| 05 Aug 2008 |
Backstreet Boy opens up in his solo work |
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He doesn’t remember being in Newfoundland before, but A.J McLean has the scar to prove he was there.
The Backstreet Boys were flying from Florida to Germany and had to stop on The Rock so the plane could refuel.
“Howie just actually reminded us that we were here years and years ago,” McLean said before the guys’ first concert in St. John’s. “I got my earring ripped out by Kevin by accident while he and I were wrestling.”
The boy-band — man-band, really — started its 13-city Canadian tour in Newfoundland this week. This is the latest leg in their Unbreakable world tour.
McLean was pulling double duty during some of the European tour stops, performing with the guys and in support of his soon-to-come solo release.
“My record is a lot more personal and a lot more real, so to speak.
“My stuff is a little more relatable, as far as things I’ve been through — heartache, the relationship I don’t have with my dad,” added McLean, who has had well-publicized substance abuse problems.
“As I started making the record, I found I had a lot more to say than I thought I did, and I had more to get off my chest,” he said. “The only thing I didn’t harp on was my sobriety and the drugs. I didn’t want to go there yet.”
Backstreet is also planning a new release. When the group was in Stockholm, the guys sat down with Max Martin, who wrote and co-produced I Want It That Way, about working on the album. |
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| 19 May 2008 |
A.J. McLean attempts to fly solo |
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A.J. McLean is most famous for being the 'bad boy' of hit 90s boyband The Backstreet Boys but, with his upcoming solo album, he is attempting to forge a successful solo career.
The 30-year-old singer - who is partly responsible for the band's hit tracks including '(Everybody) Backstreet's Back' and 'As Long as You Love Me' - insists he isn't worried about stepping away from the sound which led to his fame.
"We're calling it a rock, funk and soul vibe. The vocals are pop and R 'n'B-ish and there's even a kind of country twang going on," he said. "It's eclectic. I think people will be a little shocked by some songs, which is absolutely fine by me. They'll be thinking, 'That is what I hoped he was going to do'."
However, A.J. is arguably more famous for his personal life as for his professional career.
He went to rehab in 2001 to seek help for his alcohol and cocaine addiction after his bandmates Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough intervened when they became concerned about his erratic behaviour.
Now tee-total, A.J. insists the experience sobered him in more ways than one, and also led to him writing a book with his mother Denise entitled 'Backstreet Mom'.
He also said he has some advice for other troubled celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears. |
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| 19 May 2008 |
AJ from The Backstreet Boys chats to I Like Music |
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AJ McLean is better known as a member of the Backstreet Boys. Having sold over 100 million records the band remain one of the best selling boy bands of all time.
AJ has been juggling his time on both a world tour with the band and his own European solo tour. I Like Music managed to catch a moment with this very busy man ahead of his IndigO2 London show on May 15th 2008, to chat about the process of making his debut solo album, from working with Ryan Tedder to writing a very personal record.
"I Like Music because…it's a channel to the soul and it is what brings happiness and joy to everybody's life. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you are in the world, no matter if you are the richest man alive or the poorest man alive, music is the key to everybody's soul. It really is. It is something that is therapeutic, it is something that is inspirational and there is a song for everybody out there that touches your heart. No matter if it is a sad song, a happy song, rock song, love song, music really is key." AJ, THE BACKSTREET BOYS
ILM: You're embarking on a solo European tour showcasing material from your debut solo album out in the Autumn and you are also on the Backstreet Boys Unbreakable World Tour right now. You must have to prepare hard doing two at the same time?
AJ: It really is the perfect scenario. It's an absolute blessing for me to be able to be with the boys, where I love to be, but also have a chance to do something for myself and introduce myself outside of the group. It is a bit of a stress, for example after we finish the Backstreet Tour on the 23rd May I carry on for another two weeks on my own. So the fella's get almost three weeks off and I'll probably get about six days off, at home on my own, before we head back out on the road. But it is definitely worth it for me. It has been a long time coming for me to introduce myself to our fans as well as hopefully new fans. |
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| 28 Apr 2008 |
A.J. McLean Makes 'Promising' Solo Debut |
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Backstreet Boys star A.J. McLean has successfully launched his solo career with two "promising" concerts in California. The singer performed songs from his upcoming debut solo album at the House Of Blues in Anaheim on Sunday and at the Roxy in Los Angeles on Monday.
Arriving onstage at the Roxy to the announcement, "Ladies and gentlemen, this ain't no boy band," McLean performed a 90-minute set, including a rock version of the Backstreet Boys' "Incomplete."
Los Angeles Times' critic Sarah Tomlinson said McLean and his band "sounded under-rehearsed", but she praised the singer's "winning enthusiasm and a humility remarkable for someone who has sold millions of albums... with his other group."
McLean will tour Europe with the Backstreet Boys in April and May. [Source] |
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| 15 Apr 2008 |
April 15th, 2008: WHIZ KIDS |
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BACKSTREET Boy A.J. McLean believes the New Kids On The Block reunion will be a hit.
The 30-year-old crooner, who embarks on a solo tour next month, said: “As long as the music’s good, it’ll be awesome.
They’ve been gone for quite a while now, but who knows? Maybe it’s their time.”
A.J. is aware they’ll have their critics.
He added: “They’re probably gonna catch a bit of flak here and there, but they shouldn’t let it bother them. They should just push forward." [Source] |
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