The return of boy bands? Backstreet Boys Nick Carter talks about why they never went away

After spending 2022 touring the world with the Backstreet Boys' "DNA World Tour," popstar Nick Carter is taking some time to perform on his own and kicks off his "Who I Am" tour this week in Kentucky.

"I like to say I am coming home because we have two Kentucky boys in this group," Carter told the Courier Journal.

Carter is referring of course to Backstreet Boys members Kevin Richardson and his cousin Brian Littrell, who grew up in Central Kentucky.

"I definitely wanted to do a show in Kentucky because it's a part of our story," he said. "When we started in 1995, Orlando, Tampa and Kentucky were the homes of the Backstreet Boys and so we have lots of family in Kentucky whether they are blood-related or not."

On Wednesday, Carter will start his 14-date solo tour at The Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts on the University of Kentucky campus. The performer's "Who I Am" tour will continue through cities like Nashville, Tempe, and Orlando before wrapping up on Oct. 25 in Las Vegas.

"I wanted to play smaller venues on this tour so that I can really connect with people in a more intimate way than when we play big stadiums. It's fun to see all the faces in the audience," he said. "I'm going to perform a lot of songs that I love, [like] 80s songs, 90s songs. MTV had a big influence on me so I am performing songs I grew up with, and then also some solo songs and a lot of the Backstreet Boys songs. It’s just going to be a real fun show.”

Carter's show will feature a mix of old and new music and will include his most recent single "Superman."

“I've been in the Backstreet Boys for the past 30 years and I've had an onstage persona but when I'm home, I'm just a normal guy," Carter said. "I have a family, three kids, and this song is about the fact that I'm not superhuman, I'm just a dad trying to be the best person I can be. I think a lot of people can relate to that."

Now 42 years old, Carter may no longer be the teen idol he was in the 1990s, but his fan base, which to be fair has also matured, remains devoted. In fact, across the board, boy bands and their individual performers are as popular as ever. To date, the Grammy-nominated Backstreet Boys are the best-selling boy band in history and rank among the world's top-selling music artists of all time.

Thanks to their signature choreography, perfected vocal harmonies and dedicated fans, boy bands have stood the test of time and continue to thrive. NSYNC has released "Better Place," its first new song in more than 20 years, The Jonas Brothers are back together and recently performed at Lexington's Rupp Arena and in 2022, the Backstreet Boys' wildly popular "DNA" tour sold out across the county.

"I think people are trying to find music that makes them feel good," Carter told the Courier Journal. "People like to go back to things that made them feel connected and good, whether that's the clothing of the 90s or the boy bands that are still here and current."

Tickets for Carter's "Who I Am" tour start at $52 and are available at nickcarter.com. The concert is Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at the Otis A. Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St., Lexington. Maddie Poppe, the winner of Season 16 of "American Ido," will open for Carter.

Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter 'Who I Am' solo tour starts in Kentucky