By Maureen Quinlan, News Staff

What is it about five boys synchronized-dancing to an upbeat pop tune that makes my heart melt?

Is it the way they all look so vulnerable when they move in one direction (pun intended)? Is it the way they serenade me with voices of angels and the lyrics of a boy in love? Or is it the fact that no matter how old I get, I will always love a good boy band?

I know boy bands really hit their heyday in the late 1990s, but they have recently resurfaced in my life, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

First it was my love for One Direction. The cuties from England and Ireland stole my heart with their first hit, “What Makes You Beautiful.” The accents certainly didn’t hurt. I now own pretty much every song they’ve ever made, and am unashamed to say I saw their movie in theaters, have a poster in my living room, and own a One Direction phone case.

But please don’t call me a Directioner. I do not hope to ever marry one of them. I’d settle for being their best friend.

Next it was the epic reunion of ’NSYNC at the VMAs in August. I mean, JT was awesome and all, but let’s be honest: everyone was watching that performance to see Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez join Justin on the stage to once again steal our hearts.

My heart skipped a beat the moment they emerged, and the smile did not leave my face until they left the building.

And, of course, I can’t leave out the Backstreet Boys. Their performance at the Hatch Shell two weeks ago will never leave my memory. It felt so surreal to even say, at age 21 rather than eight, that I was seeing A.J. McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter perform. They started with the hits, snuck in a current release, and ended with the hits. It was short, but it was a dream-come-true for the little girl in me that once made up dances to their songs and obsessively watched their music videos.

And Nick Carter’s still got it, in case anyone was wondering. He fully embraces that he was a teen heartthrob and despite his 20 years of aging since he first hit the scene, he knows he’s still an object of affection in the eyes of the many girls who have also aged 20 years.

That’s my next favorite thing about boy bands: the personalities, looks and stars we get to drool over. Try to deny it, but every girl has a favorite member of each boy band. And the great thing is that they all offer something different – there’s something for every taste.

I’m a Nick Carter, Lance Bass and Niall Horan girl. I guess I have a thing for the blondes. Let’s just ignore the fact that Nick is a has-been, Lance is gay and Niall is 20. They are cute, funny and they can sing. What more could a girl want?

Of course there are the lesser-known boy bands, such as The Wanted, New Kids on the Block and Boyz II Men, but my heart just couldn’t make room for them. Though if you want a fun boy band video, check out Todrick Hall and IM5’s Disney Dudez, a combination of classic boy band and Disney songs, Disney princes and boy band swoon-inducing moves. YouTube it just to hear the lyrics of “A Whole New World” set to the music of “What Makes You Beautiful.”

But above all, I think it’s the ideas that boy bands plant in our minds. Girls like to believe that the boys in their real lives feel the way that boy bands sing.

We like to believe that he really does love the way we flip our hair; or that he doesn’t care who we are or what we did as long as we love him; and that we are tearin’ up his heart when we’re with him and apart.

Rain or shine, broken heart or head over heels in love, my boy bands will always be there to sing me to happiness.