Backstreet’s back! But this time they’re pranking their fans like devious schoolboys! The ‘90s hitmakers starred in a cheeky MTV segment where they surprised their fans in an elevator and began a cute spontaneous karaoke segment. The bit started with shocked fans encountering a lone Backstreet Boy in an elevator and trying not to fan out too hard, before the full five-piece crowded into the elevator and squeezed in next to their fans.
After the fans giggled like schoolgirls, they were in for a bigger surprise when the Backstreet Boys began singing “I Want It That Way.” Watching the segment is a barrel of laughs as the vocal group and their fans really ham it up and have a great time together. Next up the gang sang “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “As Long as You Love Me.” The Music Man readers may note that the band’s hits still stand up so well for a good old-fashioned singalong, which really highlights their lasting legacy.
The elevator prank attracted 10 million views on the MTV YouTube channel. Fans nerded out about the Backstreet Boys below the video and added appreciative comments such as “The joy in everyone’s faces are priceless. What a great day it must’ve been for them. This is gold!” and “The fact that they can hold a small concert in an elevator, proves that their music is timeless.”
The Backstreet Boys are experts at surprising fans, as they also produced a 7.7 million view segment on The Ellen Show with a similar theme. DeGeneres put Emily Blunt up to singing despite her stage fright, then the boys made a surprise appearance and sang “I Want It That Way” with Blunt. The actress absolutely nailed the final a cappella vocal line, although she still had a go at the boys for leaving her to do the final line solo.
The Music Man readers may have noted that the Backstreet Boys performed three of their biggest hits in the MTV segment. “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and “As Long as You Love Me” were the first and second singles from the band’s second studio album Backstreet’s Back. Upon release in 1997, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” went Platinum in the US, while “As Long as You Love Me” went Platinum in the UK. “I Want It That Way” was the lead single for the Backstreet Boys’ third studio album Millennium. The 1999 single remains their biggest hit in the US, with a three times Platinum certification, and it also topped the charts in a number of European markets.