The five singers reflect on being together for 25 years, their ups and downs, and what they call their 'second chance.'
The Backstreet Boys may be the biggest and best-selling boyband of all time, but they're also family.
Celebrating their 25th anniversary, along with the release of their first album in five years -- DNA out Jan. 25 -- AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell sat down to discuss their personal struggles, reflect on their ups and downs as a band, and how almost losing their bond only brought them closer together.
"Twenty-five years, that's huge. There is still so much left that we haven’t accomplished, that we haven't done," McLean explains in a video posted to BSB's YouTube on Wednesday. "To be able to have this, second chance, we need to know what each person's breaking point is, which I think we know now."
Formed in 1993, the five members gained worldwide success in the late '90s, going full-speed ahead, recording album after album, touring and never taking time off. Within the height of their success, they faced a heart condition, surgery, the death of family members, a drug addiction and more.
"All of our dreams were coming true and we were all trippin' out inside, and instead of coming closer and closer, entire together, we almost retreated from one another to get that space," Richardson notes. "And our bond wasn't as tight in those moments as it could've been."
In 2006, after the release of their sixth studio album, Richardson announced he was leaving the group to pursue other endeavors. He rejoined in 2012, though the music industry was at a different headspace when it came to pop music.
"We had to go away from each other to once again find that individuality," Dorough expressed of their time away from each other. "That had to happen to create that group that we are to come back to each other."
Carter also added that his "failed solo album attempt" was a grounding moment for him, and one where he realized that his "rebelling against the" group showed him that the four others were "more of a family than my real family."
Now, the singers have gotten, what they call, a "second chance," with their Las Vegas Larger Than Life residency, hit single "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," which earned them their first GRAMMY nomination in 17 years, and release of their upcoming ninth studio album next year, along with its world tour that will kick off in May of 2019.
Explaining how they have all "sacrificed for each other in so many different ways," Dorough acknowledged that, "Looking back on it, that had to happen because if that didn't happen maybe we wouldn't be here today."
With Carter adding, "It's kind of crazy because it feels like the stars are kind of aligning again for us in a way. Because if you think about where we came from and how we started, it's like a miracle that we would've met each other. That we would've bonded and connected the way we did."
ET spoke with BSB in November where they opened up about why they decided to take their time with their forthcoming LP. Watch below to hear what they shared.
RELATED CONTENT:
