On Monday, Backstreet Boys announced a special holiday residency in Las Vegas, during which they'll perform holiday classics, new original songs and their biggest hits. But the group says this might just be the first of many holiday performances for BSB.
"We really wanted to perform for our fans before the end of this year and felt it was a great opportunity," Kevin Richardson tells USA Today. "We have two Christmas songs in our history and thought we'd do 12 shows — a small sampling that could maybe happen annually."
Between now and then, the group plans to release their first Christmas album, which reportedly will feature 10 classic songs and two new originals. Howie Dorough tells USA Today that in between the Christmas tunes, the set list will include "Christmas-ized" versions of the group's hits. He describes it as "the ultimate girls' trip."
Meanwhile, the Backstreet guys have to get in shape for the dance-heavy shows.
"During lockdown, I kind of got lazy and sat around a while — but you need that every now and then," says Kevin. "But gearing back up for a show, we all hit the gym. We box, we do cardio, we hit the Peloton, we do yoga and stretch…health and wellness is definitely part of the regime."
But beyond the Christmas shows and even their rescheduled DNA tour, which will take place in 2022, Kevin says Backstreet has one ultimate goal.
"We want to be The Rolling Stones of pop music," he says, adding, "The career that they've had and the crowd that they still draw…when you have a body of work that people love, then you're blessed."
A Very Backstreet Christmas Party will run from November 11 through December 23 at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.
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