In the US, it was ‘NSync that launched Justin Timberlake. In Latin pop, they had Menudo, the boy band that saw Ricky Martin get his start and could very well give us the next generation of stars. Here’s everything you need to know about the group’s past and possible future.
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The original Menudo was formed in the 1970s
The group was formed in Puerto Rico in 1977 and officially disbanded in 2009, according to Peoplereaching its peak in the 1980s. (Martin was a member from 1984 to 1989). According to TODAY, The group has sold over 20 million albums. One of the defining characteristics of the group was that, rather than growing alongside their fans and audience, Menudo was always comprised of five teenagers. Around the age of 17, the members were dismissed from the group and replaced by younger singers. Over the decades, over 50 members were assembled throughout the original group’s tenure.
Menudo is also the name of a popular Mexican soup, known for being a meal to share and bring people together.
In the early 1990s, members of the group alleged that they had been sexually assaulted by the group’s founder, Edgardo Diaz, who has always denied the allegations. In May 2023, NBC News reported that the LAPD had opened an investigation into the former Menudo members’ allegations against Diaz. Many of these issues are explored in the documentary Menudo: Young Forever and the peacock Menéndez + Menudo: betrayed boys.
The new Menudo on ACT
Since the group’s heyday, several attempts have been made to resurrect Menudo. Auditions were announced in 2004 and a reality TV show was planned for 2007. This latest formation is the first to come to fruition.
In season 19, episode 5, ACT The audience met the “new” Menudo, a project that the members say began when their “boss bought the Menudo name” and launched a nationwide talent search. One of the architects of the project is actor and Access Hollywood host Mario Lopez. This time, the boys were born in the United States and live in Miami, although they sing in Spanish (Menudo’s original songs have been recorded in several languages).
“Determining the five finalists was harder than we ever imagined because there was so much great talent to choose from,” Lopez said after the new group was revealed in March 2023. “The five guys we selected clicked immediately and the music they created exceeded all of our expectations. I think we have several huge hits.”
The current members are Andés Emilio, Nicolas Calero, Alejandro Querales, Ezra Gilmore and Gabriel Rossell. Despite Howie Mandel’s negative vote, they made it through to the next round after their audition, but only after Cowell interrupted their initial performance and asked them to sing another song. He then left the youngsters with some valuable advice.
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“I think it’s very interesting that you reformed Menudo,” he said. “However, you have to make your own decisions. You have to be yourselves. Do what you want, wear what you want, sing what you want, and you’ll have fun.”
