AJ MCLEAN & BRIAN LITTRELL: Interview @ In OK Magazine [Russia]

"We want to be Rolling Stones of pop music!"

In the mid 2000's there was a new boys band boom: Take That, New Kids on the Block, Boyzone reunited, returned to the scene and went on tour. But there is one group in the world of that kind that never broke up and has always been on the top...

During his long career Backstreet Boys recorded seven albums and sold over 100 million copies of records worldwide. This year the band released a new album - This Is Us - and went on the world tour, not forgetting to visit St. Petersburg and Moscow. Their schedule in Russian capital: from the airport straight to the Crocus City Hall in Barvikha Luxury Village, then soundcheck, concert, night at the hotel and in the morning again to the plane. But even in such a busy schedule two members Backstreet Boys - Brian littrell and AJ McLean - took the time to chat with OK!, And invited us into their dressing room.

Welcome to Moscow. What are your impressions of Russia?
AJ: We are here for the second time. Again spend little time in Moscow. In Petersburg we walked some more. I like you country very much. I love snow!
Brian: This huge number of people, huge traffic jams ... Coming here is very cool, you're so far away from us here. We come to Russia, but here people know us, sing our songs. It's just incredible.

What can you say about Russian girls?
AJ: They are beautiful!!!
(Brian, not expecting such a passionate response of bandmate, laughing loudly.)

Do you know some Russian celebrities?
AJ: I don’t know anybody personally. But I saw some Russian singer. One of our authors wrote the song for him, but his name, alas, I do not remember.

Ok, and do you Russian sportsmen?
Brain: (give a whistle) It’s like you have one very strong tennis girl...

We'll help you. Her name is Anna, and she dates Enrique.
AJ: Oh, but this is Anna Kournikova! Is she really from Russia?

Yes, from Moscow.
AJ: I thought she was Swedish. Very beautiful girl. (dreamily) With such long blond hair ...
Brain: I think she is more kinda sex symbol than a tennis player, right?

Yeah, now she is more kinda sex symbol.
Brian: Great Marketing!

Learn from us! Well, and what music do you listen?
AJ: Now I like Muse. I'm generally a fan of rock music. Good Charlotte, Black Sabbath, Motorhead’s a new album is very good.
Brain: I also like different music - Nora Jones, Rod Stewart.

The celebrities lives are always connected with rumors. What is the most unpleasant rumor you’ve ever heard about the Backstreet Boys and, conversely, what's the most enjoyable?
AJ: Unpleasant rumors are about death. They wrote that Nick died. Once they wrote that we all died in a plane crash. And pleasant ones are associated with our former member Kevin: he became an actor and made a multimillion-dollar contract with Tom Cruise for a movie - a real blockbuster. And there was a rumor from Russia that Kevin will write a book about the Backstreet Boys.

What are your relationships with your fans?
Brain: If we did not have fans, then we would not exist. They come to our shows, buy our records. There are more and more singers, but our fans still choose us.

What do you think about the future of Backstreet Boys? You are over 30 ...
(Brian squints, shows his biceps muscle, demonstrating that his physical shape is all right.)
AJ: We finish this tour in March in Australia. In January we will be in the studio. At summer we will perform our show in America and Canada.

Many plans. Want to be the same-lasting as the Rolling Stones?
AJ: And why not? Yes, we want to be Rolling Stones of pop music!
Brain: We are already 17 years old, and we are not going to stop there.

Th@nks To Backstreet-Boys.Ru/Forum