Of all their contemporaries, the Backstreet Boys continue to find new fans.
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Backstreet Boys DNA World Tour
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When: August 24, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Roger Arena
Tickets/information: livenation.com
Next year, alley boys turns 30
In preparation for that career milestone, the American vocal group featuring Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson are continuing the postponed DNA 2021 world tour. The series of concerts around the world in support of the group’s ninth album, DNA, has been postponed due to the pandemic. It resumed last June. The tour ends in New Zealand next year and the group will visit Vancouver next week.
That the quintet remains strong when most of their contemporaries are consigned to the scrap heap comes as a surprise to the casual observer.
The truth is, with a five-episode docuseries titled Making of The DNA Tour and proven appeal as a Las Vegas residency act, BSB is stronger than ever. Following a return to the top 10 with DNA, A Very Backstreet Christmas, released in October 2022, proved that the group could also chart seasonal charts.
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This is a mystery to many who believed that the entire Swedish hit mill-backed mid-90s boy band explosion would fade away as yet another forgotten pop music trend to be replaced by the next set of choreographed beauties spreading the word. autotune gospel. The truth is, BSB built on its chart-topping predecessors like New Kids on the Block and others, with an ear for the kind of songs that don’t fade.
One of the things that always set BSB apart from many was the fact that members would take any chance they got at press conferences to harmonize around a single microphone to prove that they really could carry a tune without technology. While the only time this reporter experienced such a display was slightly less than impressive, it was real. That gave the group an edge against naysayers at a time when shooting him was de rigueur.
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The other was the group’s ability to repeatedly revive right at a time when their original fanbase was ripe for a round of nostalgia to share with their children and grandchildren. A BSB concert is a multigenerational affair.
One way this bond was forged was NKOTBSB’s 2011 joint tour with New Kids on the Block, which saw the return of perennial fan favorite Richardson to the ranks and firmly cemented the pop culture continuum between the two. boy bands. NKOTBSB’s joint hits compilation album produced a hit with the single Don’t Turn Out the Lights and the tour won a NewNowNext Award for Best New Indulgence. The tour grossed over $53 million and sold 650,000 tickets.
All of which could prove that BSB is some kind of enduring cultural memory that piques the interest of pop consumers in the same way that KISS has for decades. But, like that glam rock machine, what keeps punters coming back is the stuff. Unlike N’Sync, who are a distant memory for most as they are the result of various BSB members’ solo careers, the group’s recorded legacy has a longevity.
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Of the 13 tunes included in 2001’s Greatest Hits: Chapter One, at least eight are probably still played daily on a wide range of mainstream and digital broadcast systems. Many of today’s biggest stars have covered the band’s hits, notably I Want it That Way. Charlie XCX’s slow-burn version of the ballad is a fan favorite and Lil Uzi Vert’s reimagining of That Way is a hit. Florida Georgia Line not only covered the group, but eventually collaborated with them on God, Your Mama, and Me.
Few legacy acts can claim the love of pop, hip-hop, and country artists.
Initially, it was a safe assumption to attribute all of this to the nostalgia built up around BSB. However, the return to the charts with DNA saw the band go straight back to “active” status. It seems that these boys have also transitioned into men in the minds of the audience.
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