The Backstreet Boys Strip Down to Their Skivvies in New MeUndies Campaign
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The Backstreet Boys have been pop music sex symbols for 30 years, so it makes sense that MeUndies tapped them to be the faces behind their holiday collection. And the fact that this year marks the release of BSB’s first-ever Christmas album, A Very Backstreet Christmas, makes the two an even more perfect pair.
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“MeUndies loved an original song we have on the album called ‘Happy Days,’” says Brian Littrell of the track that became the theme of the collection’s campaign. “They loved the feel of the song. It’s about enjoying every day to the fullest and making the best of every moment—and why not be comfortable doing it?”
Backstreet Boys Collection
And when you’re in the middle of a massive world tour (the DNA Tour was on its 183rd show at the time of this interview), comfort is key.
“Our costumes onstage aren’t always built for comfort. They’re more about showmanship. You’re a pop star … you almost have to play a character. But we’re doing a lot of dancing, so I can assure you that, thanks to MeUndies underneath, we are comfortable and well supported.”
Backstreet Boys Collection
The MeUndies x Backstreet Boys collection, which includes underwear styles for all genders, as well as adorable accessories, pajamas, loungewear, and even accessories for pets, all under $100, features playful seasonal graphics to help revelers get into the holiday spirit.
And that includes Littrell’s bandmates.
“We only have a few days at home between the end of our European tour and the start of the holidays,” says Kevin Richardson. “I absolutely can’t wait to relax in our MeUndies collection by the fire with my family and celebrate the season of comfort and joy.”
The Boys celebrate that season throughout all 13 tracks of A Very Backstreet Christmas. While they’ve released two holiday singles over their three decades together, this is Backstreet Boys’ first full-length holiday album, and they couldn’t be more excited about it.
“Christmas is a super special time for all of us because we’re all dads now. We’re all fathers, we’re all husbands. We work pretty hard and make sacrifices throughout the year to be away from our family, so it’s nice to have something that would be a staple, hopefully for Christmases to come,” Littrell says. “We took a lot of those Christmas classics and we made them into traditional Backstreet Boys songs without sacrificing the melodies of what fans all around the world want to sing to. We’re super proud of it.”
The album includes 13 songs — two originals and 11 classics. One with special meaning to Littrell: Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne.”
“It’s a song I grew up listening to,” he says. “My wife and I were making dinner at home in Atlanta, and I was singing it in the kitchen, and she said, ‘I think you guys should do this song on your Christmas album because I don’t know that anybody’s done it.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s an amazing idea!’ So, I texted Kevin because he’s my cousin and we grew up loving that song and he thought it was genius. That’s really what this has been about: sharing our life stories and our memories of growing up. All of these songs are super special to us.”
'A Very Backstreet Christmas' LP
“We’ve been waiting to share A Very Backstreet Christmas with our fans for a while,” adds Howie Dorough. “This holiday season, the gifts are just going to keep coming, starting with our MeUndies collection.”
And with the launch comes another gift for BSB fans. Featuring the band in various stages of festive undress, the promo pictures for the collection’s campaign were as fun for the band to shoot as they will be for fans to look at.
“Backstreet Boys are about five individuals; we all have a personality; we all have our own style. They sent us a bunch of stuff and we had a free-for-all. We were able to pick whatever we liked,” Littrell says. “I was pictured in a onesie. I love onesies, especially around the holiday. You can run around the house and don’t have to worry about anything, just zip it up and go. So, we got to bring our personalities to the shoot.”
It wasn’t the first time the Backstreet Boys has been photographed in their underwear. In fact, they famously covered Rolling Stone with their pants down in January of 2000.
“For MeUndies we’ve got tuxedos on top but catch us in our underwear [below]” laughs Littrell. “It was reminiscent of that cover we did 22 years ago.”
Made from the brand’s signature, super-soft Micro-Modal fabric spun from yarn made from the pulp of beechwood trees, the MeUndies x Backstreet Boys collection is the exception to the “no underwear for Christmas” rule. In fact, these are pieces everyone will want to curl up in on Christmas morning and beyond.
“It’s a perfect marriage of comfort and style,” Littrell says. “When we think about the quality of what Backstreet Boys do in music and what MeUndies does in underwear and apparel, it’s just a great fit.”
Note: All interviews were conducted prior to the tragic death of Aaron Carter, younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter.
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