1993-1994

Faced with the constant derision of people outside their teen market and the maturation of that base, the fact that they themselves were no longer teenagers, and that the 'type' of music that had once made them famous had faded from the lexicon—the group split off from Maurice Starr, shortened their name to NKOTB and attempted to make a comeback in January 1994 with Face the Music.

Their first studio album in close to four years, Face the Music had a grittier and harder-edged sound. In spite of some positive critical reception, the album sold poorly. The group's final single to chart was Dirty Dawg (which featured a rap cameo by Nice & Smooth.) The video was banned from Canadian music video network Muchmusic, due to its violent imagery against women (an example being a night time scene of a woman being chased by angry dogs through a forest). NKOTB went on tour to support the album, but faced with the reality that their time as pop music icons had peaked, were forced to play smaller venues such as clubs and theaters, as opposed to the arenas and stadiums they had become accustomed to playing when they were at the height of their fame. Group member Jonathan Knight, meanwhile, departed the tour early. Shortly thereafter the remaining four decided to cancel the rest of the tour, and subsequently the group disbanded altogether. Jordan announced the end of NKOTB in June 1994, during their final concert date in Massachusetts.