"For the nth time, the Backstreet Boys — A.J. McLean, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough — are coming back for a concert, this time with the New Kids On The Block, at the Mall Of Asia (MOA) Arena on Sunday, June 3.
“It feels like coming to a second home,” said A.J. in an exclusive phone interview the other day, calling from Perth, Australia, where the BSB and the NKOTB were on a concert tour before coming here. “We always look forward to performing in Manila. We’ve been there several times, starting when we were starting in the business.”
There is a renewed interest in the boy band with the emergence of new group specializing in boy-band music particularly those from England. How do you feel about this new phenomenon?
“You know, it’s actually a really good thing. I mean, pop music never ever goes away and it was only a matter of time before the boy-band thing started all over again and kind of opened the door for groups like ourselves that have been around for almost 20 years. It’s kind of getting back into the swing of things. So I think it’s a great thing; I think all these new boy bands are really talented and, you know, I wish them all the best of luck and success. It’s a very challenging road ahead.”
What memories does it bring back to you about your early years as BSB?
“Yeah, it definitely brings back fond memories. The new bands kind of wear a similar outfit and style of music. But obviously, the difference between boy bands then and boy bands now is that now they don’t really dance. They kind of just stand onstage while they sing; while groups like us do choreography. You know, that’s been our kind of thing but most importantly it’s always been the type of music that you do and, you know, a cappella and singing live and all that kind of stuff.”
Do you listen to the new boy bands? Which one do you think will inherit the BSB legacy?
“You know, there are so many groups out there now, like One Direction, Big Time Rush and who knows how many others will come out this year. I don’t know. I guess all I can do is give those groups this piece of advice — stay humble and don’t get caught up in all the hype, have a long career and probably, you know, we can pass the torch on. Who knows, it could be any of them that will carry on the legacy.”
You mentioned about not getting caught in the hype. You’ve been on the scene for more than two decades. How do you keep your feet on the ground?
“Yeah, I think it’s our families keeping us humble and us keeping each other on check so that not one doesn’t get a big head. We stop each other from thinking that he’s too good for the group. There’s a mutual respect among us. We make sure that we keep our feet planted on the ground.”
How did the BSB sound evolve through the two decades?
“We try to stay natural both musically and melodically. I think now everyone is happy in his comfort zone. Some of us are still growing and still changing. Myself, I’m constantly growing and changing and trying to learn new things. Musically, we are just kind of trying to challenge ourselves to be trend-setters and come up with a brand-new sound and something that’s fresh and new.”
What are you busy with aside from your current tour?
“We are about to go back to the studio in July to make our next album. We are going to make a sound that no one has ever heard from the Backstreet Boys but something that’s still very familiar. It’s something that’s gonna blow people’s mind.”
Aside from through your music, how do you keep in touch with the fans all over the world?
“You know , now with all the advances in technology, I’m always keeping in touch with our fans through Twitter and Facebook, saying ‘Hi!’ to them on a daily basis. Soon, I’m going to start my own solo website where I can ask my fans questions and answer their own questions. As a group and individually, we try to keep our fans as close to us as possible. At the end of the day, without the fans, there won’t be any Backstreet Boys.”
It’s the first time you’re going on a world tour with New Kids On The Block. How has the experience been so far?
“It’s been a blast! We’re all a bit sad that it’s coming to an end but it has been an awesome run. We didn’t think we could last this long and this far, but the fans want to see it and so we did. All five of those guys are great. They’ve been doing the same thing that we’ve been doing for even longer so we all have similar stories, we all get along, we’re like one big happy family. We hang out, we go out to dinner, we watch movies, we play golf together. If we didn’t get along, this whole thing would definitely not be working. As I said, it’s been a blast!”
Aside from that of new boy bands, do you listen to the music of other singers especially the controversial ones like Lady Gaga?
“Absolutely! I love Lady Gaga and I love what she stands for. I think she’s very passionate about what she believes in. I love that she supports the gay and lesbian community, and the transgender community as well. You know, I think that people like Lady Gaga and Madonna who stand for something so passionately and so strongly, those kinds of entertainers put on a great show. I admire people like them. I think it’s unfortunate that certain places around the world, because of what their beliefs are or the government or the religion or whatever it is, won’t allow artists like Lady Gaga to perform. But we have to respect that because it’s another culture, another way of life. But as I’ve said, it’s unfortunate that the fans in those countries are not able to see Lady Gaga or Madonna in their own countries, so they have to fly to the States or somewhere else to see their favorite artists.”
Could you briefly update us on what the other Backstreet guys are up to?
“Well, Brian is doing great, working on his solo record and busy managing his own clothing company. Nick and Howie have been doing a lot of promotion for their brand-new solo records. Myself? I’m also working on my own solo record and my own clothing line with my wife. I’m gonna be a new father; I’m expecting my first baby this year, so it’s kind of going to be a big, big year for me. I just got married in December last year. You know, life is changing, life is going on, we Backstreet guys are all grown-up and we are all enjoying life.”
(Note: NKOTBSB Live in Manila is presented by Renen de Guia’s Ovation Productions in association with RJ 100 FM, The Rockwell Club and EDSA Shangri-La Manila. For ticket inquiries, call 470-2222 or log on to www.smtickets.com.)"
Originaly posted by philstar.com
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