In August 2009, the guys faced a challenge in choosing a name and eventually settled on Big Time Rush, which is a hockey term. They signed a record deal later that year. On November 29, 2009, their debut single with the same name was released on iTunes and achieved early success. The single was also included in the hour-long made-for-TV pilot movie called Big Time Audition; however, certain parts of the second verse and choruses were edited out.
Big Time Rush achieved significant success when their first chart entry, the song “Halfway There,” reached #93 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 27, 2010. Following the debut episode of “Big Time Fever” on June 26, 2010, they released their own version of Swedish band Play’s track called “Famous” on iTunes.
The song “City Is Ours” was released on August 3, 2010 and featured in the episode “Big Time Video.” In September, the full version of “Til’ I Forget About You” was released as a promotional single for their album. On October 11, 2010, their debut album named B. T. R. was released, which includes the first single “Halfway There,” along with “City Is Ours” and “Til I Forget About You.” The album reached #3 on the Billboard 200 chart during the week of October 30, 2010. It also achieved #1 on the Billboard Kids albums & Soundtracks chart and currently holds the position of #2.
The album received certification for its successful releases. The chart debut of Big Night was at number 79. In 2011, two different versions of the song “Boyfriend” were leaked online but have not yet been officially released. One version includes a collaboration with Snoop Dogg, while the other version features New Boyz. The release date for the version featuring Snoop Dogg has been announced as February 15, 2011. The band has also expressed their desire to collaborate with British singer Pixie Lott in the future.
