Hear Me Out is a column dedicated to earnest reevaluations of those cast-off bits of pop-cultural ephemera that deserve a second look. Whether they’re films, TV series, albums, comedy specials, ...

One Direction garnered comparisons to the Backstreet Boys simply for being the most popular boy band to debut since the 1990s. Furthermore, One Direction ripped off the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It ...