Backstreet Boys's DNA Tour kicks off: How the boy band became 'Larger Than Life'

Backstreet’s back — on tour.

The fab five — A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell — kick off their DNA Tour on Saturday, their first since 2015. Older, wiser yet still in harmony and screech-worthy, they’ll once again prove they’re "Larger Than Life" as they span the globe singing their hits from now until the end of October.

In honor of their return to the stage — well, outside of fabulous Las Vegas, where they recently wrapped their residency — we travel back in time to revisit how they got their start. Think: McLean was the sole Backstreet Boy until the rest of the guys were discovered in 1993, put in matchy-matchy outfits, hooked us with "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” and were cemented together in boy band history.

The Backstreet Boys, pictured in 1997, were a twinning combination from the start. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)
The Backstreet Boys, pictured in 1997, were a twinning combination from the start. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

While they’ve had more than their fair share of troubles — Lou Pearlman, Littrell’s heart surgery, Richardson dropping out to name a few and substance abuse — the group has continued to remain relevant decades later. In 2013, they got their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, they embarked on a 20th anniversary tour — with Richardson back — that lasted more than two years.

In 2017, they brought their magic to Las Vegas’s Planet Hollywood for a residency, which ended last month — with hopes of an encore in the future. That was really to make way to support their ninth album, which was released in January at No. 1.

Their tour — their biggest arena one in 18 years — will take them all over the world, with the North America leg starting in July and running to mid-September. A special bonus BSB diehards will love is that Littrell’s son Baylee, a 16-year-old country singer, will be opening for the group.

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