EXCLUSIVE: AJ McLean Says Backstreet Boys' Las Vegas Residency Will Be Their 'Biggest Show in 24 Years'

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AJ McLean
is ready to make history!

The Backstreet Boys singer opened up to ET about the band’s upcoming Las Vegas residency and how Britney Spears influenced their final decision.

“We’ve known Brit for years. Me and Kevin went to see her show earlier this year and right before it started she had me come up to her dressing room to take a selfie with us,” McLean tells ET. “We started talking and I was asking lots of questions [about her show], ‘How do you like this? Is it cool? Cause we’re trying to do the same thing.’”

“She literally said, ‘This is the best job ever!’ She said that it’s hard work, but easy in the sense that you get to be with your family more than when you’re on tour, and have somewhat of a normal life ,” he continued.


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On Friday, the GRAMMY-nominated band announced their official residency at Las Vegas’ The AXIS Theater at Planet Hollywood, which currently plays host to Spears' hit Piece of Me show, as well Jennifer Lopez’s All I Have and Lionel Richie’s All The Hits residencies.

Tickets for the show, named Larger Than Life, go on sale beginning Oct. 1, with the concerts slated for March and June 2017.


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McLean says they have big plans for the production and promises a “mind-blowing” show, which will incorporate the group’s greatest hits and possible theatrical throwbacks to some of the band’s biggest tours, like 1999’s worldwide "Millennium" trek.

“We’re hopefully going to have some of the biggest elements from all of our biggest tours, songs and shows,” explained McLean, who is also preparing to release his new solo album Naked early next year.

“This whole city is about live shows and being over-the-top, so it’s going to be no-holds-barred. It will be the biggest show we’ve ever done in 24 years because it’s fricken Vegas – we gotta go big! We literally want people breathless as they leave.”


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The singer also revealed that the set list will focus on hits like “I Want It That Way” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” rather than music from the band’s forthcoming 10th album, and also teased that solo numbers and acoustic sets might also be part of the show.

Fans can also expect a bit of eye-candy! “I’m in the best shape I’ve been in since before I was 30,” said McLean when asked about performing shirtless. “So it could happen!”

For more from the group -- including details on their next album -- watch the interview below.