Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were two of the biggest boy bands of the early 2000s and they were often seen as rivals. Members of the first band recently discussed the friendly competition between them and revealed that one of NSYNC’s hits was first offered to them.
Backstreet Boys recently set down with Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen and accepted calls from fans during their appearance on the show. Kevin Richardson reflected on their rivalry with NSYNC after one caller brought up the fact that both bands were formed by the same producer.
“Basically the same producer — Max Martin — that did a lot of their songs did our songs, and they offered us…I’m pretty sure it was ‘Tearin Up My Heart’ and we turned it down. But look, the thing with us and NSYNC, we were brothers; we were just on different teams,” explained Richardson.
The fact they were releasing music with a similar vibe at the same time didn’t stop either band from thriving. Both bands released two albums that reached no. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 before going their separate ways, but Backstreet Boys eventually reunited and topped the charts again with their last album DNA.
