Backstreet Boys strive to be 'The Rolling Stones of pop music' as they plan holiday Vegas residency

Backstreet will be back in Las Vegas.

Three years after their well-received “Larger Than Life” residency, the Backstreet Boys will return to the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino for what Kevin Richardson tells USA TODAY will be, “like your corporate office Christmas party on steroids ... and in Las Vegas.”

The enduring boys-now-men quintet will launch “A Very Backstreet Christmas Party” on Nov. 11 for a string of 12 shows through Dec. 23.

“It will be the ultimate girls trip,” Howie Dorough chimes in on the shared call with Richardson.

Tickets for the shows, which start at $89, will go on sale at 1 p.m. ET July 16 via ticketmaster.com (various presales take place starting July 13).

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Richardson, Dorough and the rest of BSB – Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean – recognized the benefits of playing a residency during their “Larger Than Life” run which drew a global audience.

“If 10 years ago you had asked about playing Vegas, I would have been like, no, that’s where people go to retire into the sunset and put an end to their careers. But Celine (Dion), Britney (Spears), JLo (Jennifer Lopez) – they all recreated the thought of what people perceive of Vegas,” Dorough says.

The Backstreet Boys decided to stage a holiday outing after delaying their “DNA World Tour” until 2022 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“We really wanted to perform for our fans before the end of this year and felt it was a great opportunity,” Richardson says. “We have two Christmas songs in our history and thought we’d do 12 shows – a small sampling that could maybe happen annually.”

In addition to those previous songs (“Christmas Time” in 1996 and “It’s Christmas Time Again” in 2012), BSB will craft a set list incorporating songs from their upcoming Christmas album. Fans have been updated on the album through the guys’ social media outlets and in March Dorough told FloridaToday.com, part of the USA TODAY Network,two original tracks will join 10 remakes of Christmas classics.

While production for the holiday residency is just starting – Richardson says group rehearsals will commence in October – the plan is to pepper the set list with, what Dorough calls, “Backstreet hits, but Christmas-ized.”

Many familiar dance moves will also be on display, even though Richardson laughs that they aren’t as “gymnastic-oriented” as in the past.

“During lockdown, I kind of got lazy and sat around awhile – but you need that every now and then,” he says. “But gearing back up for a show, we all hit the gym. We box, we do cardio, we hit the Peloton, we do yoga and stretch. It’s like being an athlete on tour – it can be a grind. And we do deal with injuries and sore backs and pulled muscles like any athlete would. Health and wellness is definitely part of the regime.”

So is an appreciation for ’90s nostalgia, with the group welcomes and shares with many of their peers. McLean and Carter, along with NSYNC's Joey Fatone and Boyz II Men’s Wanya Morris are staging their own Vegas fun with “The After Party” at The Venetian Resort Aug. 19-22, which is the type of camaraderie Dorough says the artists of the era have always shared.

“We’re embracing this ’90s vibe that is coming back and loving it,” he says. “And with all of the other groups around us, we’re all helping each other. I feel like nowadays we’re all still keeping the music alive.”

Richardson’s longevity goals are even loftier, as he stresses the importance of a timeless catalog.

“We want to be The Rolling Stones of pop music,” he says. “The career that they’ve had and the crowd that they still draw. Like Bon Jovi and U2 and the Eagles. When you have a body of work that people love, then you’re blessed.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Backstreet Boys return to Las Vegas for holiday residency