backstreet boys | ralphieaversa.com

Archive - backstreet boys RSS Feed

INTERVIEW: A.J. McLean on Changing Diapers, BSB’s 20th B-Day, and One Direction

December 11, 2012 in a.j. mclean, audio, backstreet boys, exclusive, interview, One Direction with 0 Comments

My, oh my, the time has flown by. The Backstreet Boys are preparing an album to commemorate its twentieth anniversary next year.

Before hitting the big 2-0 though, the guys thought it’d be a good idea to finally release a Christmas song – the first in its 19 year history.

If the nostalgia hasn’t peaked yet, once-bad boy A.J. McLean is now a father.

“She is an absolute dream,” McLean said of his daughter, born Ava Jaymes McLean on November 27. “She only cries here and there, she sleeps most of the time, and her poop is hardly even there as of now. I’ve probably changed 50 diapers, and I love it.”

The new duties haven’t seemed to weigh McLean down, literally or figuratively, as the Backstreet Boys promote its new single, “It’s Christmas Time Again.”

“We’ve tried to have Christmas albums, but never seemed to find the time,” explained McLean. “We were either on tour, or we were working on a brand new Backstreet record, or we were taking down time for the holidays usually.”

A.J. said the single not only fills the holiday music void for the band, but also gives its fans something to have until the new BSB single drops next year, the first for an album that will commemorate the group’s 1993 formation.

“As soon as I’m off with you guys, I will be heading off to the studio to meet up with the fellas,” said McLean. “We’re actually in the studio for the rest of this week, and then the first couple days of next week.”

After a short break, it’s off to New York, where the Backstreet Boys will perform on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” It’s 19 years later, and the quintet is still doing media as if they’re from One Direction.

“We’ve had a couple of chances to meet both One Direction and The Wanted,” recalled McLean. BSB performed on the same bill with the latter boy band at the Summer MixTape Festival in Hershey, PA earlier this year. “They’re awesome guys. We just tell them the same thing, like, ‘Listen, you guys stay on the path that you’re on. You’re all humble, humble guys. Just don’t ever forget that it’s because of your fans and because of the music that you have the success that you have.”

McLean’s other piece of advice to the guys: enjoy it, because it could be gone tomorrow.

If you’re wondering, that is how a pop act sticks around long enough in this day and age to celebrate a twentieth anniversary.

NEW MUSIC: Backstreet Boys – ‘It’s Christmas Time Again’

November 13, 2012 in backstreet boys, christmas, new music with 0 Comments

Backstreet’s back… again… and apparently, so is Christmas too. Tis the season!

INTERVIEW: Donnie Wahlberg Says New Teen Pop Movement ‘Validates’ What NKOTB Did 25 Years Ago

May 8, 2012 in audio, backstreet boys, donnie wahlberg, exclusive, interview, new kids on the block, One Direction, the wanted with 0 Comments

Before One Direction and The Wanted, before N’Sync, the Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees, there was New Kids on the Block. The music between the aforementioned acts spans three decades, and New Kids singer Donnie Wahlberg is happy the genre has exhibited staying power.

“In some ways, [One Direction and The Wanted] validate us,” the NKOTB star told me via telephone. “And I think our reunion has validated us in many ways as well. The fans that grew up with us came back.”

Wahlberg speaks proudly on not just his group’s return, but also the new generation of fans that have new music to grow up with.

“I think there’s a place in society for all different types of music,” he explained. “I’m glad that the young bands are coming out now and doing well because I think it validates what we did 25 years ago.”

Generations will collide August 17 and 18 in Hershey, PA, when New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, The Wanted, Kelly Clarkson, LL Cool J, and more converge on Hersheypark Stadium for the inaugural “Summer Mixtape Fest.” While Wahlberg seemed happy to speak about the state of pop music, he channeled personal experiences when commenting on the groups specifically.

“My opinion or my advice to them is really inconsequential,” Wahlberg stated, before offering his reasoning. “Yunno, the same way when I was 19 and they interviewed everyone from The Monkeys to Donny Osmond to one of The Beatles to whomever to give advice or to ask what they thought of us. When I was 19, I didn’t care what any of those guys thought about me.”

At 42 years old, it is easy for Wahlberg to reminisce on the path his group helped blaze given New Kids’ past success. The trip down memory lane becomes a little sweeter though when you factor in the group’s current run, which has lasted since 2008 and brought the band to new destinations that none of them thought were possible.

“It’s a really humbling experience; it’s been an amazing journey,” Wahlberg, who will turn 43 on the first day of the festival, said. “[The reunion] sort of turned a 19-20 year-old sort of college age experience that I look back on fondly in to a very mature and different experience now.”

The experience continues to play out, as New Kids will tour across five continents in 2012.

INTERVIEW: Boston’s Michael Africk, Known for Touring with N’Sync, Returns With New Single

September 8, 2011 in 'n sync, audio, backstreet boys, boston, britney spears, interview, michael africk, new kids on the block with 1 Comment

Boston-born singer Michael Africk has been around the block a few times, and by block, I mean world. The former teen superstar opened for N’Sync, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys. How in was the singer with these acts? None of them made him sign a confidentiality agreement. Africk also made a huge name for himself in Japan, playing sold out shows and becoming a sushi connoisseur of sorts in the process.

Now, Africk is marking his return with “Make it Loud” – an uplifting dance track that he called in to chat about on “The Ralphie Radio Show.”

So, I’ve Interviewed The Three Jonas Brothers…

July 24, 2011 in 'n sync, audio, backstreet boys, jonas brothers, ralphie aversa with 0 Comments

I suppose you could add another bullet point to the resume or bio after my interview with Joe Jonas aired last week on “The Ralphie Radio Show.” All three family members that comprised The Jonas Brothers have now joined my show for interviews.

- LISTEN: Kevin Jonas (8/11/2008)
- LISTEN: Nick Jonas (1/19/2010)
- LISTEN: Joe Jonas (7/21/2011)
Next up… all five members of N’Sync… the Backstreet Boys… NKOTSB perhaps?

EXCLUSIVE: Jordan Knight Pushes ‘Unfinished’ Back to May 31

April 14, 2011 in audio, backstreet boys, colby o'donis, exclusive, jordan knight, new kids on the block, new music, youtube with 0 Comments

May is usually a big month for Jordan Knight – he celebrates his birthday on the 17. But in addition to turning the big 4-1, the New Kids on the Block singer will also release two albums on consecutive weeks. The NKOTBSB collaboration with the Backstreet Boys hits shelves May 24. Knight revealed on “The Ralphie Radio Show” that his solo project, Unfinished, will be released the following Tuesday.

“I had to push the release date back to May 31,” said Knight, who called in from his Boston home. “It’s very typical in this business to kind of push the dates back, but it’s still in May.”

Yunno, Knight has done this once or twice before. The original date was May 3, and the extra couple of weeks afford the artist more time to organize what will be a hectic spring and summer. In addition to the two albums and 41-date arena tour with BSB, Knight will also be holding autograph signings and performing radio promo events in support of his new album.

“Like you were saying earlier, (saying that I’m) being busy is ‘a gross understatement,’” Knight noted, referencing my introduction to our chat on “The RRS.” “I’ll probably be doing an in-store (signing) or maybe a radio show here, and then have to rush back to the arena to do the actual 2 hour show that we’re doing with the Backstreet Boys.”

The first single from Unfinished is the up-tempo track, “Let’s Go Higher,” written by “What You Got” singer and the Lady GaGa “Just Dance”-featured Colby O’Donnis. The Grammy-nominated O’Donnis had “Let’s Go Higher” in the bank for a minute. He sent it to Knight despite the fact that Jordan was looking for ideas for a track already created for the album.

“That was about a year ago,” Knight said. He flew out to O’Donnis’ house to cut the vocals. “They have an intercom system in the house. His mom would call up – ‘Colby, dinner’s ready!’ and he’d be like, ‘Yo Jordan let’s take a break, dinner’s ready.”

The New Kid spent a couple days at O’Donnis’ crib and had nothing but great things to say about the experience, and the food. Knight felt like a kid again because when his band was first starting out – it was a similar situation. The guys would rehearse in Knight’s basement, break for food upstairs, and return for more recording.

Knight did not talk with the other fellas about promoting his solo project over the summer. He insists that it will not conflict with anything that New Kids or BSB are doing on tour – if anything, the complete opposite.

“With all the people that I’m working on with my solo project, I told them all, ‘(The album) cannot get in the way of the New Kids on the Block,’” said Knight. “I don’t want there to be any kinds of conflict. I only want each thing to enhance the other.”

The New England-native believes that the NKOTB comeback will help his album, but that wasn’t the primary motivating factor in the release of his fifth solo LP.

“The resurgence of the New Kids obviously gives it a lot more exposure,” Knight admitted. “I’m happy about that.”

Above all, it seems that Knight is just happy to be in the mix again – solo or with the guys.

“It’s going to be exciting,” he said of his upcoming summer. “We’re going back on tour and it’s a huge arena tour with another ‘boy band’ and the excitement, the music, the fans… it’s just all so much fun.”

TMZ’S NICKI FERTILE: A Backstreet Boy Is Back… In Rehab

January 17, 2011 in a.j. mclean, audio, backstreet boys, nicki fertile, tmz with 0 Comments

Before the Backstreet Boys tour with NKOTB, A.J. McLean will trek to rehab. TMZ broke the story and Nicki Fertile called with the details.

Catch Nicki on TMZ TV, local listings here.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO: The Ring A.J. McLean Gave To His Fiance

January 25, 2010 in 97 bht, a.j. mclean, backstreet boys, diamond ring, engagement, exclusive, las vegas, marriage, mtv, ralphie aversa with 0 Comments

As you may or may not know by now, Backstreet Boys singer A.J. McLean proposed to his girlfriend, Rochelle Karidis, on stage at a Las Vegas night club earlier this month. The Ralphie Radio Show obtained this photo of the engagement ring given to Karidis:

McLean previously described the ring to MTV News:

“It is a square head with princess-cut diamonds surrounding and a one-carat diamond in the center and there’s also about 20 or 25 princess-cut diamonds on the actual band,” he said.

No date has been set for the wedding.