AJ McLean in Miami in July 2023.Photo:Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
“Got to get a little Jimi Hendrix in the shot,” he says with a laugh, holding a Hendrix doll up to the camera. “There we go. What’s up, Jimi?” He tosses the doll aside and smiles before diving intoBackstreet’s Back at the Beach.
AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson of the Backstreet Boys at Madison Square Garden in December 2022.Slaven Vlasic/Getty
Slaven Vlasic/Getty
All the band members will be at the all-inclusive concert vacation — McLean,Nick Carter,Howie Dorough,Kevin RichardsonandBrian Littrell— the beloved group of five from Orlando, Florida that shot chills down the spines of young fans across the world after their formation in 1993.
“It’s unprecedented for a group like us to still be around this long and still going,” McLean tells PEOPLE. “So, over the past, probably within the last 10 years, we’ve done five cruise ship-like excursions. We’ve done one in Europe, and the rest were ported out of Miami. We’d go out, either go to the Bahamas or we would go to a destination; we’d get off and then get back on the boat. You’re on a cruise with 3,500 fans; you’re doing deck parties, theme parties, photo calls, two shows, game nights. We were like, ‘You know what? This time, we don’t want to be in the middle of the ocean somewhere. Why don’t we just keep our feet firmly on the sand and let’s do a destination?’ I mean, Cancún is absolutely beautiful.”
AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys performs during the DNA World Tour 2023 at Allianz Parque on January 27, 2023 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Mauricio Santana/Getty
Mauricio Santana/Getty
When asked about the collaboration of the weekend’s itinerary, McLean offers an explanation that would be expected. “Nick will say something, and then I’ll chime in, and then Kevin will chime in, and then we all chime in and go, ‘OK. That works,’ or, ‘Hey, let’s maybe twist that and change that.’ We’re really just trying to make it very easygoing, laid back.”
Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean, Nick Carter and Howie Dorough of the Backstreet Boys attend an iHeartRadio event in 2022.Kevin Mazur/Getty
“I sawWhitney Houstonsinging karaoke there one night, which was insane.Jamie Foxx, I mean — you name it, it was the who’s who of karaoke. But it made me fall in love with karaoke even more,” he continues, “and as much time as we’ve spent over in Japan and the Pacific Rim, they love karaoke.”
AJ McLean in West Hollywood in January 2023.
“I’m also trying to throw in some movie songs likeDisneymovie songs,” he adds, “seeing as people know all the words toFrozen. What I’d love is to try to throw in one of the songs fromHamilton, which is one of my favorite shows ever, to see if people can keep up with all the words.”
The concerts will include the classic Backstreet Boys routines — the synchronized movements, the energetic steps, and catchy choreography with spinning, hip-hop dance styles reflecting their pop and R&B genres. Still, McLean says the music is what’s close to their heart.
“That’s what we really truly pride ourselves on,” he says, “being a vocal harmony group and being singers first. The dancing is secondary. But obviously, on certain songs, we’re going to get up, and we’re going to dance. Fans want to see ‘Backstreet’s Back,’ fans want to see certain songs with choreography,” he continues. “But just to be able to sit there and just have that intimacy with our fans is what I’m looking forward to the most."
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The pop star tells PEOPLE the group is already planning their next album, noting “we’re so fortunate and so grateful that we have this opportunity,” describing the venue as “a rebirth” and “great kickoff point,” before asking, “why not be someplace tropical that’s sunny and fun and just enjoy ourselves and be close to our fans? That’s something.”
“We truly have the best fans in the world that have been so loyal from day one and gaining new fans along the way,” he says, smiling. “So, to be able to all be together in a beautiful location, it’s a win-win all the way across the board.”
“For us to be able to celebrate anywhere, it doesn’t matter where we are, to commemorate 30 years together and to celebrate it with our fans. It’s just going to be a beautiful experience to all be together, celebrating three decades of music."
To learn more about Backstreet Boys at the Beach, visitwww.backstreetsbackatthebeach.com.
source: people.com
