.

Backstreet Boys Take China

Reunited boy band to play Beijing for Special Olympics

September 13, 2004 12:00 AM ET
After three years out of the spotlight, the Backstreet Boys are testing the waters before announcing their full-blown fall reunion tour. On September 24th, the band will play its first major show -- in China. The Boys will perform at the 80,000-seat Beijing Olympic Stadium and donate a percentage of the proceeds to Special Olympics International.

The group returned to the studio in April, completing ballads like "You Can Tell Me" and "Love Is," co-written by Howie Dorough, as well as more upbeat collaborations between BSBs Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter and artist Kenna. Four tracks were produced by the Underdogs, the team behind Ruben Studdard. "We're experimenting with different sounds," A.J. McLean told Rolling Stone. "I've gotten into a lot more Seventies rock and funk." Before launching their tour, the Boys -- who have sold some 68 million albums -- hope to film their hunt for a new bodyguard as a new reality TV show to be produced by Osbournes creator Jonathan Taylor. The winner's first day on the job will be the kickoff of the group's U.S. tour.

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

prev
Music Main Next

blog comments powered by Disqus
Daily Newsletter

Get the latest RS news in your inbox.

Sign up to receive the Rolling Stone newsletter and special offers from RS and its
marketing partners.

X

We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy.

Song Stories

“The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie”

The Joy Formidable | 2011

The opener off the Welsh group’s The Big Roar album was an epic one, but the band was worried that track had polarized fans. “The first song is eight minutes long,” Rhydian Dafydd, the Joy Formidable bassist, said. “If you did that in the Seventies people would be, ‘Whatever.’ You do it now, people think, ‘Holy s---!’ Some people think it’s the f---ing greatest track on the entire album, and some people think it’s f---ing boring. It’s that element of needing to challenge people.” The band concluded through the song’s lyrics that love was the “everchanging spectrum of a lie.”

More Song Stories entries »