Only Boys Aloud – meet The World’s Biggest Boyband

OfficialCharts.com chat to Scott Howells, Ben Bateman and Ifan Jenkin from Only Boys Aloud - the young Welsh male voice choir who came third in this year’s Britain’s Got Talent competition.

Dubbed ‘The World’s Biggest Boy Band’, Only Boys Aloud were put together by choir master Tim Rhys-Evans in 2010 after his 21st Century re-imagining of a traditional Welsh male voice choir, Only Men Aloud, won the BBC’s Last Choir Standing competition.

His aim, with both groups, was to breathe new life into the traditions which have been heard throughout the hills and valleys of Wales for hundreds of years, but are in serious danger of dying out because not enough young people are joining male voice choirs.

“Everyone knows traditional male voice choirs sound brilliant, but they’re in danger of dying off,” explains Ben. “Everyone thinks the stereotypical male voice choir in Wales is old people, so first Tim started Only Men Aloud, but he’s always wanted a boys choir.”

Only Boys Aloud, who are aged between 14 and 19, now boast 141 members, and are still growing. They released their debut, self-titled album earlier this week, which contains a mixture of traditional music such as Gwahoddiad and Calon Lan, as well as reinterpretations of songs like Coldplay’s Paradise and Take That’s Never Forget.

Only Boys Aloud will be performing on this weekend’s X Factor finale, so if you haven’t come across The World’s Biggest Boy Band yet, it’s high time you were introduced!