I a don't own a single boyband record. You won't find the Backstreet Boys in my collection or N'Sync for that matter. Most of the time I could care less about the latest happenings betweem Justin and Britney. But with the news of an all gay boyband out of Germany called Marilyn's Boys, even I've found myself intrigued, enough so that I decided to investigate.

After a nationwide casting call and 1000 applicants all after their big break the final decision went down at the Betty Ford Clinic, a nightclub in Hamburg's red light district. Five guys collapsed exhausted and ecstatic into each other's arms. They had done it. They were on their way to becoming famous.

One of their first big challenges was what to name the troop and there are two stories regarding this, the public version and the behind the scenes reality version. In the public version there was a call for suggestions that was put out over local german media, the idea being that the name receiving the most support would be selected. That name was Marilyn's Boys and there you have it. In the behind the scenes story the band’s name was chosen after the 40th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's death came up in conversation one day and the executives who wanted something different decided on it after the contest to find a name for the group didn't live up to their expectations.

Marilyn's Boys first single, "I give you the stars", hit the airwaves in Germany in the middle of October as well as in local clubs. The song is a well manufactured hit that is as danceable as it is radio friendly. Marilyn's Boys sounds "more like feather boas and make-up than tight jeans and three-day beards", says the Berlin gay magazine Sergej. To date the single is all the boys have released. You can listen to it on the band's official website, a rather genius web experience as you wander through a gay club to different locations, including a place where each of the five boys have their own room. Everything is in German though and navigating it on that level proved a bit of a challenge.

Since the release of the single the five have kept busy recruiting live appearances for themselves including an AIDS Benefit gala in Frankfurt, "Pride Christmas" and other venues in Germany. It was during this time that the music video station Viva took the five under its wings. At the beginning of December the single busted out in heavy airwave rotation.

The question now seems to be: Will the music sell because of the gay marketing angle - or will actual talent have to overcome the potential gay obstacle? Nobody seems to know for sure at this point. One thing that is clear though is that their public relations machine is working it and is running at full speed. Like the Spice Girls the boys were carefully selected to fit to certain stereotypes. Manager and producer Swen Gutknecht says the band was consciously put together with five different types, which are also very international.

Rico is a lhairdresser and self described "fashionvictim". Rico (22) from Cologne has three younger brothers and is particularly into the sounds of R`n`B, House, dance music and the songs of Robbie Williams and Madonna. His big dream in life is to be an actor. A learned Frisoer (an occupation) Rico unfortunately had to give it up because of a skin allergy. His look and hairstyle vary constantly and he is a self described "fashion victim."

Andrim is a bundle of energy and a force to be reckoned with. Andrim (20) lives in Cologne, has two sisters and his show business experience is primarily that of a dancer. He's apparently studied acting as well and has a commitment to the theater. Andrim's parents originate from Macedonia. An avid swimmer, his musical influences other than house include classical music (Mahler) and Toto ("I know, embarrassing!").

Jeremy was born and raised in London and he loves the fine things in life, particularly good wine. Jeremy (25), has played piano since he was in the fourth grade and in school actually wrote the music for different theater productions. Prior to Marilyn's Boys he could be found working Unterhaltungsshows for some the most renowned European holidays clubs, as well as working as a cab leader for the airline Lufthansa. Jeremy speaks four languages and even served in the Royal Airforce.

Ruan (20) has his roots in Sri Lanka, grew up in the city of Hamburg, and is currently living in Bonn. He has one brother and he also likes R`n`B, soul and pop music, ranking Whitney Houston, Alicia Keyes, Kylie Minogue and Craig David among his favourite artists. Ruan could imagine an occupation in the media, is an avid reader and is quite athletic. Ruan thinks Jon Bon Jovi is horrible and he admires actor Keanu Reeves.

Yves (25) originates in Luxembourg, relocating to the United States at the age of 16 and later emigrating to Canada. At present he lives in Munich. Yves first studied psychology and currently he works as an interpreter, though to be on the stage has always been his dream. In Philadelphia Yves sang as the only white boy in an all black gospel choir and he was also a one-time Eurovision Song Contest hopeful.

How largely the potential fan base for Marilyn's Boys will be can hardly be said at this point. According to estimations there are eight million gay men living in Germany. If they're capable of crossing the waters and taking America by storm it's possible the sky is the limit. Yet the band's management stresses that the girls will love them too, perhaps even more so because they aren't available. They see the boys sexual orientation as not being a central characteristic of any of the band members lives and surprisingly there is little to no information about it other than the simplest identifier. Part of the reason for this is that they're hoping to market themselves to a mainstream audience, therefore sanitizing their sexuality to a certain extent. After all, they believe the strength of the group is that they are all absolutely passionate musicians.

Sexual preference has always been a mystery among boy groups. Robbie Williams loved to tease about his sexuality. When Steven Gately of Boyzone and Eloy de Jong of Caught In The Act outed themselves as a couple in 1999, the world caved in for thousands of pre-pubescent girls. All five of Marilyn's Boys though are men in their early 20s, clean-cut, fashionable, muscle-toned non-smokers, all making no secret of their homosexuality. But their sexual orientation is not supposed to be in the spotlight, says band member Jeremy Golledge. "As far as our music goes, the fact that we're gay has nothing to do with it," he told DW-WORLD in an interview. "We are not just addressing a gay community. This is mainstream music and we're trying to reach everybody." At a recent concert in the eastern German city of Dresden the first fans to come up to them after the show were a group of straight male teens. "And they were putting their arms around us and telling us how super we were. Girls were also asking for autographs," says Jeremy. "So the gay thing wasn't an issue."

Nevertheless it does seem to be an issue for them, one that should prove interesting to watch them navigate as they flaunt their sexuality only to not mention anything specifically about it. It's the only issue that sets them apart from other groups, and it is the fundamental key issue that is getting the message out to the world that Marilyn's Boys are coming.

When all is said and done what they have to say is absolutely right though. It will all come down to the music, and with only one maxi-single available to date, albiet a keeper, their collective future remains to be seen.