Wanted

Formed in 2009 with the aim of reshaping the boy band formula nearly a decade after *NSync and the Backstreet Boys reached their sales pinnacle, the Wanted came together via open auditions. Max George, previously of the fleeting British act Avenue, entered as the lineup’s best-known voice, while Siva Kaneswaran joined as its sole Irish participant. Completing the roster were the British singers Jay McGuiness, Tom Parker, and Nathan Sykes. Within a year of their assembly, the group claimed the top spot on the U.K. singles chart when “All Time Low” entered at number one in August 2010.

Their self-titled debut album arrived the following month and landed at number four on the British album chart. A year later came the follow-up, Battleground, which included the track “Gold Forever.” By then the band had secured an American distribution arrangement with Def Jam Records. In 2012 they issued a U.S.-targeted compilation EP that collected earlier hits alongside two fresh recordings. The EP gained traction in the States, prompting sessions for the third album, Word of Mouth, released in 2013. That set reached the U.K. Top Ten, after which the Wanted launched an international tour that extended into 2014. Later that year the members began to drift apart, eventually declaring an indefinite pause.

Once the hiatus was announced, each pursued individual paths: Sykes issued his first solo album, Unfinished Business, in 2016; George put out several singles and moved into television; Kaneswaran took on behind-the-scenes roles while releasing his own music; McGuiness transitioned to stage acting; and Parker worked on solo recordings and screen appearances. Rumors of a reunion surfaced in 2020, yet Parker received a diagnosis of inoperable stage four brain tumor at year’s end. The COVID-19 pandemic and his treatment suspended any plans. In September 2021 Parker staged a benefit concert for the U.K. charity Stand Up to Cancer that featured performances by Becky Hill, McFly, and Liam Payne; the event also marked the Wanted’s first appearance together since 2014. At the close of 2021 the group released its first greatest-hits package, Most Wanted, which gathered past singles with newly recorded tracks. Tom Parker succumbed to glioblastoma complications on March 30, 2022, at the age of 33.