Why The Backstreet Boys Being Nominated For A Grammy in 2018 Is Literally Everything

I’m going to tell a little story.

Once upon a time, in year 2000…the Backstreet Boys were nominated for numerous Grammys surrounding the Millennium album. It was a different time back in those days. There was no Twitter, or Facebook. No iPhones and most of us still had dial-up internet where you had to spend at least thirty minutes downloading a song, and you had to go buy CDs instead of going to Spotify to listen to music. It was a simpler time, when the Boys were younger and still seen as pretty new. No one thought they would last, they figured they would fade out. Admittedly Boybands do have a tendency to do that – annoying as that fact may be. No one knew what was going to happen

It was also the year of this amazingly beautiful medley performance.

They were nominated for four Grammys that year – Album of the Year, Record Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Pop Performance By Duo or Group. Now Best Pop Vocal Album went to Sting, which while frustrating for teenage fans back then? It wasn’t a shock. Sting was a legend. The infamous and now urban legend worthy snub came when the other three nominations were lost to Santana. In fact just this year Vulture listed it as one of the great Grammy snubs of all time. So this isn’t just fans talking. People were shocked. Remember – this was the year of the Millennium nominations. This was the year I Want It That Way had taken over the world. Yet both lost to an artist most people (okay most people my age at the time, which was thirteen) hadn’t heard of beyond a collaboration with Rob Thomas.

It’s been a running thing in the fandom ever since that we hadn’t gotten over.

Yet the Boys, unlike us, were always gracious. (I won’t pretend I wasn’t angry. I still complain about the fact they got snubbed.) They never complained. That’s just not who they are. Now mind you, they’d been nominated since for Grammys up till. around 2002. Never winning a single one. After that just as they industry began to ignore them, so did the academy. They came back with Never Gone to discover the media who loved to praise, now loved to mock. Kevin decided to take a break, frustrated creatively. They were ignore even more and only hardcore fans seemed to realize that the Backstreet Boys kept working, kept giving their all. Slowly, as things tend to go down, they also can rise back up. Kevin came back refreshed and energized. They released another album and celebrated their milestone of twenty years together – not just with a massive world tour, but with a star on the Walk of Fame.

People began to remember how much they loved the Backstreet Boys. In fact they couldn’t remember why they stopped loving them. Basically, people realized that those five men they adored so much in the 90s? They’re just as great today. The Boys busted their asses to remind the world that not only are they still here? THEY. NEVER. LEFT.

They’ve been so blessed throughout their entire careers. They know this. Even so, one of their biggest goals has been winning a Grammy. It’s been something they keep working for. They’ve admitted it over the years in various interviews. They’ve even joked about it.

So to see the industry come around yet again, to realize that the Backstreet Boys are a force to be reckoned with. They are not and never have been, simply a flash in the pan? It’s everything. They’re seeing what we fans have seen this whole time. The pride and joy I’ve seen today on socials coming from the fandom reminds me of proud parents. We’re fit to burst. Not for ourselves, but because we know how much this means to them. Just take a look at Nick’s twitter for example where he’s thanking every media source and DJ he saw talking positively about it. They’re stunned. They’re honored. They’re amazed – because they’ve always been so humble.

Do I want them to win? ABSOLUTELY. They deserve this so much. They’ve earned this. Don’t Go Breaking My Heart took the world by storm and made everyone see that they’re not to be underestimated. They still have so much more to give. It would be the perfect ending to my fairy tale of a story. But say they don’t win? That’s okay too. The fact they’re being recognized by this is what makes this nomination literally everything. Who would’ve guessed even a year ago that our Boys would be nominated for a Grammy?! No one! This in itself is amazing. The nomination itself is a win! That’s why we’re all so happy.

I don’t know if they’ll win, but I hope so.

What I do know is that the entire fandom will be watching live whether it’s on the internet or on TV, cheering them on. We’ll have DNA in our hands and we’ll probably be hoping there will be more to come the following year. I know that the Backstreet Boys have cemented their legendary status within the past year and have the general public knowing what we’ve known since the infamous year of 1997.

As long as there be music, they’ll be coming back again.