CASE #037 | 10 Reasons Why I Love the Backstreet Boys
It was one Backstreet Boys big weekend for me ever since TRL uploaded that video of the BSB (Backstreet Boys) riding an elevator at the MTV Office, Times Square, New York to the surprise of employees turned fans. Ano nga naman ang gagawin mo kapag sila ang nakasakay mo sa elevator?
Ako kahit siguro ma-late ako or mag-overbreak, there was no
way I am getting off that elevator. Even if I am claustrophobic and the
elevator’s my least favorite place in the world. BSB sang I Want It That Way,
Everybody, and As Long as You Love Me that shocked everyone when the elevator
opens on each floor. It was crazy!
Making things larger than life for BSB fans, Jimmy Fallon
shot a video with the boys playing classroom music instruments while BSB sang I
Want It That Way complete with their trademark all-white outfits.
Ang lakas maka-tita of the 90s talaga! It was a major
throwback to the times I would save up my allowance, so I can buy magazines with
their pin-up posters inside, read articles that feature them and get all that
juicy information. Man! My bedroom wall was covered with Nick Carter’s face.
Their faces were my wallpaper.
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I would also save to buy tapes of their album.
Tape. As in cassette tape. Dahil wala pang Spotify at iTunes
noon.
I will forever be a BSB fan and here are 10 reasons why I
love these guys so much:
1. Nick Carter.
Si Nick Carter lang sapat na. His mere existence in the
group solidified my love for the band. Those blonde hair, blue eyes, pointy nose, and
gorgeous smile combined with the sexy, squeaky teenage voice was to die for. He
was the youngest in the group yet he contributed so much with making his
presence really felt every time they perform. Who would forget his high notes
as he sang: “Don’t wanna hear you say…”
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He tried going solo for some time. But somehow when you see Nick Carter you would always think about Backstreet Boys and that was probably why it never really worked out that well with his solo career. Fans would always enjoy his music, love his voice and swoon at how gorgeous he was but there will always be a feel of something lacking.
It was like your favorite dish cooked in a different way. It tasted so good, but you know there was something missing that could have made it better. And I think that was what the rest of the boys did for Nick. They added flavor to him the same way he added flavor to the whole group.
2. They can sing and dance.
They were a total performer. They can reach those notes and bust those moves all at the same time. I do recalled some rumors back then that they were just lip syncing their songs and that there could have been some ghost singers on their recording. They have addressed that by singing acapella whenever they had a chance to. It could be during a radio guesting, a live concert. Sometimes the music would just die down at the end of their song and they would just wrap up the number with an acapella of their last lines.
Twenty-five years later, I’d say they still have that groove. Their residency in Las Vegas proved their knees and joints are still intact. They can still dance through their old tunes and yet maintain the voice harmony they have always been known for. Their dance steps were awesome. It was very simple yet funky. The dance steps could easily be danced by a teenager who have two left feet.
If you are some one who was not into dancing or don’t know how to dance, you won’t be
able to help yourself once you hear their music and see them move. You will
find yourself raising those arms at one point and swinging from left to right. Before
you knew it, you’ve memorized the steps and it will become your jam every time you
hear it played on the radio.
3. Twenty-five years of togetherness.
That is a feat. No boy band during their generation have lasted that long. And what they have been through was not a joke. They have faced legal battles, some of them have tried solo careers, there were issues of addiction, and Kevin leaving the group. They have released albums and singles that did not make it to the top of the chart. They got married, have kids, and started building their own family.
And yet, their story of friendship remained beautiful.
Differences were always settled. They never tried replacing Kevin despite so
many volunteers here and there to take his place in the band. That was why it
was a major moment for fans when Kevin decided to come back and regain his post
in the band. That was just awesome.
One thing notable as well was how much each of them respected and trusted each other. You can feel that when they recorded their songs and
performed on stage. They each have their thing but made sure that they don’t outdo
or outshine one another. When AJ tries to take the lead, everyone else were willing to back it up and the same goes when Brian or Nick or Howie or Kevin takes their
part. Everything happens right before your very eyes. It’s not as if there was
a script or someone directing them to so. You can feel the spontaneity of the
moment specially during their live shows.
4. They are great with fans.
I think one of the secret of the longevity was how well they connected with their fans. After watching dozens of videos of them on their world tours, concerts, and even the Vegas residency, they have this awesome interaction with their audience. They would sing with them, talk with them, share stories and little trivias, pose for pictures. Everything.
They never get tired of answering questions on interviews even
if they have been asked a million of times already. And they were very
consistent with their answers. I mean, in this day and age when everything is
on YouTube, you can easily spot the difference. Yet their answers were very
consistent which meant that they were honestly answering questions. They listened and paid attention even to the silliest question. They never sounded sarcastic or rude even though they were already tired
or didn’t have enough sleep. I guess, 25 years have given them the maturity and
professionalism to do this.
I salute them for that because I’ve seen groups who would
just stand on the stage, sing and then get off without even waving or greeting
their fans. All they ever did was show off how pretty they were, or how funky
their clothes were, bathe in the attention they were getting yet were ungrateful to
their fans.
5. They are game for everything.
BSB was always on game mode. No matter how petty, how senseless a game was, they would play it. They would dress up as Spice Girls for all they care. They would sing One Direction songs or even dance NSYNC, for all they care.
I remember Kevin said in one of their interviews when the
host asked him “Aren’t you tired of these interviews?” and Kevin goes “We
are blessed and fortunate that people would still want to talk to us after twenty
years.”
Their humility was also something that drew people to them. They were celebrities,
achieved top selling status, were paid a lot per contract, but remained to be those
humble boys that started back in 1993 with their feet on the ground.
6. They still look good
At 40 and almost 40, they were still hot. Just like wine, they get better with age. They could still give these millennial teens a run for their money.
Girls are still screaming. Girls are still swooning. I guess,
they have really worked hard to keep their bodies in shape. I haven’t heard of
any surgeries done yet and their faces are still of the same mold as it was 25
years ago except, I think, for AJ who admitted having hair surgery, so he can
grow back his crowning glory which apparently have receded through the years. But
other than that, nothing major under the knife. Everything were just pure hard
work and good genes. Their kids are gonna be lucky.
7. Individual Personalites
They have maintained their sense of individualities. They have never lost that despite being part of a group for more than two decades. I think that was one downside of belonging to a group. You each must be so synced and hooked with each other that you kinda loose your own self in the process. As for BSB I can see they haven’t loose that.
While they must have matching outfits, dance and sing as one, you can always feel and see their individual personalities on how they perform. That makes us fans distinguish them whenever we listen to them. We know that Nick’s singing in that part. That’s AJ singing that part. Not just because of the voice but because of the personality that exudes from the voice.
8. Great songs
Their songs were classics. The lyrics, the emotion in each of their song was something that transcended through time. I speak even for those songs that didn’t make it as a single. 10,000 promises, Darlin, Siberia, Safest Place to Hide, Yes, I will… there are so many songs in their albums that may have not make it in the airwaves or the charts but really gets deep into your heart.
The song choices are awesome and very relatable. I don’t know if their producers are fortune tellers or clairvoyants or something, but the evolution of their music contributed a lot to their longevity as well.
I Want It That Way was sang by teenagers all over the world. Now, these teenagers are moms and dads who still played it in Spotify or iTunes and their children are loving it. There was this video where millennial teens react to their videos and songs. One claimed that she knew Backstreet because of her mom, and there were those who doesn’t really know them but enjoyed their songs.
9. They complement each other.
Just like I mentioned in number 1, they add flavor to one another. When you see AJ, you would always be asking “Where are the rest of the Backstreet Boys?” When Nick went solo, it always felt that something was missing. I guess their differences, their own individual personalities have really blended well and worked to their advantage. Kevin’s seriousness and maturity were balanced by Nick’s playfulness and humor. AJs craziness were always toned down by Howie or Brian’s own craziness. And it goes that other way around as well.
10. They are a legend.
They were the top-selling boyband of all time even beating
the Jackson 5 on that list. They were the only boyband to be given a star in
Hollywood’s walk of fame. They are the only 90s boyband who is keeping it alive
and being played on the radio in 2018. They are known everywhere in the world. Every
90s kid knows the lyrics of their songs by heart. They are icons. They are
legends. Need I say more?
Apparently, all this BSB mania has become viral again in
social media because they are out with a new single to celebrate their 25th
year in the industry. The song is Don’t Go Breaking My Heart. It has those synchronized
dance moves, the same voice we loved, the great boy band poses that brings back
nostalgia of the era, and there is that millennial beat to it that
will make teens of this generation jump up their feet.
I am not sponsored on this post. I am just a loving fan. You
can hear it and download through Spotify and iTunes. Not sure if Deezer also
had them. Let me know. You can watch their video on YouTube and Vevo.
Backstreet’s back alright! Oh wait, they were NEVER GONE!
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