Let’s face facts here: this New Kids/Backstreet Boys tour is a nostalgia-related cash grab. The guys can talk all they want about giving back to their fans, but that’s at least partially bull. In the former group’s case, it’s a way to keep the momentum of their surprisingly successful 2008 tour going. In the case of the latter group (who have never stopped performing and touring), it’s a way to latch onto a brighter flame and see if their flagging careers can get some juice by cashing in on the fact that a lot of their fans have hit their age where there’s a “good old days” to romanticize.
That last paragraph probably sounded more critical than I meant for it to be-after all, cashing in on nostalgia is a gambit that’s worked for significantly more critically lauded bands (Van Halen, Genesis, The Police). It is what it is-you can’t fault people for wanting to make money, right? I won’t be seeing the NKOTBSB tour, but then again, I wouldn’t pay fifty bucks to see one group I like that I’ve already seen twice (and was quite disappointed with the second show) and one group that I only enjoy a few selected singles from.
I’m actually somewhat surprised that I like “Don’t Turn Off the Lights Now”, the first single from their collaboration project, as much as I do. The project itself is interesting, because apparently the bands couldn’t be bothered to record an entire album together, instead releasing a combined best-of album (with songs chosen by fans) with a handful of new tracks. As far as pop songs go, it’s pretty good, although (here I go sounding like a broken record), the vocals are way too processed and the only vocalists someone with an ear not attuned to either group will pick out are AJ MacLean’s (on the Backstreet side) and Joey McIntyre’s (on the New Kids’ side). It’s shiny, but then again, shiny’s their thing.
Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.