#BSB25Project: To The Backstreet Boys On Their 25th Anniversary

“As long as there’ll be music, we’ll be coming back again.”

The line from an extended version of the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” has evolved from a lyric in a song to make fans scream as teenagers to something that, as adults, we’ve come to believe as more of a promise.

Today, April 20, 2018, the Backstreet Boys are celebrating their 25th anniversary together. You can see 25 as a quarter of a century or as only the beginning of a long road ahead, but one thing is for sure – it’s a remarkable accomplishment for any band, especially in recent years.

And here they are. Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Nick Carter keep coming back for more, keep giving us more to look forward to, keep making music together and stay the family they always told us they were. These five men have spent more than half of each of their lives together – through the highest highs and the lowest lows, weddings, babies, triumph and tragedy – and they’ve done it all in the public eye.

And through it all, they’ve never turned their back on us, the fans.

They’ve made music… for us.

They’ve toured endlessly… for us.

They’ve spent days on cruise ships… for us.

They’ve reached out to ask our opinions so that they could keep it fresh… for us.

They’ve missed birthdays, anniversaries, and family moments… for us.

They’ve been open and honest every step of the way… for us.

They’ve remained a family so that we could all stay together as fans, making these memories, traveling the earth, making our own families in more ways than one…

And on this 25th anniversary of the Backstreet Boys being together, we wanted to do something… for them.

Late last year, we began the #BSB25Project…

Hundreds of fans came together from ALL OVER THE WORLD to donate enough money to take out an ad in Billboard magazine to celebrate our Boys’ anniversary together.

From $1 to $100 to sharing posts to donating merch pieces to auction off, we came together in a big way and exceeded the goal within a few months! No one can say that the love for the Backstreet Boys is any less than it was in the 90s. In fact, it has only grown.

So, in the April 21st issue of Billboard Magazine, there is a full page color ad (designed by fellow fan, Michelle) congratulating Kevin, Howie, Brian, AJ and Nick on 25 years together and thanking them for everything they’ve done for us and everything they continue to do.

It’s the very least we could do.

With the extra $800 donated to the campaign, we donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, who specialize in treating children with cancer, so that they may have a chance to live a long life and love a band + make as many memories as we have with the Backstreet Boys.

In honor of the @backstreetboys 25th anniversary, the Backstreet Army has donated $800 in their name to @StJude to give children an opportunity to live a long life and love a band as much as we have. ❤️@nickcarter @kevinrichardson @brian_littrell @aj_mclean @howied#BSB25 pic.twitter.com/jXApit6Tdw

— What Happens On The Backstreet (@WHOTheBckstreet) April 20, 2018

 

Congratulations on 25 years, Backstreet Boys. Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything that you’ve done and will do in the future. You’ve changed our lives, you’ve given us life, and you have meant more to us than you will ever know. It has been an absolute honor and privilege to be a BSB fan because of you five gentlemen.

From now until forever.

Love, The Backstreet Army

#BSB25Project : The Why

If you’ve followed WHOTB in the past few months, you’ve most likely seen tweets and posts #BSB25Project since last August. If you have somehow missed it or you’re new here, check it out ASAP!

We’re so close to the goal, guys. As I write this, we’re nearly $4000 into a $5900 goal! The end is in sight!

Since the beginning of this project, we’ve gotten a few people asking WHY? Fans who want to know why they should donate to / share a project to celebrate the Boys’ 25th anniversary when we’re not “getting anything out of it”. Non-fans who think the idea of raising $5900 for an ad in a magazine is insane.

So we’re writing this to explain a few things. Not so much explain logically as explain why this is such a heart project for us and for so many fans.

We’re doing this for every minute our family members and friends told us we were wasting our time loving a band growing up.

We’re doing this for every article since 1993 that said the Backstreet Boys wouldn’t last another year — and here they are at 25.

We’re doing it for every song – every lyric – that ever got us through something, that ever created a memory, that ever gave us escape. 

We’re doing it to show the Backstreet Boys themselves that they do have a literal army of fans who back them… in return for 25 years of the best times have had and many more in the future. How often do WE get to do something for THEM?

In a time where it seems easy to divide, this is one thing we can all agree one. Maybe part of it is proving that we CAN come together.

It might be just an ad in a magazine, but it’s Billboard magazine, meaning it will be seen industry wide. And we will make sure — do our very best — to make sure the Boys see it. Even so, this is a chance to prove to ourselves that we can come together.

We’re doing it for Kevin, who taught us the importance of taking a break. 

We’re doing it for Kevin, who takes a minute to thank any fan he can get to for showing up to see the Backstreet Boys. 

We’re doing it for Kevin, who seemingly always makes sure we get the best quality of Backstreet that can be given.

We’re doing it for Howie, who quietly contributes to things we don’t even find out about until after he’s done them.

We’re doing it for Howie, who makes sure that everyone is always having a great time.

We’re doing it for Howie, who shows up for us all of the time.

 

 

 

We’re doing it for Brian, who risked his life in 1998 to keep doing shows for fans.

We’re doing it for Brian, who shows up with a smile and a hug to every meet and greet.

We’re doing it for Brian, who never quits.

 

 

We’re doing it for AJ, who has always been open and willing to talk to fans about anything under the sun.

We’re doing it for AJ, who has never hidden the fact that he has struggled and has inspired some of us to get help as well.

We’re doing it for AJ, who gives 100% everytime he’s onstage. 

 

 

We’re doing it for Nick, who has been a Backstreet Boy for the majority of his life.

We’re doing it for Nick, who really has made fans into family.

We’re doing it for Nick, who works hard and almost never takes a break.

 

 

 

So if anyone asks why it’s important for us, as fans, to celebrate the Backstreet Boys’ 25th anniversary in a big way — this is it. They’ve spent so much of their time proving themselves in the industry, gaining respect, going to all ends of the earth and it’s time that WE do something to say thank you in a public way.

If you haven’t yet, please share the GoFundMe link via social media, text messages, whatever you can. Let’s do this for Kevin, Brian, Howie, AJ and Nick. Let’s do this for us.