It’s been a long wait but New Kids On The Block are finally back with a new collection of music.

They will be releasing a five-track EP called Thankful on Friday, their first release since their 2013 album 10. NKOTB recently gave fans a taste of what was to come when they unveiled ‘One More Night’. They then followed up with the EP’s title track, ‘Thankful’, cementing their status as an irresistible RnB band.

With three yet-to-be released tracks still to come, the band, made up of Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight, are ready to shake up the music scene with Thankful. Full of slick vibes, captivating lyrics and anthemic beats, this EP will be a welcome addition to anyone’s playlist.

Ahead of its release on Friday, we were lucky enough to be given a first listen of the EP in full. Here’s what you can expect from NKOTB’s Thankful.

1. ‘Heartbeat’

The EP begins with ‘Heartbeat’, which instantly kicks off with a beat emulating a heart rate monitor. Strings are added to the gentle verse before we reach the roaring chorus, which echoes a marching band. We love the light and shade to the track, which brings the song title to life. The strength of the song builds throughout, and we can already imagine that ‘Heartbeat’ will be a powerful song to hear live.

2. ‘Thankful’

‘Thankful’ is a smooth RnB offering and one of our favourite songs from the EP. The song begins as a slow jam before building up to an infectious drop in the chorus. In fact, the chorus is the track’s highlight and we guarantee it will be ingrained in your mind after one listen! Lyrically, this song is one of their standouts. With lyrics such as “I saw a flicker of light in the darkness, I saw a reflection of me where your heart is baby, ’cause you, you’re holding me up, you’re holding me up and I am thankful”, the track is likely to melt a heart or two. In fact, ‘Thankful’ is bound to be a fan favourite, as it acts as the perfect dedication to their loyal long-term fans who continue to support their every move.

3. ‘One More Night’

‘One More Night’ was the first track to be unveiled from the EP and gave us an insight into what we could expect from the new era of NKOTB. The disco-tinged offering is hypnotic, proving why NKOTB are still one of the best male bands in the industry. The track is sexy and slick in its lyrics and beat, and we’re still obsessing over the official music video.

4. ‘Hard (Not Luvin U)’

The penultimate track, ‘Hard (Not Luvin U)’, is a soulful yet fun track. If we had to pick a ‘least favourite’ track from the EP, then it would be this one, however, it’s still very pleasing to the ear. It has a groovy beat throughout which is bound to make you want to dance along. Whilst it’s a new song from NKOTB, it also has a classic old school vibe to it, which will be a hit among fans.

5. ‘Still Sounds Good’

The EP comes to an end with our personal favourite, ‘Still Sounds Good’. The song grabs your attention straight away with its anthemic quality, so much so that we can already imagine clapping along to it at a gig. Again, the chorus is very much the highlight, and we love the ‘oh’s’ throughout which make the song even more powerful. We also love that the band mixes things up by adding a rap in the latter half. It adds a contemporary edge to an already epic song which reminisces about past times.

Trust us when we say that New Kids On The Block fans are in for a treat on Friday! The five-piece have delivered a strong and slick EP which is set to bring the band back to the forefront of the music industry. Whilst we love the EP as a whole, we have to single out both ‘Still Sounds Good’ and ‘Thankful’ as our personal highlights. Our main criticism with the EP is that it’s far too short for our NKOTB needs! We’re already craving more new music from the five-piece, but are thankful to have a new EP to play on repeat.

If you fancy hearing their new material live, New Kids On The Block will be kicking off their Total Package Tour of North America on May 12. They will be joined on the road by Boyz II Men and Paula Abdul.

Thankful is available to pre-order now – you’ll receive ‘Thankful’ and ‘One More Night’ as instant grat tracks. The EP will be fully available on Friday (May 12).

Are you excited for the new era of music from New Kids On The Block? Let us know on Twitter @CelebMix

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