To say the least, the Backstreet Boys had a record-breaking year in more ways than one.
For some fans, it was like the return of the glory days when you could turn on the television or radio and find the boys on to surprise you. For others who are new to the fandom, it was seeing the boys in the big spotlight for the first time.
Basically, 2017 was a damn good year for the Backstreet Boys. And why wouldn’t it? They are going to be celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2018 with a new album, a new tour, more Las Vegas shows and probably a lot more surprises.
To take a look back at 2017, let’s countdown their top moments of 2017.
10 – AJ’s daughter Lyric Dean born
AJ and Rochelle McLean welcomed their second child, a little girl named Lyric Dean, on Sunday, March 19. Born at 5:10 p.m. in Los Angeles, Lyric weighed in at 8 lbs., 3 oz. and measured 22 inches long. She became only the second ‘Backstreet Girl,’ joining her sister Ava, who was four at the time of her birth.
9 – Nick Carter hosting “Boy Band” on ABC
After taking a judging seat on “Dancing with the Stars” for one episode, Nick took a permanent judging seat for “Boy Band” on ABC. Nick joined Emma “Baby Space” Bunton and Timbaland to help find the next hot boy band. Nick gave his expert advice each week and the result ended up being a group of five guys we now know as In Real Life who are currently doing pretty good for themselves. Nick also used the platform to showcase the Backstreet Boys, performing a kick ass set on the season finale.
8 – The Smooth Tour
The Backstreet Boys joined Florida Georgia Line, rapper Nelly and country singer Chris Lane for three sold-out stadium shows in Boston, Chicago and Minneapolis. The three shows were a huge success and showcased the blending of audiences who love pop, country and rap music.
7 – CMT Crossroads (The Bachelor, Drop The Mic, other TV shows)
The Backstreet Boys were all over television in 2017 from appearances on “The Bachelor,” “Drop The Mic,” “Ellen,” not to mention the awards shows and probably the biggest TV moment of the year – filming an episode of “CMT Crossroads” in Nashville with Florida Georgia Line. The two groups blended their songs, performing songs such as “Dirt,” “As Long As You Love Me,” “Cruise,” “Everybody,” “Smooth,” and even their No. 1 sing, “God, Your Mama and Me.”
6- Academy of Country Music Awards performance with Florida Georgia Line
[AdSense-A] In March, the Backstreet Boys hit the red carpet in Las Vegas and stole the show, causing artists such as Kelsea Ballerini and Rascal Flatts to practically fangirl over them. They closed out the show with Florida Georgia Line, performing “God, Your Mama and Me” before launching into “Everybody.” The audience erupted with excitement and even legends like Tim McGraw and Keith Urban were freaking out in the front row.
5 – Sold-out Cancun shows, radio shows
While also having the Las Vegas residency, the guys did a few radio shows in 2017 such as Wango Tango (Los Angeles), QTopia (Atlanta) and Kissmas (Charlotte). The shows were mostly a shorter version of their Las Vegas residency show, but it gave people who couldn’t get to Vegas a glimpse of what they were missing. They also sold-out two shows in Cancun at the end of 2017, which will certainly lead them into 2018 with a bang.
4 – Paper Magazine Cover
The boys made the cover of Paper Magazine (yes, the one that tried to break the internet with Kim Kardashian) for their Las Vegas special along with other artists such as Jennifer Lopez. It gave fans some new professional photos which we had been longing for and an interesting interview
3 – “God, Your Mama and Me” going No. 1 on the country charts
The boys FINALLY went country! “God, Your Mama and Me” was released at the beginning of the year as a new single off Florida Georgia Line’s third album, “Diggin’ Our Roots.” It sent the Backstreet Boys down a road that they had only toyed with before – country music. The music video was shot on the coast of the Florida panhandle with home video footage of the guys with their families. The song, however, sent the boys to No. 1 on the country charts, something their contemporaries never did (“God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You” with country megagroup Alabama gave N Sync a No. 3 hit on the charts in 1999.)
2 – Sold-out 25th anniversary cruise
Something fans had been waiting on since the 2016 European Cruise was released in May – news of the next cruise. The cruise, which will be the sixth Backstreet Boys cruise will honor their 25th anniversary as a group. The cruise will take off from Miami just two weeks after their group anniversary and will take off on May 3rd. The cruise will be sailing the Carnival Sensation from Miami to Grand Turk for 4 nights of parties and fun with the boys.
1 – Las Vegas record-breaking residency
After hinting and announcing it in 2016, the Backstreet Boys finally took the stage on March 1, 2017 in Las Vegas for their residency called “Larger Than Life.” The shows in March and June sold so quickly that they added more shows in April and opened up seats in the Axis Theatre on the balcony that hadn’t been sold for Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez. According to KVVU-TV, it has become the fastest-selling residence in Las Vegas history. For the 2017 shows alone, the show has made over $19.2 million and sold 94% of all seats for shows.
See, the Backstreet Boys did have an amazing 2017! And we want to hear from you! Click here to share what your top BSB moment of 2017 was for an upcoming post!