105 Thoughts Watching “Backstreet Boys: The Video” In 2019

It’s been a minute since I’ve done one of these mainly because as much as I loved doing them, they were a bit of a pain because to do it properly I basically had a notebook where I’d write my thoughts as I watched things. Then I’d go and type them up later. It doesn’t sound too bad but when some of these range up to a hundred thoughts because my random brain won’t stop? Well, your hands get tired. That said I splurged on a Chromebook this past week thanks to Black Friday (online shopping since I’m a retail manager in real life so I don’t like adding to the crowds of that godforsaken day) and I thought now these posts might be easier to do.

Why Backstreet Boys: The Video, or as I call it…The Green Tape?

I like going back to their beginning as Backstreet Babies.

NOW, since I know this is only available to get on VHS and most people (unlike me who has one due to an old DVD/VHS combo player) don’t have a working one anymore…I am linking the video below in this post so you can watch along.

Enough of my rambling, let’s get going!

1. Man looking at the filming of Anywhere For You wow.

2. Oh the days where they had to tell us who they were, And using the nicknames no less,

3. Seeing B-Rok on a screen makes me giggle.

4. This is the cheesiest intro montage I’ve ever seen and I grew up in the 90s.

5. It’s set to their debut songs but it’s so over the top with the dramatic photos of them fading in on the side.

6. The British lady talking reminds me that this tape was not made with Americans in mind.

7. OMG THEY SPELLED AJ’s LAST NAME WRONG. YOU HAD ONE JOB!!!!!!!!!

8. I can’t get over this. Why did I never notice this before?!

9. I mean seriously, why didn’t anyone fix this before sending this out?

10, Again, ONE JOB Jive. You were in charge and you had ONE JOB.

11. Okay, I can un-pause the tape now. I had to stop minutes in because of this travesty. Okay. Okay. I’m good. I’m good.

12. AJ talking about his theater background.

13. Did AJ not realize he had a good voice? He talks like he didn’t.

14. These little about me bios are cute, though they’d be cuter if they’d gotten AJ’s name right. Apparently, I’m not over this. But I mean COME ON!!!! It’s McLean not “McClean”!!!! How are you going to promote a group if you can’t even get the names right?! Okay. I’m okay. I’m good.

15. They do spell Nick’s name right but he literally has the easiest damn name in the bunch. I’ve googled Nick Carter when I was bored before. Do you know how many Nick Carters there are in the world?

16. A lot. There’s even a detective series about a Nick Carter. True story.

 

 

17. Why is Nick talking about astrology adorable?

18. He’s literally a baby here.

19. “I resign in Florida” This line haunts him for years. YEARS.

20. It’s right up there with “doc-u-men-taries” in terms of Nickisms

21. Why did I start laughing at them using Howie’s full name? Maybe because no one ever says Howard Dorough?

22. They spell Howie’s name right, yay!

23. It lists racquetball as a pastime of Howie’s. Why do I doubt he actually says that? Has anyone ever HEARD Howie say he loves racquetball? Help me out Howie girls.

24. The image of a baby Howie singing Babyface with a little guitar is very very cute. Thanks for that Howie.

25. Man Kevin was 24 when they made this. I’m 33. I feel very old right now.

26. Kevin was gorgeous. He still is but kid me was so blind.

27. Oh Brian. It lists weight lifting as a pastime for you? Sounds more like a Kevin thing. And it lists Football, I would’ve said Basketball.

28. This video feels wrong on a lot of levels already and is messing with my Backstreet Stereotypes

29. Remember the old story about how they “created” the group themselves? Yep time for that.

30. I’m glad they’ve gotten more honest about how they formed years later.

31. It’s a bit neat listening to Brian talking about how We’ve Got It Going On happened, way back in 1996.

32. And now we have the music video, All I ever think about when I see this now is how the Boys have complained so many times over the years about how hot it was to film it.

33. Which makes me feel sorry for them since they’re wearing leather and jean jackets. And they’re dancing.

34. I should try and find out someday how many times they’ve actually complained about the heat filming it. I know of at least four times on video, maybe five.

35. You know what would be funny? A recreation of this video from them today. I think it’d be hilarious and I bet they would too. Note to self – suggest it to them. They have enough self-awareness to have fun with it.

36. I hate that this video has Lou Pearlman in it. Ew.

37. Ooh and some acapella performing of I’ll Never Break Your Heart. Probably to show they can. Which of course, they slay. That’s what they do.

38. This never gets old. Never. Ever.

39. AJ explaining their harmonies and honestly this is why they are the last boyband standing that never once left nor broke up.

40. The origin of the name…have you guys ever seen that Grammy exhibit interview? My immediate thought on Kevin talking about it is Nick saying it’s not true and calling it “flea market crap”, “we just thought it sounded cool”. You can’t see me but I’m laughing to myself right now. Holy shit this thought is long.

41. “Are mermaids real, of course they are I worked at Disneyland!” Aww. Kevin you are probably the closest thing to a real life Disney Prince

42. Ohhh Howie. That pope answer. Remember they were young and this was the 90’s.

43. Nick’s face when he’s asked about if he thinks tattoos would improve his sex life. I am DYING at his face. Again, he’s a baby here.

44. “I don’t have a sex life”. Not so sure I believe that though. Groupies and German girlfriends were a thing they admitted to years later in the documentary. But this was back when management insisted they lie about that sort of thing. Clean cut images and all.

46. This little behind the scenes bit for Anywhere For You. I dig it. That had to be fun even while working. I mean…beach day!

47. This video is cheesy but I mean so is the song.

48. Lou is so two-faced talking about what sets BSB apart since at this time he was already forming NSYNC.

49. I think doing this on a Chromebook has made me wordier than previous posts. Oops.

50. Watching Lou is so awkward knowing everything we know.

51. Was Anywhere For You released as a single in the US? No right? I don’t think I ever saw this on TV just on this VHS I was crazy enough to buy as a kid at a record store. Man, sometimes I miss those. You found gems in those places.

52. Talking about their growth as a group by their third video and it’s like man, they hadn’t even touched on all their potential yet.

53. Kevin is very pretty. I keep thinking that as I watch him talk. I can’t help it.

54. I may or may not be lounging in my retro Kevin shirt as I write this actually.

55. Aww I didn’t know they were dedicating this song to the fans. I thought Larger Than Life was the first time they did that.

56. This is the only video we see Brian shirtless until Show Em What You’re Made Of, this sounds shallow as hell but it’s a damn travesty.

57. Acapella again! This time it’s Just To Be Close.

58. Ear candy. That’s what they are.

59. And now the video for Anywhere For You. Aesthetically it is rather pretty. I used to never notice that. Look at adult me.

60. I don’t even think I’m halfway through this tape and I’m already at 60 thoughts. Shit. Well, this is probably one of those rare videos where all five of them look great. Though I only feel okay staring at Kevin due to their ages in this.

61. At one point as a fan this used to be one of my favorite songs because it featured Brian and Nick, who were tied as my favorite Boys. That was the ONLY reason. Nothing to do with the actual song itself.

62. AJ tilting his shades trying to be cool made me laugh just now. I see you AJ.

63. Can we get another beach video? I know we’ve banned any and all videos with them in a field or on a hill but the BEACH hasn’t been banned. Long as they’re not wearing shirts. Right?

64. Is this MTV Europe now?

65. Kevin saying he doesn’t like skirts in this random interview has me laughing since you know, maybe five years later he ends up rocking a man-skirt.

66. Saying they just wear what they like is so true. Especially since Nick particularly will wear an item forever, such as camo pants or grey t-shirts.

67. Talking about touring. Feels Like Home just came into my head.

68. “We like girls”. Howie, forever blunt in what they like about touring.

69. Aww they are so fresh faced here; all of this was so new to them still.

70. These little home videos are cute. I would kill to see all the ones Kevin took back in the day. Kill.

71. AJ going on about his love for McDonalds, which hasn’t changed. There’s way better burger places AJ!

72. Also can we talk about how wrong it is that he’s traveling around the world and he goes for freaking McDonalds instead of taking to time to try new foods? I’m not a foodie or anything but come on!

73. Nick’s talking now about the meanings within their songs like how they’d been waiting so long and then We’ve Got It Going On gave them their shot. So cute. I spent too long apparently talking about AJ and McDonalds cause I looked up and there Nick was.

74. Howie reminding people again that their main focus is always the harmonies. IT SHOWS.

75. Brian talking about his Gospel influences. All the Boys talking about their influences, really. I find this interesting since so many years later for DNA this comes up again and shows through their music over the years.

76. These Boys have no idea how one day they’ll been seen as an influence to others.

77. Aww the Winter Version of I’ll Never Break Your Heart. I know they re-filmed this in one of the dozen times they tried to get this song to take off. But this video makes way more sense than the US version.

78. Nick on a snowmobile looks fun. I bet he loved that.

79. Sweaters and Snow jackets. Such a contrast to Anywhere For You man.

80. Find me a man who sings to me like the Boys do in this video.

81. Seriously. These men have raised my expectations so high.

82. I’d love a fan event where we could go sledding with Backstreet Boys like they do in this video. Please. Pretty please.

83. Another TV spot. Again such a cheesy transition screen but okay.

84. Brian saying he wants to know if there are any aliens in the universe really makes my inner fic writer want to go off on that idea. Mainly because I always associate this with Nick.

85. The Get Down video, So are they in a giant disco ball? They are right? Is this what the inside of one looks like, little video screens of random people dancing to the beat with you?

86. Nick trying so hard to look tough is too much for me right now.

87. As is AJ rapping. As much as I love him, I’m glad they ditched that by Millennium since his crazy soulful voice deserved better. Bad Boy stereotype be damned.

88. Oh synchronized body rolls. These are the 90s ladies and gentlemen.

89. Another video never released in the US. Probably for the best.

90. Another very over the top mini montage. This video is a bit disorganized honestly.

91. AJ talking about making those moments for the fans. I love that this has always been a priority. I knew that but you know my first concert wasn’t till 2005.

92. Kevin discussing how he loves creating, I don’t know why it touches me but it does. I think it speaks to how he’s always wanted to make sure they weren’t just good but great.

93. “Fans will do whatever they have to do to get close to you.” Yeah that hasn’t changed in what, twenty-three years since this got made in 1996?

94. “Nick’s got the baby face” and talking about how girls freak out, man that hasn’t changed either. AJ talking about what they each bring to the group and he’s not wrong… though it’s not as simple as he’s laying it out either. Playing into the “roles” a lot.

95. This is some VERY old school concert footage we’re on to now. I’m talking Red Album debut era. Probably 1995? I feel like I’m watching a time capsule. The white shirts with the black vests

(Note the version online that’s linked above differs here from the VHS and didn’t include Boys Will Be Boys the way I thought it would, my apologies!)

96. Are they waiters? Haha. Boys will be Boys!

97. It really has been ages since I watched this tape cause I forgot they included a performance of this song.

98. Did Kevin just…wow. .

99. Okay them talking about how they want to make a real career out of this just has me going awww because they didn’t know. They had NO idea what was to come. They didn’t know how they would change lives. Their lives. Our lives. I wish I could tell them through the screen they’d get all this and MORE and would be around still standing strong in 2019, and into 2020!

100. “In five years we’d like to have a platinum album”. My God.

101. “We don’t want to be a flash in the pan.” You’re literally anything but, Howie. You guys are the ones who LAST..

102. “We want to be respected.” MY HEART guys.

103. Quit Playing Games. This video changed my childhood man. This was what started my love for Nick’s curtain hair. Kid Rose had interesting taste, I know.

104. I mean wet Backstreet Boys. You know what? Forget the idea of a 2020 redo of We’ve Got It Going On. No we need one for Quit Playing Games. I mean PLEASE I know it’s a beefcake video Kevin but damn we’re okay with that.

105. Wow that ending was sudden but okay, that’s it! Ending on a high note I guess because it immediately jumped into the credits.

Is there a video you’d like to see me do a post about? Let me know!