It’s safe to say that most of the diehard Backstreet Boys fans have been loyal since the 90s or the early 2000s. For every one thing that hasn’t changed, there are several things that have. From purchasing cassettes to CDs to digital to vinyl, we have learned to change with the times, but we also love thinking back to the things that used to make our little fangirl hearts vibrate with joy. Like…
1. Monthly Issues of Our Favorite Magazines.
We’ve yet to find something to replace the thrill of a new month of magazines in the racks of the stores our moms were dragging us to or in the mailbox (if you were lucky enough to sucker your parents into subscriptions). In fact, old habits die hard – sometimes we find ourselves still glancing at the magazine racks for our fave five hidden somewhere inside. When we DO get a chance to see them in print again, it’s a golden feeling. At least we never have to make the decisions about which side of a poster to hang up anymore!
2. New Music Videos.
Obviously there’s still music videos being released, but there was something thrilling about a TV premiere. Maybe it was because if you didn’t catch it in that moment that it premiered (and record it on your VCR), you had to wait to catch it again on a countdown (that may or may not be the entire video) or in the middle of the night when there was music videos only. A music video playing on your TV when you least expected it? That was the BEST!
3. Every Single Mention of The Backstreet Boys Anywhere.
We would I N H A L E any single tiny mention of the Backstreet Boys in any form. A poster on the wall of a room during “Boy Meets World” or “Two Of A Kind”? We told all of our friends about it and the glimpse became our favorite episode. Ah, the simple life, right?
4. Any Moment We Deemed “Cute” In An Interview.
As we mentioned, you may remember something called a VCR. Before YouTube and DVR, we pressed record on a machine and made sure to put a physical tape with free space on it (wasn’t it wonderful when you had just enough free space??) to capture all of the Backstreet moments we wanted to watch over and over. And boy, did we! Every BSB fan that lived in the 90s and early 2000s can tell you about the VHS tapes they still have in their basement and exactly which interviews and/or concerts they rewound repeatedly for the 5 minutes that you loved more than anything, knew word for word, and forced on all of your friends.
5. A Chance To Breathe The Same Air As Any of The Backstreet Boys.
Go allllllll the way back to a world before VIP meet and greets and we fangirls and fanboys were just happen to be in the same room as Kevin, Howie, Brian, AJ and Nick. We weren’t against nosebleed seats. Hell, we weren’t against just being in an arena where they were the night before because the Backstreet air was still fresh. Next time you head for a selfie with your favorite Boy, remind the 9 year old inside of you that you dreamed of this as you bawled your eyes out in section 302 (or the parking lot) of the Millennium concert.
6. New Merch At Our Favorite Store.
Remember when Spencer’s, now primarily an adult store, carried Backstreet merch? When Target carried Backstreet candles? When, before the internet, you didn’t necessarily know about these items and seeing them in a store aisle was an expected delight? So. Do. We.
7. School Supplies.
In the same vein as #6, was it not the BEST to not only find new BSB merch in stores, but to be able to incorporate it into our daily lives and in front of our friends so caaaasssssually? GOALS.
8. The Euphoria Brought On By New Music.
Some things NEVER change. ❤
What Happens On The Backstreet 
I was all about the magazines and the appearances but with internet it is so much easier.
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