and directed both videos, which are uploaded to YouTube. The audio version of both songs are available on Smith's SoundCloud. On October 27, 2020, he released his debut single, "With You in Mind", where he talks about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Discography

The discography of In Real Life consists of one studio album, 11

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

s, and 7

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...

Albums

* ''She Do'' (2019)

Singles

Music videos

* 2017: "Eyes Closed" * 2017: "I'll Be Home For Christmas" * 2018: "Tattoo (How 'Bout You)" * 2018: "Tonight Belongs to You" * 2019: "Crazy AF" * 2019: "She Do" * 2019: "Don't Go" * 2019: "California Christmas"

Filmography

;Television * '' Boy Band'' (2017)

Tours

;Headlining * Tonight Belongs to You Tour (2018) * For U Tour (2019) ;Co Headlining * American Idol Live! (2018)

References

External links

InRealLifeVEVO YouTube channel

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram
{{authority control American boy bands Musical groups established in 2017 Musical groups from Los Angeles Hollywood Records artists 2017 establishments in California