"The thing I want people to focus on is this: There is a future for the Backstreet Boys," Littrell said from his Atlanta home a few weeks ago. "A lot of people get focused on what was — the catalog, the late '90s, the boy-band explosion. And the Backstreet Boys got lost in the mix of how many bands there were just like us.
"But for us there is a future. And I'd like to compare the Backstreet Boys to the Eagles someday, looking at our history and catalog."
It begs an interesting conversation. If the Backsteet Boys were the Eagles, who would be Don Henley? Nick Carter,
"It'll be consistent with our stuff in the past: singalong songs that make you feel happy," says Brian Littrell, far right, of what to expect from the Backstreet Boys' concert. (Big Hassle Media )
We spoke with Littrell about Kevin Richardson leaving the band, songs that are "singalongable" and the band's polished world tour, which stops at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield on Tuesday.
Q:You guys have been going pretty steadily since '94. Did you ever break up in that time?A: No, we took a break after the "Black & Blue" record, from 2001 to 2004, and that was the longest break we ever took. But we also have to keep our facts straight. We spent almost two years making the "Never Gone" CD. A lot of people thought we'd disbanded and weren't talking, but for a year and a half, that was us making that record. There has never been a breakup of the Backstreet Boys.
Q:But Kevin left the band?
A: Kevin left the band five years ago. It was the end of the "Never Gone" tour, and that record came out in '05. He came to us at the end of the tour and said he didn't want to do it anymore. I thought he was joking, to be honest, because he's the reason I am a Backstreet Boy.
But we went back in the studio to make "Unbreakable," and that was the first CD without him. But the door's always open. When Kevin's 65, he'll still be a Backstreet Boy.
Q:What will we hear in the new Backstreet Boys songs? A: What you'll find with the stuff we've written is that the Backstreet Boys are happy with who we are. The Backstreet Boys aren't trying to be anything different. We're not trying to continue to follow a trend or to chase what's hot on the radio. It'll be consistent with our stuff in the past: singalong songs that make you feel happy. But it's going to be more adult — we're in our 30s now. We can sing and talk about various experiences in our life, good or bad. The Backstreet Boys are going toward that band sound, mixing the Eagles with Rascal Flatts and some Carrie Underwood thrown in.
Q: Sounds kind of country.
A: Who knows, maybe we'll be doing some country songs. This song "Drowning" off the greatest hits CD, that could be a great country song. I call songs like that "singalongable," even though I know it's not a word.
Q:You're going with the tried- and-true sound, but have you ever been pressured by folks from the outside to change your sound drastically?A: We've felt pressure from record labels to radio executives, fans and management to try something different. But again, our success has been strictly because of the loyal fan base that has grown up with us over the years. We're not trying to sound like Lady Gaga. We're four pretty talented singers that make up a pop band that has been successful for many years.
Q: Why do you think you can still sell out arenas?
A: I don't say this egotistically, but we made a huge impact in pop culture — and that includes the *N Syncs and the New Kids on the Blocks and all the bands who were similar in age and look and sound. And today there are fans out there that want to cling to something they remember. Our music has now transcended generations, and people in today's economical world want something that's stable, something they remember and enjoy.
Q:Do you still dance at your concerts?A: We dance about 75 percent of the show. It's an event. We're not flying out of the ceilings like we did in the "Millennium" tour, but we have dancers and a DJ with us. . . . The dance moves we've had in the past, people wanna see those. And it helps keep me in shape as a 35-year-old husband and father — and pop star.
Thanks to : CraxxyJizzle
