What’s Happening On The Backstreet – January 3, 2021

Happy New Year, fan-mily!!

In case you haven’t noticed (or don’t follow us on Twitter), we’ve been on a little hiatus to regroup and figure out what we want to do with WHOTB in the new year. The truth is… we still aren’t sure. But we are here and going to try to jump back into things! It’s been a wild time among Backstreet fans, but we are hopeful that everyone is entering 2021 with a warm heart and a peaceful outlook….we sure are!

So, before we start doing other things, let’s catch up on everything the Backstreet Boys have been doing that you might have missed:

• AJ McLean
  • Ava Dean Beauty has launched, offering four shades of polish plus a top coat. You can preorder now and they are set to arrive in time for Valentines Day! Read more about the brand here.
  • Dancing With The Stars might be over, but you can still catch AJ with Cheryl Burke and friend Rene Elizondo on the Pretty Messed Up Podcast every week with a lineup of interesting guests!
  • He celebrate a year sober in December and has teased new solo music coming very soon, with a first single that “will have everyone talking”.

• Nick Carter
  • After finishing his stint as the pink Crocodile on The Masked Singer last month, Nick released his retro-inspired single, 80s Movie! Listen to it here and keep up with everything you need to know about progress on his next solo venture here.
  • Following the release of his single, Nick gave a lot of interviews to talk about everything from Vegas to his solo work to the future of the Backstreet Boys. If you missed any of those interviews, you can find them here and here.
  • Nick also launched his Twitch channel as PopKidNick a few months ago! While he hasn’t been active recently due to the holidays, you can certainly watch the replays (and an exclusive studio session on nickcarter.net if you’re a fan club member). He has promised to make a return early this year.
  • He has also teased many fun projects ahead, including a mystery collab with Lance Bass. We can’t wait to see it!

• Howie D.
  • Howie has just launched an opportunity for fans to get a personalized message from Sweet D. himself via Cameo. Even better is the fact that all of the money goes to charity!
  • He also gave a sweet little holiday performance with sister Pollyanna on Twitter – check it out!

• Brian Littrell
  • Unsurprisingly, Brian has been doing lots of things with his family in his off time, helping with Baylee’s career as an up and coming musical artist. Most recently, Brian and Baylee performed virtually for Q 99.7’s All Right For The Holidays. You can watch the performance here!
  • They also talked to The Pop Culture Show — watch here!

• Backstreet Boys
  • While the Backstreet Boys might not be doing *too* much as a group right now, they have done a few things recently and one of those things is continuing to release monthly episodes of the Apple Radio “All I Have To Give” podcast series. So far, there has been a group, Howie, Kevin, Brian and AJ episode released and if you haven’t listened yet, you really should! Nick’s should be released this month and earlier last year, Nick himself stated that there were 7 (or 9?) episodes… so there should be a few more coming.
  • Also, in case you missed it (HOW?!), the BSB released a song with Britney Spears. “Matches” marks their second official collab in their history as a group and we are obsessed. You can listen to it here.

Also, we would like to mention that we are still creating items in the WHOTB Shop with ALL PROCEEDS FROM ALL ITEMS going directly to currently out-of-work live event crewmembers that we know and love. Currently, we’ve raised over $800!

If you’re interested in shopping, check it out! See something you like but you wish it was a little different? Shoot us an email and we’ll see what we can do.

Now you’re all caught up on what’s happening on the Backstreet! We have more coming soon and look forward to 2021 being a better year (cautiously optimistic here) with our entire fan-mily. See you soon!

What Happens On The Backstreet Celebrates 6 Years!

Since we launched WHOTB in 2014, I didn’t know what was going to transpire. I didn’t think I would keep it open more than a year or that more than maybe 50 people would read it.

But here we are, 6 years, over a million hits, and nearly 30k+ followers over all social media channels later. All of it still blows my mind. Thinking back on how a small idea in the middle of a Nick and Knight concert turned into all of this is WILD.

And none of it would have been possible without EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. who has read a post, contributed to a post, emailed us, helped us, told us what we were doing wrong (whether we agreed or not) and praised us for what we had done right (ugh…it means so much)! This site has always run under the motto “for fans, by fans” from day one. This was always a group effort. This fan-mily has not let us down.

As we all know, 2020 has been A. DAMN. YEAR. In terms of Backstreet alone, this year was completely different from anything we’ve ever experienced as fans. With no tour, no events, and nothing really new, we’ve had to find ways to make our own fun. Whether that was a virtual festival in the fan club or cheering a dancing AJ and a pink crocodile on every week, so many of us have made our own joy.

But beyond the Backstreet Boys, so many of us have had the true meaning of fan-mily slap us in the face. For me personally, I spent a lot of time earlier this year wondering if I was done with WHOTB among other things…. and then my mom passed away suddenly. And then I walked into a funeral home full of flowers from fellow Backstreet Boys fans and wowowow, my heart… there are no words. Since then, so, so many of us have suffered so many different kinds of losses and so many of us have shared our heartaches, our mental health issues, and more and I’ve watched fans rally around each other in every way. Beyond the Backstreet Boys, we’ve created a fan-mily turned family. It’s something special and when everything goes back to “normal”, I hope we never forget the good parts of the way we were there for each other…. virtually. For the not-so-great, I hope that we continue to try to listen to each other and create something better. We can only go up!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for making WHOTB what it is today. Thank you for laughing and crying with us. Thank you for hitting me in the feels with your words and forcing me to grow a thicker skin with your opinions! Be kind to one another and we hope to see everyone A S A P. Until then, we’ll just keep making shit up online to entertain ourselves!

XOXO,

Sara

UNMASKED: Nick Carter Revealed As The Crocodile On ‘The Masked Singer’

It’s the night we’ve all been waiting for. Millions of BSB fans tuned into Season 4 of The Masked Singer for one mask and one mask only – the Crocodile.

Dressed in pink (with a feather lined robe that we NEED in our lives), one episode into the season, we were committed to the fact that that voice could only belong to one person – our very own Nick Carter!

As the season rolled on and he performed songs from Bon Jovi, Britney Spears (!!!), and Leona Lewis, we were never more sure of anything in all the seasons of The Masked Singer that we had watched… and tonight, the finale revealed it all. We were right….and our Boy KILLED it all season long. His final performance of Journey’s “Open Arms” was absolutely the icing on the cake, earning him the Bronze medal to finish the season.

We wanted to compile all of his performances into one place, but we also wanted to say that we are more than thrilled that Nick has finally gotten a stage to show off his incredible vocals and what he can do with them. From “Toxic” to “Bleeding Love”, I think even a lot of us were shocked at how well he reinvented those songs (and how much we need to hear them again). Undoubtedly, Nick Carter has come so far, in every sense, from the boy that people heard in the 90s and he deserves every kind word the judges applauded him with this season.

You were an INCREDIBLE sounding reptile, Nick, and it was a pleasure to watch you perform your heart out for the world for the past few months. The world needed to hear the man that Nick Carter has become and we can’t wait to hear more of it in the (near) future! ❤

The Basics: Everything You Need To Know About Nick Carter’s New Solo Music (2020-2021)

There’s not been many downtimes that the Backstreet Boys have had that Nick Carter hasn’t taken the opportunity to do SOMETHING… and this year is no exception. With everyone being safe at home, the Backstreet Boys DNA Tour has been postponed until the middle of next year and Nick has not only been sharing his life at home via Instagram Live, but has created a Twitch channel, where he first revealed that he would, indeed, be heading back into the studio.

In fact, he has since used Twitch as a platform to not only play video games with fans, but to take fanclub members and subscribers into the studio with him as he lays down vocals for his upcoming album. To say that we’re thrilled to head into a new Nick solo era would be an understatement, especially in a year that’s been so void of new music as far as BSB goes (except for that BSB Britney collab – don’t sleep on it).

Since his new music is on the horizon, we’ve decided that it’s time to compile everything we know into one post and continue updating as we get hard facts so that you’ll be able to find it all right here!

— About The New Music —

• He will be releasing new music by Christmas – at least a single (Check out his interview with Rachel Smith!)
• Nick dropped his new single “80s Movie” on 12/19 and it’s now available for purchase and streaming! LISTEN HERE

— Media + Press —-

• An in-studio Instagram post (11/14)
• A Day of Press From The Studio (11/23)
• A post from PKN following his in-studio stream (11/21)
• Nick Carter Teases New Studio Album (ET Canada)
• Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter Opens Up About Solo Plans, Work With Children Battling Cancer (ABC 7)
• EXCLUSIVE: Nick Carter Is Recording A Solo Album and Supporting A Great Cause (Celebrity Page)
• Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter Talks Solo Project, Upcoming BSB Music (WGN)
• Nick Carter Opens Up About New Solo Album, Supporting Children’s Nonprofit (WSVN Miami)
• Nick Carter Is Releasing New Solo Album Recorded During The Pandemic (K5 Evening)

The 2020 Holiday Gift Guide For The Backstreet Boys Fan In Your Life

It’s the holiday season and while we may not have gotten a Backstreet Boys Christmas album this year (2020 really got us there), we are just SO INSANELY HAPPY that this year is almost over!

If you are reading this post, we are assuming that you are looking for something to buy for the BSB-loving person in your life (perhaps after they sent this post directly to you) and you have found the spot! We’ve actually been getting a lot of hits on our old holiday gift guide so we thought it was time for an update. Here we have compiled all of the hot spots for your BSB-related merch and what you need to know!

The Backstreet Boys Store

This seems like the most obvious go-to shopping choice for the BSB fan in your life, but just in case you haven’t taken a look yet, this is definitely where you should start. From retro tees to new denim jackets to BSB themed face masks and non-wearables like shot glasses, tumblers and more, there is something for EVERYONE here. You can find their shipping FAQS here.

Our Top Picks: The DNA Tour Zip Hoodie, The BSB Faces Tee and The DNA Tour Program

The Official Nick Carter Merch Store

Is Nick her / his favorite Backstreet Boy? He’s got some pretty great merch in his store and to be honest, we own most of it. All of it fits pretty true to size and is super comfy, but if you’re not sure what size to get, there’s also items like a stainless steel water bottle and a beanie!

Our Top Picks: The Team Carter Long Sleeve Tee, The 19 in 99 Black Sweatshirt

The Official Howie D. Merch Store

The official Howie D. merch is as fun, smart and efficient as Howie himself! There isn’t much, but what there is is sure to please the BSB fan on your list — so take a look!

Our Top Picks: The Howie D. Pop Socket

Pretty Messed Up Podcast Merch

AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke have been doing their podcast, Pretty Messed Up, since the beginning of their Dancing With The Stars season and noooowww… they’ve got merch! If your loved one is a podcast listener, this is for you.

Our Top Picks: The Pretty Messed Up Pink Hoodie

Ava Dean Beauty Nail Polish

As nail polish lovers ourselves, we were thrilled to see AJ launch his own polish line! While the first collection is only available for pre-order, the colors are perfect for anyone and you can always print our the order detail as a gift so they have something to look forward to in a few months!

PopKidNick Merch Store

Nick Carter has been using some time in quarantine to create his own Twitch channel, PopKidNick, which has cultivated quite a following. If you’ve heard your person recently start talking about video games, with no previous knowledge, this is probably why… and they’ll definitely appreciate the merch!

And finally… if you’re looking for something a little more generic, we have our own shop here. All profits from the shop are currently going directly to live event crew members who are currently unemployed due to the pandemic!

4 Things You Should Know About AJ McLean’s Ava Dean Beauty Polish

If you know AJ McLean, you know that his nails are almost always neatly painted and on point. He has also talked many times about using nail painting as a bonding tool with his two young daughters, Ava and Lyric.

Because of this, it comes as no surprise that he has launched his own line of nail polish, Ava Dean Beauty, inspired by his daughters. Cofounded with friend and longtime security detail, Josh Naranjo, the line has been a long time coming. The two have spent a while researching all of the details to make them perfect for their customers, as Josh recently talked about on the BizQuik Podcast last month, and it has FINALLY launched!

So what do you need to know? Keep reading!

1.There Are 5 Polish Options.

The red, black, and lighter, less bold periwinkle and lilac are five shades that not only represent the McLean family, but are colors that are sure to please everyone in your own family! There truly is something for everyone here. Oh, and then there’s the top coat – arguably the most important part of a manicure. A mani without a top coat is like a Backstreet Boys album without a tour!

2. All Polishes Are 10-Free, Vegan, and Cruelty Free!

If you are a nail polish connoisseur, you will know that these factors are very important (and rightfully so) to a lot of people! If you are unfamiliar with the term “10-free”, it means that these polishes do not contain dibutyl phthalate, TPHP, toluene, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, parabens, and tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Essentially, all of this means that the Ava Dean polish is made up of a safer, non-toxic formula that you can feel good about using!

3. The Polishes Are Named After AJ’s Family Members.

As we mentioned earlier, these shades represent the McLean family. So much so, that each polish is named after either AJ, his wife Rochelle, or his daughters, Ava and Lyric. In fact, when you click on each polish to purchase, the descriptions give you a brief summary of the inspiration behind the color. Too sweet!

4. Pre-Orders Are Now Open!

Ava Dean Beauty is sold EXCLUSIVELY via their website and all pre-orders are set to arrive by Valentine’s Day! By reading the FAQ, it sounds like they are hopeful to offer their product in other places as they grow and eventually ship internationally.

Make sure you sign up for their email list and follow them on Instagram for the latest updates! We can’t wait to see your manis on tour!!

20 Years Later: 6 Things We Can’t Not Talk About When It Comes To The Backstreet Boys ‘Black and Blue’ Era

20 years since the release of Black and Blue…can we get a collective W O W?

There is so much to say about an era that has such mixed reactions. It was a time for a lot of firsts. It was a time of a lot of transitions. Arguably, it might be the era of the Backstreet Boys least defined by the album and music produced and more defined by everything that transpired – for them and for us.

Personally, this is a post that has taken a lot of thought to write. While it was my first FULL era that I got to experience as a fan, it is also one that, objectively, holds a lot of darker times and anyone that has been a Backstreet Boys fan for a length of time knows why. When I brought this up on Twitter, I think it’s safe to say that there are a lot of us who are pretty torn on how we feel about it.

But we can’t deny that Black and Blue is a significant piece of Backstreet history, with an epic trip around the world and fans still flying high off of the success of Millennium, bombarding airports and the streets just to get a glimpse of Kevin, Brian, AJ, Nick and Howie. Despite the fact that they had been going hard through the 90s to achieve the success that they were now experiencing and they were, in fact, metaphorically black and blue, they stuck it out for fans… and that’s indicative of who Backstreet is, if nothing else.

So let’s talk about a few things that we can’t not talk about when it comes to Black and Blue!

1. The Album.

The Backstreet Boys have openly talked about the push to get Black and Blue out so quickly after Millennium to maintain a level of hype surrounding the group and while we were wild about the album at its release 20 years ago, there are few fans that name it as a favorite album in the BSB collection. It seemed to simultaneously still appeal to our fangirl hearts, while also asking us to grow up just a little.

The singles “Shape of My Heart”, “The Call”, and “More Than That” have, of course, become concert staples, as well as non-singles like “Get Another Boyfriend” and “Everyone”, who everyone seems to thoroughly enjoy. There’s also the lyrically underrated “What Makes You Different”, “Time” and “How Did I Fall In Love With You” that seem to have flown under the radar!

Favorite or not, B&B has proven to be a solid album over time with songs that should be appreciated individually but were maybe an odd collection to fit together. However, we do feel like the “weight” of the songs reflected the group’s feelings at the time. BLACK AND BLUE GOES DEEP, Y’ALL… if you’re willing to peel back the layers.

2. The Trip Around The World In 100 Hours.

Perhaps the most notable piece of the Backstreet Boys’ Black and Blue era was the trip around the world in 100 hours. Not only was it insanely exciting for fans in six continents, it was exciting to see the Boys themselves take on something new and something that no one else was doing (or has done to date, to our knowledge). While it was a great marketing venture for them, it was also something for all of us personally. It gave the Backstreet Boys themselves the opportunity to physically feel the outpouring of love from SO. MANY. FANS and regular people (remember the mariachi band who only played “As Long As You Love Me”?) around the world. And the Backstreet Boys branded private plane? EPIC.

But also, was anyone else impressed by their ENDLESS amounts of black and blue wardrobe?

From the subdued crowds waiting for them in Japan airport to the MASSIVE amounts of people filling the streets in Rio, in a time where no one was sure what the future of the Backstreet Boys was, this provided some incredibly sweet moments and images that the band and the fans alike still remember to this day.

3. The Transitions.

In the same vein as the trip around the world, this era suddenly brought about a glimpse of who the Backstreet Boys were as adult men. When they embarked on the trip, it was the first time that most fans had seen Kevin and Brian since they had become married men just months before…and suddenly Howie had straight hair? It was clear that there were differences. Just as most of us were adjusting from pre-teens to teenagers, they were adjusting from young men to adults and admittedly, it was kind of an awkward phase for all of us. Suddenly, the squeaky clean boyband that had been presented to us before this were now on MTV Diary, cussing, talking about drinking, and calling each other dildos (Ok, that was only Kevin). Oh, and let’s not forget the Rolling Stone interview that included a lot of…well…eye-opening comments! This era definitely laid the groundwork for what the Backstreet Boys would ultimately break free of and grow into.

Times were changing and the Backstreet Boys and all of us were changing with it.

4. The Truths.

No Backstreet Boys fan will forget where they were when they either watched four Backstreet Boys appear solemnly on TRL or heard that AJ had entered rehab. Much like the transitions that were prominent in this era, it’s also an era of truths. The Backstreet Boys had, appropriately, “nothing to hide no more”… and maybe that’s why “Shape of My Heart” was the first single?

It was an era of firsts – the good and the tough – and we appreciated it all, even now. Those truths revealed to us somehow solidified a trust between the Boys and fans that would last for years to come.

5. The Tour.

THAT. BRIDGE. OVER. THE. AUDIENCE. It was the original catwalk, but in the air. It was what no other boyband was doing at the time. It was EVERYTHING to us. That is all.

6. The Era That Needed To Happen To Make The Backstreet Boys Who They Are Today.

All of these things were exactly the things that had to happen to make Kevin, Howie, Brian, AJ and Nick the group they continue to be today and to make fans a little more grateful for the good times, but also aware that no one is perfect. Looking back over the last two decades, the Black and Blue era had less to do with the music and more to do with who we are and what we can handle as human beings. There are many lessons to be gained from Black and Blue and memories that were inevitably made….and of course, Shape of My Heart is playing in the background of all of those.

A Few Thoughts On Current Events

I went back and forth about writing this, as it is a sensitive topic with lots of opinions and in all honesty, I wasn’t sure if that was something I wanted to tackle again. Over the years, we have used WHOTB to rally around Kevin, Howie, Brian, AJ and Nick, in whatever way that was at the moment, and we have also used it to ask for better communication, experiences, etc. for us, the fans. We’ve shared a LOT here. We’ve heard kind things from a lot of you and we’ve heard your messages asking us to stop bringing attention to things that didn’t seem to affect a lot of people. Finding a balance that pleases everyone over the past nearly 6 years has been hard.

All of that being said, we thought long and hard about addressing what most fans are talking about right now – the Littrells and their upcoming event in Georgia in the midst of a worldwide pandemic. 

We haven’t addressed it for a number of reasons, but mainly because there are people speaking on it that are better versed than we are. We weren’t sure how to approach it without offending people or if we even should since we hadn’t already. Emotions are running very, very high in 2020 and the last thing we want is for someone to take what we say in a way that we don’t mean. So, please, if anything in this post doesn’t sit well with you, discuss it with us. Give us the opportunity to hear you out and see it from an angle that we might not have expressed properly here. 

The main reason we are writing this is because over the weekend, we have been sent several messages with posts that wish harm upon Brian or Leighanne or both. We’ve seen a petition asking him to leave the group. We’ve seen things insinuating that people adjacent to them are being sent messages. That is not the “Backstreet Army” that we know and we are devastated to learn that some people think that’s ok. None of this is ok…on either side.

Bottom line – regardless of how you feel about the event and about everything leading up to it, wishing illness, tragic things, and / or death upon someone is not and never will be acceptable. If you think it is, please unfollow us, unlike us, and be on your way. What in the actual hell, you guys?! If we’re going to talk about lack of human decency, as we’ve seen a lot of people agree upon, this also falls into that category. Agree or not, our stance is that these is no “winning” here.

I know this is VERY few people and from what we’ve seen, it’s been anonymous, but we thought it was worth talking about because it IS happening. We post things on the internet, we get into heated debates, we decide that maybe being a fan isn’t for us anymore… but somewhere in the midst, some people take it too far. Sometimes rallying people to do more, more, more is exactly how this happens. The abundance of disapproval for Leighanne’s actions, specifically, have seemed to snowball into who can say the meanest things the loudest in some cases and the whole point is being lost.

This year has been tragic, filled with so much hurt and loss. Loss of lives, loss of jobs, loss of mental stability and so much more. It is unsurprising that so many people would have an adverse reaction to posts that Leighanne has made on her own social media. We would never, ever ask people to be silent about how they feel and we’ve seen many great arguments made and conversations created out of this unfortunate situation.

However, we think it’s worth noting — when someone is committed to misunderstanding you, they are committed to misunderstanding you. I think by now, it is clear that no one in this situation is going to change their minds and the tone has risen to such a level that no one is listening to one another anymore. Everyone is hurt and calling out the same behavior repeatedly seems like a daunting, unproductive task in this particular case. By responding to things you hate, you give her words power… and vice versa. Admittedly, we do not follow her on socials, so we are only seeing what you guys send us / post. Also admittedly, we see more of what you guys are saying ABOUT it than what she’s saying directly. That gives her the power, no? We’re all talking about it, which is better marketing for the event, which seems like exactly what people don’t want to do. 

In the same vein, we do, obviously, follow Brian. Brian, who has said nothing in the midst of all of this. We have seen many say that silence is complicitness… and we beg to differ. This is Brian’s WIFE. The woman he chose to be with 20+ years ago, has a child with, lives with, etc. Anyone who has followed Brian for any amount of time knows that he puts family over everything (as most husbands and wives do) and that he puts very little weight on social media posts (as he has not only stated, but has exhibited in his lack of social engagement). He’s not going to go against his wife for the world’s favor, just like he didn’t go against Nick amidst allegations. That’s his FAMILY. The other four Backstreet Boys are his FAMILY. Like it or not, they’re going to treat him as such and we would certainly expect them to. We are not here to dissect any of that and we’re never going to pit them against each other. 

We don’t know them personally to say one way or another, but I do know that everyone is more than what they put on their social media. We can’t speak for Leighanne, but as for Brian, we have personally watched him, for over two decades, go out of his way for fans in person and try to give us as much as he can give. We’ve heard stories upon stories of kind things he’s done without anyone knowing. On the 2018 cruise, we watched him run out of the theatre during his own event to check on a girl who had passed out on the deck. We’ve watched him return to the stage weeks after heart surgery for us and we’ve watched him stick it out while battling a disease onstage… for us. This is the Brian we know. This is the Brian that we will continue to support until he gives us reason to do otherwise. It’s not blind support – we’re not saying he’s a saint. It’s what we’ve seen and what we do know in conjunction with imperfections. The end.

Everyone has an opinion and everyone is allowed to express that opinion in whatever way they choose. Everyone is obviously free to surround themselves with whoever and whatever they would like to. We certainly aren’t saying everything we feel here – only what we feel is necessary to state before we move on… and that is simply that this battle of words has gone too far. This isn’t to kiss anyone’s ass. It isn’t to make anyone feel better or worse. We are all humans fighting the same fight right now. We won’t be saying anything else about it.

We know that there are fans going to this event and that is their choice, of course. We certainly don’t wish them harm either. In fact, we hope it DOES go well because at the end of the day, we only want the best for everyone and it’s happening, whether you agree with it or not. We hope that everyone continues to wear a mask, stay socially distant and please, for the love of God, wash your freaking hands. 

Ballroom Basics: AJ McLean and Cheryl Burke Take On Two Dances in One Week!

This is the first week that Team Pretty Messed Up performed two dances on one night and they ROCKED it, sending them to Week Nine!

• AJ and Cheryl danced a Rumba to “Way Down We Go”, inspired by AJ’s recovery journey and making everyone in the ballroom emotional. Watch what Sharna Burgess had to say about the dance here.
• For this dance, they earned three 8s for a 24/30
• They then danced in a relay against Kaitlyn and Skai. This samba earned them 3 extra points added on to their score.
• Next week, Cheryl and AJ will be paying tribute to Freddie Mercury by performing a Viennese Waltz to “Somebody To Love” for Icons Week
• Here is the leaderboard for this week: Johnny and Britt: 27 + 3 = 30 // Nev and Jenna: 27 + 3 = 30 // Justina and Sasha: 27 + 2 = 29 // Kaitlyn and Artem: 25 + 3 = 28 // AJ and Cheryl: 24 + 3 = 27 // Skai and Alan: 25 + 2 = 27 // Chrishell and Gleb: 24 + 2 = 26 (Eliminated) // Nelly and Daniella: 21 + 2 = 23
• Check out the latest episode of The Pretty Messed Up Podcast to hear the pair talk about the night in their own words (plus talk to special guest Kris Jenner)

A Few Ways To Find A Little Stress Relief With The Backstreet Boys This Week

There is no doubt that you already know, if you’re reading this, this has been a TOUGH year.

It’s not only a big year of astrological and lifestyle shifts for so many, but with the ongoing pandemic and a tumultuous election period in the U.S., SHIT. IS. HARD.

You can and you should stay aware of what is going on in your area, country, world, etc., we also understand that all of this stress and anxiety can cause extreme mental fatigue. Your brain isn’t made to handle all of these things at once and your heart can only take so much. Please be gentle with yourself and practice self-care as much (and as safely) as possible. You’re doing the best you can.

So after you cast your vote and sit down from a day of wearing a mask, we’ve created this space for some temporary relief. If you are reading this, you are obviously a Backstreet Boys fan. As is true with most Backstreet fans, we’ve long used the Boys as a means of escape from reality at some points. We know we all miss them, but we’ve compiled some things from the past that will hopefully be gentle on your brain, bring a smile to your face, and release some endorphins.

Light a candle, say a pray, and take a little time to indulge yourself in something light in an otherwise heavy time. As always, our inbox is open on Twitter and via email at whothebackstreet@gmail.com if you need to talk about ANYTHING – heavy or light. If you have no one else to talk to, we are here.

Stay well. Stay safe. We’ll get through this year together, fan-mily. ❤

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A BSB Stress Relief Video Collection

We’ve compiled some of our favorite interviews, appearances, performances and more for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

[Click the top right corner to see full list]

A Gentle BSB Playlist

A lot of our favorite Backstreet ballads in one place!

Turn off the lights, lay on a flat surface with a facemask, press play.

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