Following last year’s A Very Boy Band Holiday, ABC is back with another Christmastime offering from the throwback pop genre. The Backstreet Boys are set to host A Very Backstreet Holiday, which coincides with the boy band’s first ever Christmas album that was released in October. This is great news for those of us who grew up rocking our bodies and singing along to the popular group’s music, and Nick Carter spoke about what it means for the band to be able to share in some of that yuletide spirit with the fans.
Nick Carter and his fellow Backstreet Boys — AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson — came together in 1993 and have put out 10 studio albums over the past few decades. The most recent, A Very Backstreet Christmas, is their first holiday offering, and The Masked Singer alum told Variety that much like traditional Christmas songs in general, the group’s music has specifically become something nostalgic for their fans. He explained:
I think the Backstreet Boys bring a very nostalgic feeling from a particular time in their lives that are so special to them and important. Everyone in the world knows a lot of Christmas songs, they’ve grown up with them and they celebrate the holidays together. They’re just a part of people’s lives so we’re just happy to have a little part of that.
It does seem like a great combination to combine the holiday music everybody’s grown up listening to with the pop music so beloved by those of us of a certain age. Brian Littrell said they even figured out “how to Backstrify” Christmas classics to include in the project.
The timing of their first Christmas album and special was intentional as well, as they said they’d talked about doing this for a while. With everything that’s happened in the world over the past few years, the band members said now felt like the perfect time for their initial foray into Christmas content.
A Very Backstreet Christmas was released in October and features some old favorites like “O Holy Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland,” along with some original music. The five band members will perform both the classics and new songs during their ABC holiday special.
A Very Backstreet Holiday will be narrated by Seth Rogan, whom the Backstreet Boys met on the set of his movie This Is the End (which they had a great cameo in). The actor and the singers have since stayed in touch and raised money together for Rogan’s nonprofit, Hilarity for Charity. The special will reportedly feature a number of other familiar faces as well, including Meghan Trainor, Rob Riggle, Nikki Glaser, Ron Funches and Atsuko Okatsuka.
Professional achievements not withstanding, this year might be a more somber one for Nick Carter. The singer’s younger brother Aaron Carter tragically passed away in November at the age of 34. Nick’s bandmates were among the loved ones who sent condolences to the family, after he penned an emotional tribute to Aaron.
A Very Backstreet Holiday is set to air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, December 14, on ABC. Check out our 2023 TV schedule to see what shows to look forward to in the new year.
