New Kids on the Block Celebrate First New Album in 14 Years in NYC

Last night the reunited New Kids on the Block were in a playful mood as they celebrated their first new LP in 14 years at New York's Marquee. "Do you think this song was better then, or now?" Joey McIntyre wondered aloud as "The Right Stuff" came blaring through the speakers. The DJ's playlist included several NKOTB hits including "Hangin' Tough," the new "Single" (from The Block, out this week) and a track featuring Akon called "Put It on My Tab." Swarms of die-hard fans were thrilled to party with their favorite childhood group, shamelessly tossing business cards and attempting to brush up against the five singers.

Coming back onto the scene after a decade and a half, it was clear that the band are still trying to figure out who their fanbase is. "We hear a 15-year-old's ringtone blasting 'Summertime' and we're thinking, 'Is this our demographic?" McIntyre said. "Working with Ne-Yo was amazing," he added, of the R&B star who worked on "Single." "He's a class act through and through — a singer, writer and performer, a triple-threat." The album also features Lady GaGa, the Pussycat Dolls and production by Polow da Don (Fergie's "London Bridge," Usher's "Love in This Club").

The group will kick off their tour on September 18th in Toronto and remain on the road through late November. "We're most excited about the Boston shows," said Danny Wood of the group's September 26th and 28th hometown gigs. Wood also revealed that VH1 will be airing three songs live from the second Boston show.

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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