One of the best parts about being a Backstreet Boys fan, and something we’ve spoken about often, is the community that we’ve built around and with each other. WHOTB turns 10 this year and in the past 10 years, we’ve had the privilege of meeting, chatting, learning from and collaborating with other content creators. There is an endless amount of talent in this space and we are so thrilled anytime anyone reaches out to us!
When the ladies from ‘When They Popped’ podcast slid into our IG DMs with tags from their own content from time to time and offering to share glimpses into their recent Cancun experience in real time, we so appreciated the kind gesture that we asked if they would want to collaborate on a blog post introducing themselves (although they really need no introduction – their pod has quite a following!), their podcast, and sharing more about their BSB Cancun experience.
Thank you so much to Mary and Kelsey for saying yes! Read below for more about the duo and their adventures.
Tell us about who you are, how long you have been BSB fans, and how When They Popped came to be!
Mary: My BSB origin story goes back all the way to 1998. I was taking a road trip with my mom, I was six years old and we were having a gals weekend! I remember she let me pick up a cassette tape (lol) for the drive and I chose some sort of “pop hits” option. “As Long As You Love Me” was on the tape and I was hooked from that moment onward. I couldn’t believe a boy band could sound that good together. The Backstreet blend along with Nick’s voice sucked me in and there was no going back.
When They Popped was born after Kelsey and I attended the DNA concert in West Palm Beach together in 2021. We had been friends our first couple years in college. We lost touch after graduation as life took us in different directions. Several years after we had graduated, I happened to notice on Kelsey’s instagram that she was at the BSB Residency in Vegas. I was like, wait, she also loves BSB too!? How did we never discuss this in college!?! This reopened the door of communication for us and I invited her down to Florida for a DNA show and a meet and greet! DNA was an incredible show and we just had such a great experience. I remember texting her and being like, want to start a Backstreet Boys podcast? The concept eventually was zoomed out to be a Y2K pop culture podcast, but we have more BSB-themed episodes than any other topic.
Kelsey: I can’t remember the first Backstreet Boys song I heard, but I remember devouring the Backstreet’s Back cassette (and, eventually, the CD) and being obsessed with the album cover art. Millennium completely sealed my obsession, and my mom took me and our close family friends to see Into The Millennium on two different stops (including one stop that involved playing hooky from school, which I was supposed to keep a secret and totally did not/could not shut up about). I will never forget hearing them live for the first time – they even played their own instruments! Since then, No One Else Comes Close to BSB for me! When They Popped has been such a fun outlet to relive my most cherished memories and has connected Mary and me to so many other fans. My favorite part of our podcast is hearing stories of our listeners and their memories of our favorite groups.
What has been your favorite BSB moment so far?
Mary: In life!? omg that is a toughie. One of my favorite BSB moments was getting to attend the Never Gone tour in 2005. I don’t know why or how this happened but they performed at the House of Blues in Chicago and we were in town. I was a freshman in high school and had a few friends I shared my BSB love with but my mom had been there with me in it since the literal beginning. I remember telling her we HAD to get dressed up because one, the HOB was like a ~cool~ bar venue and two, we all can relate to the dream that our favorite boy notices us in the crowd. Let me tell you, I had some real “pick me” energy that night. Unbeknownst to us at the time, HOB is Standing Room Only, so we didn’t have seats. I distinctly recall it was one of the first times I wore high heels… ever… so the dogs were barking prior to even arriving at HOB. I am pretty sure about 5 minutes into the show I threw my shoes away and went barefoot (vomit). BUT, the House of Blues was such a small intimate venue and we happened to be CLOSE! Idk how we secured that positioning because ever since then I have been in the war of my life trying to get close. It was just such a special moment to have with my mom. Never Gone is my favorite album (second only to Millennium with Unbreakable trailing at a very close third – plot twist!!) and the boys were alive, energetic, and close enough that I was ready to faint! I think my mom had a lot of fun both enjoying the show and also watching me enjoy the boys and really develop a love for live music and concerts. It is one of our most favorite shared memories, in general, to date.
Kelsey: Every time I have seen them live, it’s such a rush of serotonin, but my all-time favorite moment – BSB-related and otherwise – was when my husband, Mike, proposed at a BSB after party thanks to Nick and Howie. Mike knows that I have always wanted to marry a Backstreet Boy so it’s truly miraculous to me that he figured out a way to get them involved in his proposal. Here’s what happened: I went to the DNA concert with my mom. After many unanswered DMs from @backstreetboys, Mike went to the after party venue as soon as they opened to see if he could speak to somebody in person to get Backstreet Boys to help him pop the question. The bouncer was intrigued and talked to his boss, who talked to the club manager, who talked to somebody on the Backstreet Boys’ team. My mom and I arrived to the after party to meet Mike, and I had no idea Mike had a ring box bulging in his pocket because I was too focused on Nick and Howie!! My mom, who was aware that Mike was trying to make this proposal happen, kept politely suggesting I go to the bathroom to freshen up, but I refused because I didn’t want to give up our amazing spot at the front! (Let this be a lesson to you, when your mom tells you to brush your hair, listen to her!) All of a sudden, a bouncer escorted Mike and me right next to the DJ booth where Howie and Nick were performing. Then, Nick turned around, looked at me and extended his hand. He and Howie pulled me on stage. Then, while sandwiched between two Backstreet Boys I spent the majority of my life idolizing, my sweet Mike got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, and I said “duh.” Then, Nick and Howie sang “Mike Wants It That Way” so we could enjoy our first dance as an engaged couple. This was the most insane experience I could ever imagine. At first I was panicked. I was like – WHERE DO I LOOK?! At Mike, the ring, Howie, or Nick!?! I am so glad pictures of the proposal exist, because it truly felt like a dream. I was truly so touched that Nick and Howie made this happen. When it came to the wedding, we incorporated little nods to BSB; our signature cocktail was the I Want It That Way Spritz (you could get it Kelsey’s Way or Mike’s Way), and the string quartet learned As Long As You Love Me for our wedding party to walk down the aisle. The cherry on top – my mom got a Cameo from Howie, which she played during our rehearsal dinner like a normal toast, which was hilarious. And, because of this epic proposal, our family will forever refer to Mike as the sixth Backstreet Boy. A dream come true!
You guys went to Cancun and shared so much content with WHOTB on instagram! Were you immediately on board with going or was it a spontaneous decision?
Mary: I am not sure if spontaneous is a word in my dictionary LOL. We were so excited for BSB’s 30th anniversary and knew something was coming but just had no idea what! I think we had an understanding, an agreement, that whatever they announced we would make it work. I am sure other fans can relate, once you have been in a Backstreet Boys “drought” for awhile, there comes a point where it’s like, I would go watch them read a dictionary in Antarctica if that is what they are willing to give us. We purchased our package the day they went on sale and then it was just nine long months of speculating, strategizing, and planning.
You also had some iconic looks in your suitcases – tell us more about those!
Kelsey: One thing about me, I love a theme!! I figured if there’s any place to let your fandom flag show, it’s at the 30th anni celebration. We made a ton of our looks – the pajama party outfit was definitely a favorite. I made a nightgown with my favorite BSB photos, CD art, their old logos, slippers with their faces on them, and even a sleeping eye mask featuring Kevin’s iconic eyes and eyebrows. People really loved that eye mask! I also had to pack some bucket hats (sun protection!!) featuring some of our favorite photos of the guys.
What was the absolute best part about Cancun that you were so happy to be a part of?
Mary: The fan camaraderie was really special in that we were all on the same page because we all loved the Backstreet Boys so much, in a sense we were all the biggest fans in the room. It was special to kind of ~find your tribe~ for once, we were all in one place! Also, just getting to see special songs that haven’t been performed in years. Witnessing that felt like a piece of BSB history, that is for sure.
Kelsey: I know people have mixed feelings about it but the 30 for 30 set felt so special. I felt like we were at an intimate concert in somebody’s living room hearing stories we’ve never heard before and old favorites like Back To Your Heart. I know there were a ton of DNA repeats, but I’m not about to complain about hearing my favorite songs live two nights in a row!! The vibe of the set was also unique in that it felt so relaxed and off-the-cuff, probably because there were some mishaps (like when Nick read the setlist incorrectly) but everybody just laughed it off. It truly felt like a once-in-a lifetime show. I will die on the hill because the trip was worth every penny just to see If You Want It To Be Good Girl (Get Yourself A Bad Boy) live. Even though Brian and Nick flubbed the lyrics, their good attitudes made up for it.
If the Backstreet Boys were to do something like Cancun in the future, what do you think fans should know before they go?
Mary: I would just have a handle on expectations. These events are not intimate, I hear they are about double the size of cruises? So, just be prepared that while you may not get as much access to the boys as you would at a smaller event, there is still so much fun stuff going on and to just enjoy it for what it is!
Kelsey: What Mary said. And if I could do it all again, I would go even harder on the BSB-themed outfits. These fan events are the only place where you can go niche and everybody gets it. I wore my old school AJ leopard print cowboy hat during my travels to Cancun, and at the airport I got a few “bachelorette party?” comments. Once we got to the resort, soo many people commented, “love your AJ hat!” Where else does that happen!?! On that note, does anybody want to dress up like the Everybody music video with me at the next fan event?
What was your favorite moment that you caught on video?
Mary: ugh this is so cliche but it’s IYWITBGGGYABB. This is such a fandom unicorn and it’s probably the video we get the most DMs about. We expected it to make the 30 for 30 setlist but honestly, we were getting worried by the end of the show. Luckily, the boys were tricking us and played it last, as the 31st song, since we were technically celebrating 31 years. Let me tell you, besides the boys themselves, I have never met a fan that does not like that song. I am sure there is someone out there who will say how much they hate it but the overwhelming consensus is absolute love for this track. Sure, it is cheesy, but there is something about the Mutt Lange production and baby Nick voice telling us that if we want it to be good, we better get ourselves a bad boy, that is something we will seemingly never recover from. Being able to get footage of the boys performing that so i can watch it repeatedly from the comfort of my couch and also share it with our followers was something very special to me. While the boys did that their whole spiel of how terrible the song is, you could tell they were loving performing it and just truly enjoying giving their fans a gift!
Kelsey: In no particular order:
Howie showing his support at Kevin’s DJ set!! This was hours after Howie’s event in which I believe Howie took 6+ shots of tequila. But that wasn’t going to stop him from showing up for his boy! Also loved seeing the wives grooving to the set; they looked like they were having the time of their lives all weekend! https://www.instagram.com/p/C6UcCINuwLw/
AJ wearing his classic leopard print hat a fan gave him mid-song! Immediately brought me right back to TRL days. https://www.instagram.com/p/C6EM7o4OzqI/
Howie showing a moment of affection for Nick. Who could blame him! https://www.instagram.com/p/C6DQQxZOJDY/
Nick and Kevin joking about turning AJ’s mic off when it’s not his turn to chime in. We know AJ can’t help himself. He’s a yapper like us. And we love him for it. https://www.instagram.com/p/C5_FuQyOBqD/
Brian tickling Kevin’s armpit… then SMELLING HIS HAND?! I thought this was like a sweet cousin moment until I realized what he was doing LOL. https://www.instagram.com/p/C59_z3NukwN/
Howie revealing his “six pack” during his solo song! https://www.tiktok.com/@whentheypopped/video/7360786322035903786
Check out some of Mary and Kelsey’s favorite BSB-themed podcast episodes below!
Backstreet’s Back At The Beach Recap: Part One, Part Two, Part Three
Interview with Jade Driver, co-founder of Crowd Surf, and BSB’s social media strategist
Interview with Devon Daniels (Actress in I Want It That Way music video and incredible author)
Backstreet Deep Dives: Part One, Part Two, and Part Three
What Happens On The Backstreet 