The Backstreet Boys are “Larger Than Life” again, with a 2019 Grammy nomination in their pockets and a world tour coming up. So when asked if BSB would ever form a supergroup with fellow 2000s boy band ’NSync, singer Brian Littrell shot down the idea.
“Not right now,” the 44-year-old told TMZ on Thursday, March 7. “I mean, we don’t really need that right now.”
Littrell said he and his BSB bandmates — AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson — might entertain the idea “later on, when we get to, like, 30 years,” but only if Justin Timberlake was on board.
He even joked that ’NSync “definitely” needs Timberlake, 38, who has enjoyed success as a solo artist after ’NSync went on hiatus in 2002, outperforming the solo efforts of former bandmates Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and JC Chasez.
“No, they’re good guys,” Littrell said of ’NSync. “They’re good guys. But, you know, yeah, unfortunately, Justin blew up. I mean, no offense. They’re all talented guys. … They would need us a little while until they call JT back. … You know, NSync, you guys are cool. You guys are cool. You just ain’t Backstreet, that’s all.”
Jokes aside, the Kentucky native did speculate that a BSB-’NSync collaboration would be a crowd-pleaser. “As much talk [as there is] about us being against each other, I think the fans would probably love it,” he said, noting that BSB combined with the New Kids on the Block to form supergroup NKOTBSB in 2010.
“Who knows?” he told TMZ. “Anything’s possible. Just call JT, though.”
In January, Fatone exclusively told Us Weekly there was “never a rivalry” between the two bands. “It was so funny, they kept it distant from us to even talk about whether there was a rivalry or not,” the 42-year-old said. “Our managers were the same manager. At one point, our record company was the same record company. It was interesting because I’ve known the guys from Orlando. We got to know each other some way. There was no real animosity.”
