Dennis LeupoldBackstreet Boys fans worldwide were thrilled on Friday when the group dropped a new single, announced a new album, and revealed they’d be going on a world tour. The new single, “Chances,” was co-written by OneRepublic‘s Ryan Tedder and Shawn Mendes, and the Boys were thrilled to have it…despite some jealousy over Shawn’s dreaminess.
AJ McLean tells Billboard that “Chances” came about because he’s known Ryan for 15 years: They worked together on AJ’s first solo project.
“I kept saying “Dude, you’ve gotta send us the hotness, man!” recalls AJ. “Finally we got a song submitted we all fell madly in love with it. We loved what it said, we loved the vibe.”
“He’s just such a brilliant writer and just an all-around awesome freaking guy,” AJ says of Ryan. “And same with Shawn. Shawn’s so talented and a freaking sweetheart. I hate [that] he’s so tall and handsome, it kills me!”
As for why Backstreet liked the song so much, AJ says, “Everyone gets their moment to shine, and it’s just an all around feel-good record. Going into the holidays, you don’t want a full-on dance, power-pop record — you might want something a little bit sweeter. I think we really nailed it with this song.”
As for the new album, DNA, it’s due January 25, and AJ promises that it ranks among the very best of the group’s albums.
“I know it’s a bold statement, but I’d say it’s right up there in between Millennium and Black and Blue. It’s just such an amazing body of work,” boasts AJ, adding, “This is one of our best bodies of work in a long time. I truly, truly believe it.”
DNA also features songs written by Andy Grammer and Lauv.
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