The Wanted's Surprise U.S. Hit

It’s been a full decade since the end of the last great wave of boy bands, and even then, the most successful of the bunch were of the American variety. So the sudden cross-Atlantic success of British quintet The Wanted with their song “Glad You Came” (which surged into Billboard’s Top 40 Pop Chart a couple weeks ago) feels unlikely and deliciously random. Why, then, a guy might fairly ask, haven’t superior recent singles by JLS or One Direction similarly stormed our airwaves?

Maybe The Wanted are just really cute, sweet guys – even by boy band standards?

Last night, fresh from a tour date in Las Vegas and en route to more dates in Canada and then back to the U.K., the group made their American “late night debut” on Chelsea Lately, all five of them piled up onto Chelsea Handler’s guest couch fielding questions about, y’know, their British accents and whether they are “of age”. The group came across wide-eyed and friggin’ adorable – in stark contrast to the residual tackiness of Chelsea’s show (I’m kind of a fan). When Chelsea told 18-year-old Nathan he looked a little like Justin Bieber, he blushingly replied “if someone did something horrible to his face, possibly.” O. M. G. So damn cute.

“Glad You Came”, which debuted at the top of the UK singles chart last summer, is the lead single from the band’s sophomore album Battleground. The single’s available for download here, but neither Battleground, nor the group’s 2010 self-titled debut have gotten a U.S. release yet. Sadface. Get happy! Watch the video: