If you, like me, grew up in the ’90s and had a die-hard love of boy bands, then you may recall an Orlando-based boy band who stole a ton of hearts across the world. They called themselves the Backstreet Boys. Oh? You’ve heard of them? Then you’ve probably got the lyrics to their hit songs memorized too. “Incomplete”? “As Long As You Love Me”? “I Want It That Way”? I’m sure you could sing ’em right now if I put a microphone in your hand.
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With all those ’90s memories flooding back, you might be gobsmacked to realize that the Backstreet Boys have been around for the better part of two decades and that one of their most infamous music videos — the video for “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” turns 20 years old on June 30, 2017. Crazy, right?
So to celebrate this milestone moment, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of some fun behind-the-scenes, making-of facts for you about the music video itself (because I’m sure your BSB trivia is all up to date).
1. The video was meant to parody Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
From the monsters to the mini-movie quality to Brian’s Wolfman get-up, it’s clear to see where the boys got their bright ideas for the video.
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2. The video was too grandiose an idea… at first
According to the song’s Wikipedia entry, the record label thought the harebrained idea cooked up by the Backstreet Boys was a little too far-fetched. Given the immense stature of the video nowadays, it seems like the record company shouldn’t have doubted, should they?
3. Parts of the video were shot in the same house as 1995’s Casper
A lot of the interiors were shot in an airplane hangar in Los Angeles, but from certain angles, you can totally tell they’re using the Casper set, especially during the masquerade ball dance sequence.
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4. Each of the Backstreet Boys is costumed after a famous Hollywood monster
Can you name ’em all? Here’s the cheat sheet: Howie is Dracula; Kevin is Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde; Brian is the Wolfman; A.J. is The Phantom of the Opera; Nick is the Mummy. Spooky, right?
5. Supermodel Josie Maran is Howie’s love interest
Are you a fan of ’90s supermodels? Then you may have recognized the eternally beautiful Josie Maran as Dracula’s love interest. At the time, she was most recognizable for her work in various commercials, including Guess? Jeans. Today, she runs an incredibly successful cosmetics line that bears her name.
6. The director of the video has directed Taylor Swift
Joseph Kahn, the director of “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” is kind of a super-big deal in music. He has directed videos for U2, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent and Maroon 5 — just to name a few.
7. The boys got to choose their monster characters
Nick originally wanted to be the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but it was soon agreed his features were more Mummy-like; Howie wanted to be Dracula because everyone thought he looked like Dracula already; Brian got to be the Wolfman because, as Kevin put it, “he’s already a rambunctious, rampaging” kind of guy.
8. One of the makeup artists also did the special effects makeup for Hellraiser
Howie recalled that fun fact about yet another horror movie connection during the documentary interview. It totally explains why each of the boys’ makeup looks badass as hell.
9. Brian’s makeup took the longest to apply
The makeup application for Brian took about five and a half hours in his estimation. That’s bananas.
10. Brian was also meant to be dressed like a werewolf pimp
OK to do in 1997, but problematic in 2017.
11. They came up with the idea for a video on a plane
The guys brainstormed the idea when they were returning home from their European tour and it was truly a collaborative effort.
Does anybody want to have a super-chill Backstreet Boys-themed dance party with me? I know which song we can kick off the festivities with.
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