In the four-year history of MTV's Musical March Madness tournament, no band has dominated quite like Tokio Hotel, the German rockers who have ridden the support of their fanatical "Aliens" to a pair of Final Four appearances, and, last year, the MMM championship.
Of course, their tourney success is even more impressive considering, during that same stretch of time, they've released exactly zero albums (their last, Humanoid came out in 2009). Obviously, that hasn't mattered to their fans ... and with the 2013 Musical March Madness set to tip off on March 18, it looks like history may repeat itself yet again: Because Tokio Hotel are back to defend their crown, and the oddsmakers like their chances.
And just in case you think they've been resting on their laurels, well, TH is here to tell you otherwise: In an exclusive video message to MTV News (and their fans), they let it be known that they've been training hard to repeat as champs — which means bands like Fall Out Boy and Fun. better get ready. Oh, and as if that wasn't enough, this year, Tokio Hotel are raising the stakes.
"We want to defend our title, we're so ready," frontman Bill Kaulitz said. "We've been in our rehearsal room all year long preparing ourselves, because we definitely want to win again."
"And if we win, we will release our record this year," his brother Tom added. "Otherwise never."
So there you have it, Aliens: If Tokio Hotel win Musical March Madness again, you'll be getting a new album in 2013. If they fail ... well, you'll never hear it. Can they become the first band to repeat as tournament champs? That's up to you. After all, fans vote for the winners in all Musical March Madness matchups, and when voting gets underway on Monday, March 18 — when we unveil our bracket of 64 bands — we'll see if their promise pays off. Of course, Tokio Hotel also have a few more tricks up their sleeves to guarantee victory.
"I think the best way to win is to scare the other bands and the other people, and I think the Aliens can do that," Bill said. "I think we should activate our Power Rangers power."