Brian Littrell Still Wants The Backstreet Boys To Win One Last Thing

Usually, journalists research the subjects they interview, not the other way around. Most subjects, however, are not Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys. “I’ve got a question before we start — how big of a Taylor Swift fan are you?” he asks when we hop on the phone on a recent Tuesday. (The correct answer is “very big,” leading Littrell to list some of the beats I’ve previously covered.) “I got you man,” he quips.

That consideration and thoughtfulness is one reason why the band still resonates 30 years after its debut. To mark the occasion, the group is throwing a weekend-long celebration in Mexico, convening at Cancun’s Moon Palace in April 2024 for two special BSB shows, one of which will include a setlist decided entirely by fans, and Live Nation is giving away a trip for two fans to live out their adolescent BSB dreams.

Littrell says this experience is something the band has wanted to throw “for the past 20 years,” and they’ve spent the past three putting it all together. BSB is bringing along some of their favorite artists, like Jason DeRulo, to join. Each member is also planning his own unique activity, including Littrell, who’s bringing along his family to put on a variety show. Proof of just how long the group has been on our playlists, his son Baylee will be 21 by next April. “I’ll have to keep an eye on him,” he says, joking.

Below, Littrell chats about celebrating 30 years with the Backstreet Boys, from his audition for the band to performing with Elton John, plus the one goal still lingering in his mind.

What do you remember about your audition for the band?

My cousin Kevin called me and said, “Hey Brian, I want you to come down and audition for this band, and we’ll see where it goes.” He picked me up in a limousine from the Orlando International Airport, took me to Mr. [Lou] Pearlman’s house, the guy funding the band at the time and putting everybody together. I sang some songs. Lou looked at me and he’s like, “You’re in.” It literally happened overnight, because I was in Mrs. Rickwall’s US history class the night before.

After 30 years, is there a song that you’re over performing live?

I used to say “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” because I didn’t really like that song in the beginning. But I have changed my tune. When we do that song on tour, I see the smiling faces and people singing this song, it reminds them of their youth. It reminds them of the first time they saw and experienced the Backstreet Boys, whether it was on VH1 or one of the music shows MTV had at the time.

Now, which song do you think you will never get sick of performing live?

“As Long As You Love Me.” I met my wife on the video shoot out in California, and we’ve been together for, golly, 26 years now, since 1997, so I’m very, very lucky. It was a great day, and a great song... I’d be in so much trouble if I didn’t say that.

Is there a Backstreet Boys album that you’re most proud of?

Millennium. There’s this thing they call the sophomore slump, when your second record never adds up to the impact your first record had in the music business. There’s many artists that come out and blow up, and then try to redo what they did and, for some reason, it doesn’t work. When Millennium came out, it was special.

I wrote and produced “The Perfect Fan,” which I dedicated to my mom. I also co-wrote “I’ll Be The One” and “Larger Than Life,” so there’s a lot of sentimental value on that record. When fans look at the Backstreet Boys, they don’t really look at us as writers and producers. They look at us more as performers. That record was super special because I had a chance to write with some of the best writers in the world and produce some of the best songs at that time.

You’re having fans vote on their top 30 moments in Backstreet Boys history. Do you have your own top moment?

When we closed down Times Square in New York and launched Millennium. I’ll never forget being at MTV, looking out the windows and seeing thousands of fans there lining the streets. It’s a scary thing at the same time, but it was electrifying that you could touch so many people with your music. The other would be performing with Elton John as our special guest singing “I Want It That Way” with us on stage. As a fan of his growing up, it was that monumental moment for me to be like, “Wow, we’ve really made an impact in music to be here.”

What is your hope for the next 30 years of Backstreet Boys?

We’re extremely lucky to be able to do something that we love so much. I’m going to enjoy the ride for the next 30 years. If it’s half as good as the past 30, I’ll be fine with it. One of my goals was always to make a Christmas album, and we were able to do that for the first time [recently]. In the back of my mind, there’s always that elusive Grammy, because we’ve been nominated like eight times and we’ve never walked away with that hardware. So I’m going to throw it out there in the atmosphere that hopefully, one day, the Backstreet Boys will accept the Grammy.

Since you started with this, I have to ask: Are you a Swiftie?

I loved her original songs back in the day. My son’s 20 years old and in country music, so we listened to a lot of Taylor when she was first that little country girl. I’m proud of where she’s taken her success. She’s on top of the planet, and she deserves it because she’s worked very hard.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.