Happy Anniversary Backstreet!

Twenty Four Years.

Let that sink for a moment. Twenty four years is a long time guys. Many weddings can’t last that long, let alone a group. It’s a year shy of being a quarter of a century. Most bands can’t last this long. (Fun fact – The Beatles didn’t.) Boybands? Forget it. BSB are in a class of their own in this aspect. Well, one of many. Sometimes, this sort of thing is pretty easy to forget. As a fan, I recognize we’re all pretty damn spoiled. We don’t know anything different, you know? Our fanbase isn’t like the others.

Let’s take a look…

• NSYNC –  “On Hiatus FOREVER” aka Disbanded
• NKOTB – Broke up for over a decade before reuniting.
• 98 Degrees – Broke up for a decade, then reunited
• One Direction – Broke up
• The Wanted – Broke up
• Big Time Rush – Broke up

90s Boybands, 2000s Boybands, it’s like a boyband-pocalypse around here. A wasteland of male vocalists that fell apart. The Backstreet Boys are like the Rick Grimes in said wasteland of reanimating groups. They’re not only surviving, they’re thriving. They’re relevant – hottest selling residency, a cruise next year, and they’re all over the media. They had their lows but damn, right now we’re all on a high.

The thing is, BSB to me, are more than just the five men with magical blending voices. They’re five men who’ve inspired us all over the years. Their music has been there for myself and others during the darkest and brightest times in our lives. They unknowingly brought friendships many of us never would’ve forged without their existing. They gave us memories that will last forever.

So thank you.

Thank you Nick, Kevin, Brian, Howie and AJ. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for your passion. Thank you for the music, the tours, the cruises. Thank you for the fandom you created. Thank you for standing strong through everything life has thrown at you. We appreciate it. More than you’ll likely ever know. Though we’ll keep trying to tell you, I’m sure.

And thank you my fellow fans! Lets be honest, I know our fandom family can be completely crazy at times. But this fanbase is a major reason WHY I’m a fan still. The bonds we created over these five men who sing. The friendships that can never be replaced. The support we give one another inside and outside our BSB world.

Let’s not only celebrate the Backstreet Boys, celebrate each other too!

Here’s to another twenty four years. May the Boys still be performing…

And here’s hoping we’re still fangirling (or fanboying) at shows in 2041!