In July 2000, Elton John did the unthinkable when he ditched his solo career for a day to join the greatest boyband of the ‘90s for a one-off duet that’s still shocking fans more than a quarter of a century on.
From Bon Jovi to Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera to Westlife, Steps and Lionel Richie, countless stars flocked to London’s Hyde Park for the annual Party In The Park festival, in aid of the Prince’s Trust charity. But when the Backstreet Boys introduced their special guest and national treasure to the stage, the moment became the stuff of music legend, the performance amassing more than 538,000 views on a YouTube upload posted only eleven days ago.
Music Man readers can watch the pop flashback unfold in the viral video above…
As The Backstreet Boys’ career-defining single “I Want It That Way” blasts from the main stage’s sound system, four of the band’s five original vocalists are almost drowned out by their immense audience, who chant the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The huge sing-along practically throws Brian Littrell off key as he battles to decipher his own voice over the crowd’s karaoke.
When the chorus hits, Elton John steals the show as he bumbles in the spotlight with the four-boy band as if he’s accidentally stepped on the wrong stage. It’s a rare thing to see Elton singing while standing up, without being blockaded by his piano or any instrument at all. But as the chorus unfolds, this flashback performance evolves from pure nostalgia fuel into one of the most heartwarming concerts imaginable.
Elton lends his iconic voice to the Backstreet Boys’ hit as if he’s their biggest fan, his legendary status hyping up the audience as he stands in true support of the band. He may look totally out of place, but he doesn’t let it stop him from singing the second verse as if it’s a classic Elton John hit, soon ad-libbing along with the band and sharing moments with various band members as if they were lifelong friends.
By the end of the set, Elton is waving with Kevin Richardson to a member of the audience and standing hand-in-hand with the band’s singers as if he’s their official new member.
Twenty-six years later, noughties pop fans are rediscovering the moment as this clip goes viral all over again, with fans remembering, “A beautiful song from a time when the world had hope” and others wondering where missing bandmate AJ McLean was during this performance.
However, one top commenter spoke on behalf of hundreds of viewers when they realized, “Elton is like a mythical creature who just occasionally wanders on stage sometimes and enhances whatever is going on.”