Heavy/ABC "Dancing With the Stars" news update.
“Dancing With the Stars” alum A.J. McLean has something big in the works with his longtime musical group, The Backstreet Boys. The DWTS season 29 alum teased that something big is coming in 2025 for the beloved ‘90s boy band.
Speaking with E! News in June 2024, McLean described the mystery update as “very massive.”
In addition to McLean, Backstreet Boys features Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrel, and Kevin Richardson.
McLean is currently on the road with NSYNC singer Joey Fatone. The co-headlining tour is titled “A Legendary Night,” according to People magazine, and it runs through the summer.
AJ McLean Said He’ll ‘Never Say Never’ When It Comes to Backstreet Boys
It’s been 30 years since the Backstreet Boys formed in Florida—and they haven’t slowed down since. Their most recent tour was the “DNA” Tour which wrapped in 2o23 in conjunction with their studio album of the same name. The group’s last album was a Christmas album in 2022.
But McLean, 46, hinted that new music or another tour could be coming sometime in the next year. When asked what’s new for the group, he told E! News: “I have my next single coming out in the next few weeks, “Burning Up.’ As far as Backstreet we are, well we’re sort of taking this year off, but we do have something very massive coming next year. That’s all I can say.”
He also expressed an interest in doing something with NSYNC after their successful single, “Paradise,” on the “Trolls” movie soundtrack.
“I mean look fans …they immediately were like okay NSYNC/ Backstreet Boys together on tour,” McLean said. “And that’s been talked about for a long time. …You know look, at the end of the day we’ll always say never say never. But right now it’s just there’s too many other moving parts.”
Joey Fatone Has Teased a Tour for NSYNC
Fatone has also said “never say never” about his band. NSYNC featured Fatone, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick from 1995 to 2004, per USA Today. In 2023, NSYNC recorded their first new song in two decades. The tune, “Better Place,” was featured on the “Trolls Band Together” soundtrack.
Fatone, who competed in season 4 and Season 15 of “Dancing With the Stars,” has repeatedly teased a future reunion tour for his band. “You know what? Never say never,” Fatone told People magazine in December 2023. “I think we have to honestly have a sit-down and have a conversation.”
Speaking with E! in the joint interview with McLean, Fatone said it again: “The five of us need to get together to have that conversation to say yes or no. What does it look like? If we’re going to do a tour, are we going to do new music?”
He noted that everyone is doing their own thing this summer.
“We’re on tour,” Fatone said of him and McLean. “Justin’s still on tour. Lance has been doing a podcast, JC’s been writing, Chris has been doing a radio called ‘Name Drop’ and also on tour as well. So, once we get that where our heads are in the same bucket…”
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