Backstreet Boys Biography
The Backstreet Boys, often known as BSB, are a singing group from the United States made up of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson, and Howie Dorough. They were established in Orlando, Florida, in 1993.
Backstreet Boys, the group’s international first album, helped them become well-known. The group continued to have international success the following year with the publication of Backstreet Boys (1997), their self-titled U.S. debut album, and Backstreet Boys (1997), their second international album. Their third studio album Millennium (1999), which featured the international smash “I Want It That Way,” and its follow-up album Black & Blue (2000) propelled them to success. The Hits – Chapter One, a greatest hits collection, was also released by them in 2001. They reunited and put out a comeback album, Never Gone (2005), after a two-year break.
Richardson quit the group in 2006 when the Never Gone Tour was over in order to pursue other interests. The quintet later issued two albums: This Is Us (2009) and Unbreakable (2007).
In 2012, Richardson rejoined the team on a long-term basis. The next year, they published their first independent album, In a World Like This, and commemorated their 20th anniversary. More than 20 years after the group’s formation and 19 years after their previous number-one album, 2000, their follow-up album DNA (2019) debuted at the top of the charts. They made history by becoming the first boy band to have albums number one in the US charts in three distinct decades. A Very Backstreet Christmas, their debut holiday album, was released in 2022. In 2023, they marked their 30th anniversary.
The Backstreet Boys are the best-selling boy band of all time and one of the most popular musicians in the world with over 100 million records sold globally. They are the only boy band to have done so and the first band to since Led Zeppelin to have all ten of its albums chart in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) awarded Backstreet Boys and Millennium both diamond certifications, making them one of the few groups with multiple diamond albums.
On April 22, 2013, the group was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of, their debut documentary, was released in January 2015. Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life, the group’s two-year Las Vegas residency, started in March 2017.
Backstreet Boys History
1993–1995: Formation and early years
Orlando, Florida residents Howie Dorough and AJ McLean met through a shared voice teacher and then discovered Nick Carter through auditions. The trio was formed after the three realized they could sing well together. Lexington, Kentucky natives and cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell participated in church choirs and festivals as youngsters. After relocating to Orlando, Richardson began working at Walt Disney World and concentrating on music at night.
Lou Pearlman advertised for a singing group with a “New Kids on the Block” look and a “Boyz II Men sound” in the Orlando Sentinel in 1992. McLean was the first to appear at Pearlman’s living room auditions, and he joined the group as its first member. At his blimp hangar in Kissimmee, Pearlman hosted open casting calls from late 1992 to March 1993, during which time hundreds of young performers gave auditions. Carter, Dorough, and Richardson were ultimately chosen after exceeding Pearlman’s demands. On April 20, 1993, Littrell took a flight from Kentucky to Orlando to formally join the organization after speaking with Richardson the previous day. Thus, their anniversary date was April 20.
After Orlando’s Backstreet Market, a popular teen hangout and outdoor flea market close to International Drive, Pearlman chose the name “Backstreet Boys” for the group.
On May 8, 1993, The Backstreet Boys gave their debut concert at SeaWorld Orlando. The ensemble then continued to perform during the summer of 1993 in a variety of locations, including restaurants, shopping centers, and a prestigious charity banquet in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They started touring colleges across the country (including Littrell’s alma mater, Tates Creek High School), seeking to gain a record deal after a management change in the fall.
In 1993, Mercury Records came close to signing them, but the agreement collapsed at the last minute because John Mellencamp, a veteran Mercury recording artist, threatened to leave the label if they entered the boy band industry. However, after seeing the group perform at a high school in Cleveland in February 1994, Jeff Fenster (at the time senior VP A&R Zomba/JIVE Records) and David Renzer (at the time senior VP/GM of Zomba Music Publishing) signed them to their first record deal.
The trio took a flight to Sweden at the end of December 1994 to record some songs with Max Martin and Denniz PoP, including “We’ve Got It Goin’ On,” which became their debut single and was finished in January 1995. On September 5, 1995, “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” became a physical single after being delivered to radio stations in August 1995. After hearing the group on the radio in Europe, the programmers at Mix 96 in Montreal broke the group in North America.
Although it only reached a high position of No. 69 in the United States by December 1995, the song reached the top 5 in other countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, and the Netherlands. Their success in Europe led to a summer tour there and a change in their promotion strategy, which now focuses mostly on the continent.
1996–1997: Debut, worldwide success, and Backstreet’s Back
Backstreet Boys’ debut album was released worldwide on May 6, 1996, excluding the United States and Canada. It was subsequently released in those two countries in October 1996. The group finished recording it in the spring of 1996.
In Europe, they gained in favor. They were chosen as the top international group in Germany in 1996 after “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” sold 250,000 copies and earned Gold status there. In addition, they sold 500,000 copies of their debut album in Germany in 1996, earning them their first platinum record there. They soon started their tour of Canada and Asia. They also developed into one of the most popular new musicians in the world, winning accolades including Durchstarter (Best Newcomers) at the Viva Comet Awards in Germany in 1996.
On February 17, 1997, “Anywhere for You” was made available as the final single from the group’s international debut album. Backstreet Boys’ fourth song, “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” which was initially released in Europe in October 1996, was later made available in the United States in May 1997 for their self-titled debut album. After selling more than a million copies, it received a platinum award and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Backstreet’s Back, the group’s second album, was started in October 1996. In the same year, they also recorded “If You Stay” for the Booty Call soundtrack, which was published in February 1997. On August 11, 1997, Backstreet’s Back was made available worldwide (but not in the United States). The following day, on August 11, 1997, the Backstreet Boys’ self-titled first album was made available in the United States. It contained songs from both Backstreet’s Back and their 1996 international debut album. The American self-titled first album eventually sold 14 million copies and peaked at No. 4 on the American album chart. Backstreet’s Back, the second global release, reached its highest point at No. 1 in several countries, including Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Austria.
selling more than five million copies only in Europe. “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “As Long As You Love Me” were the most popular singles from Backstreet’s Back and the U.S. debut album. More than 28 million copies of the two self-titled albums, the international debut, and the U.S. debut were sold worldwide.
A congenital hole in Littrell’s heart had grown to deadly dimensions, physicians found in November 1997. Littrell put off the open-heart surgery twice to accommodate his touring commitments, and on May 8, 1998, in the midst of the Backstreet Boys’ Back Tour, he finally had it done. To give Littrell time to heal, the group decided to postpone the tour until July 1998.
1998–1999: Millennium and superstardom
In 1998, Littrell filed a lawsuit against Trans Continental and Lou Pearlman, alleging that Pearlman had misrepresented the amount of money the company made. Between 1993 and 1997, Pearlman and his business made nearly $10 million in revenue, but the band only received $30,000 of that. The lawsuit eventually led to several settlements after McLean, Richardson, and Dorough joined the action the next year.
The ensemble made its Latin American debut on February 14th, 1998 at the Via del Mar International Song Festival in Chile. Later that year, on October 7, 1998, the band was presented with the city’s keys by the mayor of Orlando in recognition of the concert they hosted in March for tornado relief that raised more than $250,000. Backstreet Boys Day was also recognized in Orlando. In the midst of a lawsuit, they also started work on their third studio album, Millennium, at the start of that month. The international smash song “I Want It That Way,” which peaked at the top of the singles charts in over 25 countries, raised expectations for the millennium.
On May 18, 1999, the Backstreet Boys made a widely publicized appearance on MTV’s Total Request Live, the same day that Millennium was made available.
In its first week of availability, the album sold 1,134,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album Millennium featured the four singles “I Want It That Way,” “Larger Than Life,” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,” and “The One,” all of which are considered among the best pop songs ever written. With sales of 9,445,732 copies, Millennium became the best-selling album in the United States for 1999. With 11 million shipments in a single year, it also holds the record for the most shipments.
After spending 93 weeks on the Billboard chart, Millennium finally sold over 12 million copies in the US and received a 13-time platinum certification. The album is currently the fourth best-selling album in the United States throughout the SoundScan period as of January 2013.
The Backstreet Boys started their Into the Millennium Tour on June 2, 1999, which included 115 sold-out performances in 84 cities, with some more dates added owing to overwhelming demand. The second leg, which was sponsored by Sears, smashed sales records and was completely sold out on August 14. The Atlanta concert at Georgia Dome was the fifth-highest attended event in American history and the most popular artist’s concert ever.
The Backstreet Boys encountered new issues by October 1999, declaring their current JIVE contract null and useless. They immediately struck one of the biggest record deals ever with JIVE, for $60 million.
2000–2001: Black and Blue and The Hits – Chapter One
In May 2000, the band members traveled to the Bahamas to start writing songs for their upcoming fourth album. In Stockholm, Sweden, they started the album’s recording sessions on July 1 and finished them in September. It’s True, a song finished during the July recording sessions, was included in the For the Fans compilation CD, which was published on August 28, 2000, and was only available at Burger King restaurants.
Black & Blue, the album, was made available on November 21st, 2000. In an effort to raise awareness of its release, they spent 100 hours traveling across the globe, stopping in Stockholm, Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, and New York City. Travel time totaled 55 hours, of which 45 were devoted to public appearances. Around the World, a board game and a DVD documenting the brief excursion, were both released in 2001. With almost 5 million copies sold in its first week of release, the album set a record for biggest international album sales in a week.
It became the first artist since The Beatles to accomplish back-to-back million plus first week sales in the United States with sales of 1.6 million CDs. Black & Blue had three singles: “Shape of My Heart,” “The Call,” and “More than That.”
The American anthem was sung by the Backstreet Boys at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Florida, on January 28, 2001. The trio had started their “Black & Blue Tour” a week earlier, which included performances across five continents. When it was revealed in July that McLean had entered rehab to combat his drinking and despair following Richardson’s holding an intervention for him at a Boston hotel, the tour was put on hold. The journey started again in August and ended in November.
Shortly after rejoining the Black and Blue Tour, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, caused the group to suffer a great loss. The band had just finished playing a sold-out concert in Boston, Massachusetts, on September 10. Leighanne Littrell, Littrell’s wife, had intended to board American Airlines Flight 11 the following morning to return to Los Angeles along with set carpenter Daniel Lee, who was going back to visit his wife who was about to give birth to their second child. Leighanne decided to spend more time with her husband that evening, so she postponed her departure.
Sadly, Lee was one of 92 persons who perished when the hijacked aircraft struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The following day, Littrell gave a brief speech about Lee and led the audience in a minute of silence for Lee and all the victims of the assaults during a concert on the band’s tour in Toronto.
On October 23, 2001, they published their debut compilation album, The Hits – Chapter One. There was also a song called “Drowning” that had not yet been released. The album debuted in the top five in the United States, the United Kingdom, , Germany, and Canada, and in the top ten in Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The Hits: Chapter One achieved platinum status in the US after selling over a million copies. The IFPI awarded it platinum certification for selling more than a million copies in Europe. “Drowning” peaked at number 10 in a number of nations, and as of 2002, the album had about six million copies sold internationally.
2002–2004: Hiatus
The group made it clear that they wanted to quit The Firm, which served as their management business, in 2002.Carter, however, decided to continue working with The Firm in order to oversee his solo career. The rest of the band quickly started recording their subsequent album without him. The Backstreet Boys’ $75–100 million lawsuit against Zomba Music Group (JIVE’s parent business), alleging violation of contract, made the situation with JIVE Records much worse. They asserted that the group suffered as a result of the label’s promotion of Carter’s solo album Now or Never.
McLean spoke about his difficulties with addiction to drugs and alcohol as well as his rise to prominence on The Oprah Winfrey Show in November 2003. The Backstreet Boys hadn’t been seen together in public for nearly two years when the rest of the group unexpectedly showed up in person to support him. The band started to gather together and work out their issues with the intention of starting to make a comeback album at the beginning of the next year.
2004–2006: Never Gone and Richardson’s departure
The Backstreet Boys started recording the new album in the studios in January 2004. To advertise their return to the music scene, they also began to perform together. In September, they embarked on a brief Asian tour, performing some of their new work in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Manila. They announced a Mexican tour, stopping in Mexico City and Monterrey, based on the success of this one.
On March 28, 2005, “Incomplete,” the album’s lead single, was made available to radio stations. They started their Up Close & Personal Tour, which served as a pre-album release tour, in March after the single was released. “Incomplete” peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and entered the top 10 charts in 13 different nations. Additionally, it became their first number-one hit in Australia when it debuted there at the top.
The Backstreet Boys’ comeback album Never Gone was finally published on June 14, 2005, after more than a year of recording. The album sold 291,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 3 on the US chart. However, Rolling Stone expressed disapproval of the abrupt stylistic shift. The album Never Gone received a platinum certification in the United States, and four singles were made available. “Just Want You to Know,” the second song, peaked in the UK’s top 10. “Crawling Back to You” for the United States and “I Still…” for the rest of the globe served as the third singles. 3 million copies of Never Gone have been sold worldwide.
On July 22, 2005, the Backstreet Boys kicked off the first leg of their Never Gone Tour in West Palm Beach, Florida. After that, the first leg continued around Europe until November 2005, while the second leg began in Tokyo, Japan, in January 2006. On February 2, 2006, the tour came to an end in Melbourne, Australia.
Richardson quit the Backstreet Boys on June 23, 2006, to pursue other interests, it was revealed. He left peacefully, and the door was always open for him to return, said Richardson and the rest of the group in a statement posted on their official website. It was suggested that the group alter their name to Backstreet after Richardson left, but they rejected the idea.
The band declined an opportunity to appear on a reality program to find a replacement for Richardson[94], and artists who had indicated interest in taking Richardson’s place, like Sam Licata[95][96] and former NSYNC members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, said they had no plans to do so.
2006–2011: Unbreakable and This Is Us
The Backstreet Boys started recording their sixth album two days after Richardson announced his resignation. On October 30, 2007, the Unbreakable album went on sale. It was well-received, debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200, and sold 81,000 copies in its first week of availability. It did well in Japan, opening at No. 1 and remaining there for an additional week on the Oricon weekly album charts. “Inconsolable” and “Helpless When She Smiles,” two singles from the album, were released.
On February 16, 2008, the trio embarked on a global promotional tour for Unbreakable, beginning in Tokyo, Japan. The tour includes performances in Australia, Japan, Mexico, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe. The performance in London’s The O2 Arena was recorded, and you can watch it online at MSN.com. On November 23, 2008, at the Palladium in Hollywood, Los Angeles, for the final North American leg of the tour, Richardson joined the rest of the band on stage.
This Is Us, the group’s newest album, was made available on October 6, 2009. They returned to their original dance-pop beats with this album, which also has a stronger R&B influence. The album sold 42,000 copies in its first week of availability and debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. It achieved its No. 2 peak in Japan and received a Platinum certification for 250,000 copy shipments. From this album, “Straight Through My Heart” and “Bigger” were both made available as singles.
When Littrell developed swine flu a few days after promoting the new album and filming the music video for “Bigger” in Japan, the band had to postpone a signing at the Hard Rock Café in New York City for the NYC Pinktober event on October 5, 2009. Despite not exhibiting any flu-like symptoms, the rest of the group was given Tamiflu by a doctor. The trio then postponed a scheduled appearance on the CBS Early Show for the following day, October 6, 2009—also the day of the album’s release. The group started the This Is Us Tour, which lasted for more than a year and featured 123 performances, at the end of October 2009.
On October 22, 2010, Richardson and the Backstreet Boys shot a segment for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Later that day, Richardson joined the group again for a performance in the show’s studio, marking his second reunion with them since leaving.
2011–2012: NKOTBSB and Richardson’s return
The band announced their departure from their longtime label JIVE Records in May 2011. They started a combined tour as NKOTBSB in the same month with New Kids on the Block. They published an album of their greatest hits before the tour, also called NKOTBSB, which also contains a mash-up and two brand-new songs. With almost $40 million in revenue from 51 gigs, the tour finished 2011 in 17th position on Billboard’s annual “Top 25 Tours” list. Up till June 2012, there were 80 shows on the tour, spread across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Richardson re-joined the trio on stage for the performance in July 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
On December 3, 2011, Richardson held a beach party in the Bahamas as a part of the group’s second annual trip, as he had previously stated on On Air with Ryan Seacrest in October 2011. Additionally, he said on Seacrest’s radio show that he would adore “performing with the group again on a more regular basis.” The declaration, coupled with his attendance at the cruise event, sparked rumors that he may permanently re-join the group, but neither he nor the others said anything about it.
On April 29, 2012, the Backstreet Boys made the official announcement that Richardson had rejoined them permanently. A few days later, Richardson’s return from before the NKOTBSB Tour began was made known by McLean and Littrell separately. He had discussed going on the tour but finally made the decision not to. They agreed with his choice and held it secret until the tour was ended. The gang was enthusiastic about Richardson’s return and expressed their happiness at his presence. Richardson expressed his joy at reuniting with his former bandmates and said that they have chemistry and a bond.
In July 2012, The Backstreet Boys moved into a home by themselves as they began recording their upcoming album in London with Martin Terefe. They concluded the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series at Central Park, New York, on August 31, 2012. Since Richardson returned to the group, it was their first time performing as a fivesome. They said they would embark on their third cruise in October 2013 during the concert. All five members were on board for the first time on a cruise.
AOL Music launched the Christmas song “It’s Christmas Time Again” on November 5, 2012 and made it available for purchase the following day. This was the first single to include Richardson’s voice in six years. On the Holiday Digital Songs chart from Billboard, the song peaked at No. 1.
2013–2015: 20th anniversary, In a World Like This, and documentary film
On April 20, 2013, The Backstreet Boys held a fan celebration event in Hollywood to honor their 20th anniversary. Two days later, on April 22, 2013, they were given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the day was proclaimed Backstreet Boys Day in Hollywood. The group started their 20th anniversary tour, formally known as the In a World Like This Tour, in May 2013. Over 170 shows were performed over the more than two-year tour, which stopped in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. With a total revenue of $32.8 million and 607,407 ticket sales in 2014—excluding the dates from 2013 and 2015—the tour ranked 44th among all international tours.
The lead single from their eighth studio album, also named In a World Like This, “In a World Like This,” was made available digitally on June 25 and to radio stations on July 22, 2013. On July 30, 2013, the album was released in the US; other nations followed soon after. The band’s debut independent album was issued on their own K-BAHN label. As of January 2015, 800,000 copies had been sold. It peaked at number 5 in the US, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Taiwan, and Japan. In November 2013, they made available the album’s second single, “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)”.
The trio appeared in the 2013 film This Is the End as a fictionalized version of themselves and sang their song “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” for which they were recognized at the 2014 MTV Movie Awards as having the “Best Musical Moment.” The Backstreet Boys gave two headlining performances of their original Christmas songs in December 2013 as part of the annual “Christmas in Washington” TV special, which also featured President Barack Obama and his family.
On March 24, 2014, the Backstreet Boys were scheduled to appear in court about a lawsuit they brought against their former manager Lou Pearlman. The group claimed that Pearlman still owed them $3,451,456.04 and demanded payment of $87,728.58 in legal costs for the years they spent battling Pearlman in court. But earlier that month, the group claimed to have a conflict in their schedule and talked about delaying the hearing by 90 days. A $99,000 cash settlement, 34 audio tape reels, 26 CDs, seven studio mastering audio tapes, six sealed posters, three audio cassettes, and one VHS tape were given to the group on October 21, 2014. Some unpublished mixes, demos, and original material are included in the recordings.
The “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” tune as well as a few other lesser-known songs were among the seven master recordings they were given.
Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of, their documentary film, premiered in cinemas and online on January 30, 2015, in the United States; on February 26, 2015, in the United Kingdom and throughout Europe; and on March 28, 2015, globally. The film follows their whole professional trajectory up until the creation of their 2013 album In A World Like This.
Richardson and Littrell from the band were inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on April 10, 2015.
2015–2020: Dead 7 film, Las Vegas residency, and DNA
Members of the band Carter, Dorough, and McLean shot the Dead 7 movie in August 2015. The story revolves around a motley crew of gunslingers fighting through a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak. The film had its premiere on the Syfy channel on April 1, 2016. On March 28, a free download of the theme song “In the End” was made available. It was sung by the band’s Nick Carter, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough as well as Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, Jeff Timmons, and Erik-Michael Estrada from O-Town. The official DVD went on sale physically on June 7, 2016.
McLean disclosed that the quartet started composing its ninth studio album in October 2015. Producer Jacob Kasher, who has worked with Maroon 5 and Britney Spears, is working with the band, according to McLean. Before the next Backstreet Boys vacation in May 2016, the band wanted to finish the record. In the season finale of the NBC comedy series Undateable on January 29, 2016, the Backstreet Boys provided the musical entertainment.
Carter revealed to Entertainment Tonight on April 1, 2016, that the band has inked a contract with Live Nation for a nine-show “test residency” in Las Vegas. McLean informed Us Magazine that the residence will start in January 2017 and that the agreement had been made. The quartet played live on ABC’s Greatest Hits in July 2016. From their third studio album Dig Your Roots, the trio released “God, Your Mama, and Me” on August 19, 2016, featuring the country duo Florida Georgia Line. The group had its first appearance on the chart since 2007 when the song debuted at No. 92 on the Hot 100 for the chart dated March 18, 2017.
On September 15, 2016, McLean and Carter announced that the band would wrap up the record and embark on a new headline tour the following year. The Backstreet Boys confirmed their 2017 residency performance, Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life, on September 23. 80 performances were held during the engagement between March 1, 2017, and April 27, 2019.
On May 17, 2018, Backstreet Boys released “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” as the first single from their upcoming album. The album is jointly produced by the band’s own label, K-BAHN, and RCA Records. Sony Music, the parent company of RCA Records, is in charge of distribution. They confirmed the title of their ninth studio album, DNA, which was released on January 25, 2019, and released the single “Chances” on November 9. The third song from DNA, “No Place,” was released on January 4, 2019.
On May 11, 2019, Backstreet Boys began their DNA World Tour in support of the disc. The coronavirus pandemic forced them to postpone the trip on March 15, 2020. The remaining dates were first moved to 2021, but they ultimately had to move them again to 2022.
Before it was made public two days later, on April 9, 2019, the band unveiled their display at the Grammy Museum, which featured tour attire and childhood keepsakes. The band revealed they would be releasing their first Christmas album in the same month. The group celebrated the 20th anniversary of “I Want It That Way” by participating in a handprint ceremony to mark the conclusion of their two-year residency at Planet Hollywood. They were also given a check donation for the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Nevada. At their residency in Las Vegas, they received keys to the Vegas strip as the mayor declared the 10th Backstreet Boys Day.
The band revealed the second North American leg of the DNA World Tour on social media and Good Morning America on February 9, 2020. After the DNA tour concludes in 2022, Littrell stated in an interview that they will soon contract for another residency in Las Vegas. The group was featured on a song by Britney Spears titled “Matches” that was released in December 2020.
2021–2023: DNA World Tour and A Very Backstreet Christmas
In March 2021, the Backstreet Boys began production on their first Christmas album after the pandemic forced them to postpone their tour. They formally announced on July 12 that they would be making a trip back to Las Vegas for a holiday residency in November and December of 2021. On August 14, Carter disclosed that the album had been completed and that a photo shoot for the album cover had taken place. Unfortunately, as a result of the epidemic, the record was unable to be finished in time for release, necessitating a new release date of late 2022 and the cancellation of their 2021 holiday engagement.
Backstreet Boys’ DNA tour began again in North America in April 2022 and will end in South Africa in May 2023. The band announced on February 23, 2022, that the DNA world tour would begin with four performances there.
On June 24, 2022, the Backstreet Boys and American luxury automaker Lincoln collaborated to host a virtual concert from Philadelphia for WeChat (Weixin) users, the majority of whom were in China. The event was aired by Tencent’s WeChat channel. According to Tencent, 25.5 million people cheered during the performance as 44.2 million people watched the live broadcast. This represented the biggest audience record for live-stream concerts by international musicians and the third-largest attendance for such events on the WeChat channel. The day after the program aired, China’s version of Twitter, Weibo, saw the group’s 1997 hit song “As Long As You Love Me” become the most trending topic online.
The team participated in the Dave & Jimmy’s Celebrity Softball Classic on July 27 in Columbus, Ohio, to raise money for the On Our Sleeves campaign for children’s mental health, which is led by Nationwide Children’s Hospital behavioral health specialists.
The group’s debut Christmas album, A Very Backstreet Christmas, was released in October 2022. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Holiday charts and number seventeen on the US Billboard 200 charts. The album’s first song, “Last Christmas,” peaked at number one on the Billboard AC charts, while the second, “Christmas in New York,” peaked at position 19.
Backstreet Boys Artistry and legacy
The vocal harmonies of The Backstreet Boys have long been their claim to fame. They would sing a cappella whenever possible in order to combat the boy band stereotype and the reaction from the New Kids on the Block lip-sync scandal in the beginning. They responded to a 1993 advertisement for a singing group with a “New Kids on the Block look with a Boyz II Men sound” with the intention of creating a white Boyz II Men. “We were New Kids fans, but did we actually look like them? No. We saw ourselves as the real vocal groups, like Shai, Jodeci, and Boyz II Men.
We listened to them and aspired to be just like them. In 2011, Littrell said. The Backstreet Boys differ from many other singing groups in that they frequently use polyphonic harmony. In choruses, Littrell, Carter, and McLean often sing the melody while Dorough harmonizes above them and Richardson sings the bass lines. Richardson’s chorus parts were filled in by McLean, Carter, and Dorough collectively while Richardson’s solo parts were handled by Dorough, even though McLean sung Richardson’s verse in “Drowning” during his absence.
The musical taste of The Backstreet Boys has changed throughout time. They sang a fusion of R&B, dance club pop, new jack balladry, and hip-hop on their first and second albums. They began to move away from R&B with Millennium and Black & Blue and more toward pop and pop rock, as heard on songs like “I Want It That Way,” “Shape of My Heart,” “Larger than Life,” and “Not For Me.” The group’s comeback album Never Gone, an adult contemporary record with just live instruments, marked a significant shift from their former pop sound, which heavily relies on synthesizers. Never Gone is “more organic, more stripped-down, less harmonies, and more instrumentation” than their prior albums.
Unbreakable, their debut album sans Richardson, is comparable to Never Gone. With interwoven choral harmonies, piano, strings, guitar, and percussion, as well as a little amount of hip-hop and reggae influences on some tracks, such as “One in a Million,” it leans toward adult contemporary and modern pop music. With their seventh studio album, This Is Us, they returned to the dance-pop sounds and electropop that first defined them. In addition, it has a greater R&B sound than Unbreakable did.
In a World Like This, the group’s first independent album and their first back with Richardson, is a blend of contemporary pop, adult contemporary, and dance music with a nod to the singer-songwriter genre on the songs “Try,” “Madeleine,” and “Trust Me.” On DNA, they incorporated R&B, country, funk, and EDM into their harmony-driven modern pop sound.
Backstreet Boys Partnerships and other ventures
The official name of the first North American leg of the Into the Millennium Tour’s second leg, which was also its sponsor Sears, was “Sears Presents Backstreet Boys Into The Millennium.” The sponsorship was a component of Sears’ brand-new integrated marketing effort, which included only the Backstreet Boys. The trio was featured in a 30-second commercial for the campaign, which ran from August 1 to August 15, 1999. The advertisement advertised a back-to-school contest that offered each of the five fans the opportunity to win a trip for four to the band’s concert on December 1, 1999, in Tampa, Florida, as well as a $2,000 Sears shopping spree with their preferred Backstreet Boys member.
In February 2000, Carter, a comic book enthusiast, connected with Stan Lee through The Firm’s manager. Later, Carter revealed to Lee his initial idea for a six-issue comic book series titled “Cyber Crusaders” that would feature Backstreet Boys members as superheroes. Lee was intrigued by the idea, but they ultimately opted to limit it to a single issue. Backstreet Project, a comic book with the same name, was published in 2000 and sold at their concerts and online retailers between 2000 and 2001. A collection of flash-based webisodes was also released in 2000 in addition to the book.
The Backstreet Boys and Burger King inked a contract in January 2000. An exclusive compilation set sold only at Burger King restaurants was part of the deal. A new song named “It’s True,” live songs from the band’s previous tours, and a VHS tape with backstage footage and interviews were all included on the compilation’s three CDs. In August 2000, it was revealed that the partnership will also feature a promotion—in which each Burger King Big Kids Meal and Kids Meal would come with an exclusive Backstreet Project Cyber Crusader toy—and three TV advertisements with the Backstreet Boys.
The Backstreet Boys would be appearing in an Old Navy commercial, it was announced in August 2012. On September 19, 2012, the group’s commercial first aired. Regarding the advertisement, Richardson stated, “It was a great way to show people that we’re back.” On September 14, 2012, the ensemble gave a performance at an Old Navy event called “Fit For Fall Fashion Show for All” at Bryant Park, New York.
While the band was on tour in Europe, on March 12, 2014, they recorded a number of advertisements in Sweden for the Swedish warehouse company NetOnNet. The advertisements first aired in May 2014. The band created a song called “Lager Than Life” specifically for these advertisements, which is an instrumental reworking of their song “Larger Than Life.” The business also made the song available internationally on iTunes as a single.
Backstreet Boys Band members
- AJ McLean – (1993–present)
- Howie Dorough – (1993–present)
- Nick Carter – (1993–present)
- Kevin Richardson – (1993–2006; 2012–present)
- Brian Littrell – (1993–present)
Backstreet Boys Discography
- Backstreet Boys (1996)
- Backstreet’s Back (1997)
- Millennium (1999)
- Black & Blue (2000)
- Never Gone (2005)
- Unbreakable (2007)
- This Is Us (2009)
- In a World Like This (2013)
- DNA (2019)
- A Very Backstreet Christmas (2022)
Backstreet Boys Awards
As of 2019, the trio has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards, including four in 2000. Additionally, the trio has won numerous awards, including a Juno Award, two American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards, and more.
What made the Backstreet Boys famous?
Backstreet Boys, the group’s international first album, helped them become well-known. The group continued to have international success the following year with the publication of Backstreet Boys (1997), their self-titled U.S. debut album, and Backstreet Boys (1997), their second international album.
Is Backstreet Boys bigger than BTS?
Boy bands also gained enormous popularity in Asia, as bands like BTS and EXO gathered sizable fan following. The Backstreet Boys are still the most commercially successful boy band of all time.
Who left the Backstreet Boys first?
Kevin Richardson has disclosed the circumstances surrounding his 2006 departure from the Backstreet Boys. Before rejoining his band in April 2012, the singer took time off to conceive a family with wife Kristin. He explained his decision to Access Hollywood. I had nothing left in the tank, he declared.
Are Backstreet Boys still successful?
The Backstreet Boys have kept up their performances with homes in Las Vegas, more than 100 million records sold globally, and a new world tour. However, more than simply their music has garnered attention in recent years.
Who is the best singer in Backstreet
The most talented Backstreet Boy was AJ McLean, who represented the rebel in the band. He was an excellent singer (Brian was usually the best, but AJ wasn’t
Who is the least famous Backstreet Boy?
Howie Dorough is aware that he is not the most well-liked Backstreet Boy. He lacks A.J. McLean’s bad boy appeal, Nick Carter’s youthful charisma, or Brian Littrell’s or Carter’s blond bombshell good looks.
