Backstreet’s back, and they’re showing us the meaning of being consistent.
The boy band, which debuted in 1996 with members AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell, quickly had hearts fluttering across the nation. Now, decades later, they’re keeping a few things just as consistent, like their pre-show rituals.
In a Tuesday interview with People, the members revealed the one tradition they’ve kept up after their “intense” performances, despite being a more seasoned group.
“We are not that old, but still our bodies take a little bit more of a beating these days,” McLean admitted. “After a show, you might do a cold plunge, you might go get a massage, you might get adjustments.”
While the “I Want It That Way” singers remain dedicated to their physical well-being, they haven’t forgotten the mental and spiritual aspects that have kept them grounded over the years. The group shared that they “still pray” before every performance.
“We always have a group prayer, whether it’s just us five, or it’s us and our crew and our security, our team and management,” McLean explained.
As men of a certain age, the group also confessed to swapping their favorite indulgent snacks for healthier options — and let’s not forget the “certain gym equipment” they’ve brought along on tour.
The pressures of fame are never easy, and McLean knows this all too well.
In the November documentary “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands,” he opened up about the struggles he faced while living the pop star lifestyle.
“We had toured for nine years straight — just go on tour, make an album, go on tour, make an album. And instead of dealing with my real emotions or my feelings, I kind of got caught up in the lifestyle and the partying and the drinking and the drugs,” McLean recalled.
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McLean describes a pivotal moment that occurred when he drank alcohol during a performance in 2001: “That’s when I even had to know, ‘OK, dude, something’s not right.’”
Now 47 and a father of two, McLean has been open about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. In 2023, he shared with People that he had been sober for two years.