On November 28th 2009 Nickelodeon released the pilot episode of its newest hit T.V. show. The show told the story of four hockey player best friends who were given a chance to move to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming a boy band. The fictional tv show gave us the brainiac Logan Mitchell, the goofball Carlos Garcia, the level headed leader Kendall Knight and the narcissistic fame seeking James Diamond. Those four fictional characters made up the band Big Time Rush.
However the four hockey players from Minnesota featured on the TV show Big Time Rush were just that, characters. These characters were portrayed by hired actors Logan Henderson, Carlos PenaVega, Kendall Schmidt and James Maslow. When all of them were initially hired they were cast based on their acting and musical talent. However once they started portraying the fictional versions of themselves, they realized that they wanted to actually be a band. They wanted to make real music as themselves under the name Big Time Rush.
As the show revolved around a band, many of the songs heard on the band’s self titled album BTR were first heard on the tv show. This overlap gave the band an audience for their music , as fans hoped that the songs featured on the episodes would make the album. Fan favorite songs such as Boyfriend and Worldwide first made their debut in successful episodes of the TV show. While they did not write the music on that album, many staples in their discography can be found on it. Songs such as Till I Forget About You, Halfway There, Boyfriend and Worldwide all became classic hits of the 2010’s and became some of their most iconic songs. The release of their second album(Elevate), Big Time Rush began taking control of their music. With 8 writing credits between the four of them across the album, this became apparent to fans. This gave us the summer anthem Windows Down and the emotional Cover Girl. Once again we saw the songs on this album directly connect with the plotlines in the Tv show. No Idea was featured in the iconic episode where Kendall had to choose if he would get back together with the love of his life Jo (played by Katelyn Tarver) or stay with edgy rockstar Lucy Stone(played Malese Jow).
In 2013 Big Time Rush released their third album 24/Seven. This was the first time that at least one member of the band was credited with writing the overwhelming majority of the album. Between the ten tracks on the standard version and the bonus five on the deluxe version, Big Time Rush wrote 10 of those total songs. This album was full of hit songs such as Confetti Falling, Amazing and the title track 24/Seven. Once again the music on the album directly correlated with the episode’s plot lines. The song We Are was sung by the boys in the final minutes of the TV show. The song let fans know that their time with the band was dwindling and that this chapter was closing. Big Time Rush did a small tour stint in 2014 with three dates in the United States, three in Mexico and five dates in South America. Their previous tours had been longer in length and overall magnitude. When this tour ended, fans knew that Big Time Rush was over.
Fans sadly accepted the news that Big Time Rush was over. They ended the band on good terms and continued to stay best friends. Kendall, James, Logan and Carlos all ventured into their own projects after Big Time Rush ended. Kendall went back to Heffron Drive, the duo he had been part of prior to Big Time Rush. They released their album Happy Mistakes in 2014 and released singles up until 2018. They also won the Macy’s IheartRadio Rising Star Competition In 2018. He also continued acting, working on projects such as School of Rock on Nickelodeon and the web series Are You There God? It’s Me Margret. James also continued acting working on movies such as Stars Fell On Alabama, Room For Murder and We Need To Talk. James also competed in the Macy’s IheartRadio Rising Star Competition and won the year prior to Kendall. Logan took a long break after Big Time Rush ended but ultimately released his own solo album titled Echoes Of Departures And The Endless Street of Dreams Part 1 in 2018. Carlos continued acting, starring alongside his wife Alexa PenaVega in movies for the Hallmark Channel. He also won an Emmy for his work as Kenickie in Grease Live. They all found success outside Big Time Rush and fans were happy with that.
In the early days of the Pandemic the four members of BTR posted a quick video encouraging everyone to stay safe during this time. The video blew up and currently has almost 900,000 views. This was the first time that fans had seen all four members together in almost seven years and sparked the conversation of a possible reunion. During the time they were a part each member was constantly asked if they’d consider doing anything together again. They always responded with vague answers that left fans hopeful. A few months later, they virtually reunited again, this time performing an acoustic rendition of their song Worldwide. Fans were once again thrilled to see these four men performing together on their screens. They then reunited a third time virtually wishing all of the Rushers worldwide a Happy Holidays by singing their Christmas song Beautiful Christmas.
Flash forward to July 19th 2021 when fans were finally given confirmation that Big Time Rush was coming back and that this time they would be doing things their way! During their time working for Nickelodeon, they had very little creative control. Ultimately their label had the final say and their opinions were often silenced. Slightly mature lyrics were erased from songs in order to maintain the band’s Nickelodeon approved image. They had no control over the songs that were played and released. However this comeback was different. Now operating under the label “Bought The Rights”, Big Time Rush now had the opportunity to do this band the way they wanted. The results were incredible! Since their comeback in 2021 they have released 4 singles; Call It Like I See It, Not Giving You Up, Fall and Honey. They have also released two songs in Spanglish Dale Pa’ Ya and Suave(featuring Grammy winner Maffio). With this comeback they promised to listen to the fans and honor their requests. They kept this promise by finally releasing fan favorite songs Shot In The Dark and Paralyzed. Paralyzed was a song that featured in the second season of the Big Time Rush TV show and for some reason was never released. A similar thing happened with the ever popular Shot In The Dark. Fans absolutely loved these songs and begged the band to release it. Now that the band owns their music, to the delight of rushers worldwide ,these songs are now available for streaming!
Like most people reading this article, I did not know who Big Time Rush was during their first time making music. In fact, I didn’t know who they were until March 2021 when I found the TV show on Netflix. I was so excited to learn that they were a real band and equally as disappointed when I learned they had been broken up for 8 years at that point. I never thought in my wildest dreams that they would get back together or better yet that I would see them live. I was lucky enough to see them on the Forever Tour and The Can’t Get Enough Tour. It’s true, I really couldn’t get enough! Yes, they are ten years older than they were the first time they were touring but it didn’t hurt their performance at all. I would go as far to say their vocals are better now than they were then. One of the coolest memories I have from seeing BTR live comes from the Forever Tour. I was ecstatic to be seeing this band live as I had been a huge fan for over a year and a half at this point. The Boston tour date was the fourth stop on the tour, meaning the show was very much in its early stages. The energy of the audience was electric as this was the first time Bostonian fans were seeing BTR live on stage after a long hiatus. One of the most important parts of a Big Time Rush show is the performance of Worldwide when four lucky audience members are chosen at random to be serenaded by the group.At the conclusion of Worldwide, Logan Henderson would sneak off stage while the other band members entertained the crowd. They would then perform this bit where Logan got lost searching for merchandise and ended up in the crowd. After a minute of the bit, Logan invites the boys to join him in the audience where they would perform the songs Time Of Our Life and Parazlyed. Due to my seats for the Forever Tour, both Logan and Carlos were extremely close to me during Time Of Our Life. Logan saw how much fun my section was having and performed Parazlyed directly to us. He was mere centimeters away from my row and truly it was a memory I will never forget.
Speaking of mature vocals, Rushers received the first album of this new era on June 2nd, 2023 with the release of Another Life. Personally, I believe that this is the band’s best album. Featuring songs such as Ask You Tonight, Weekends Brand New, this album takes Big Time Rush from the teenaged Nickelodeon singers to full adults with families of their own. This album proves that the band deserves to be in control of their music and are capable of storytelling without watered down lyrics catered towards their young viewers. The title track “Another Life” truly captures the band’s second life, showing the true artistry of every member. The album is a love letter to the fans who have been with them this whole time while also creating something that even a first time T.V. show viewer would appreciate.
Over the past three years I have made my love for this band no secret. From wearing the merch regularly ,to making everyone I know watch them play song association with Elle ,to seeing them live twice and to most recently writing this article, my love for the foursome is very public. Many people have asked me why I love BTR especially considering it seems like a very strange band to love this much. If I’m being completely honest, I found these four during a time when I really needed positivity. March of 2021 was a very bleak time in my life and Big Time Rush became a much needed light in an otherwise immensely anxious time. The tv show became a source of comfort for me during this time. I still find myself turning on my favorite episodes when I’m in desperate need of a laugh, cry or an overall mood boost. However the storytelling of their sitcom or the lyriscim of even their best songs are not what have led to my deep love and appreciation for the band. They have worked hard to make the fanbase inclusive, showcasing their dedication to the comfort level of every fan. Through the past 15 years, they have built this beautiful connection, not just between the fans but also with each other. It is obvious that the brotherhood these men share is extremely special and as a fan I’m lucky to watch as they continue to grow together. Their love for the fanbase comes from a place of the utmost gratitude. This time around, they are not the castmates using the energy of the fictitious band they were portraying to fuel them. They are letting their passion for music, each other and the fans drive their work and it shows in the art they have created. Thank you Kendall, Logan, James and Carlos for the 15 years of music and memories. I promise I’ll be thinking about you worldwide…
