track

Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Radio Edit

1997Released
3:45

Did You Know?

Interesting facts and trivia about Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Radio Edit. By Songfacts®.

Written by Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Denniz Pop, this dance-pop track has the Backstreet Boys announcing their triumphant return and commanding everyone to rock their bodies in celebration. But where exactly is the boy band returning from? Backstreet Boys (titled Backstreet's Back for the international release) was the Florida fivesome's first album in the US, where listeners weren't aware of the group's initial success in Europe with their enormously popular self-titled international debut. Their anonymity in America was exactly why Jive Records president Barry Weiss didn't want to release the tune as a single and initially kept it off the US version of the album altogether. The band argued the title could refer to their return home to the States, but Weiss didn't budge until the song - which was the first single from the international release - started gaining steam on Canadian radio and nearby US stations. He added the song to the US album after a million units had already been produced. It was released as the fourth single.

When director Joseph Kahn was approached to do the music video, he was told the Backstreet Boys were like a "white Jodeci," referring to the '90s R&B quartet known for their hit "Come And Talk To Me." But when Kahn, whose resumé was stacked with R&B and hip-hop acts, met with BSB and saw their smooth dance moves, he thought they were more like "little Michael Jacksons." With MJ's famous "Thriller" video in mind, which had the singer leading a choreographed dance with zombies, he developed a similar concept for the Backstreet Boys. In the video, the boy band's tour bus breaks down near a spooky mansion, where they're forced to spend a harrowing night. The haunted manor has a transformative effect on the boys, changing Brian Littrell into a werewolf; AJ McLean into Erik, The Phantom Of The Opera recluse; Kevin Richardson into the two-faced Dr. Jekyll & Hyde; Howie D into Dracula; and Nick Carter into a mummy. They converge in the ballroom and bust out "Thriller"-esque moves with a group of dancers. At the end, they're relieved to discover the whole experience was just a nightmare - that is until their driver turns out to be a monster.

Jive Records refused to fund the million-dollar video on the grounds that MTV wouldn't go for the concept. The band put up their own money and, once the six-minute clip blew up, they fought the label to reimburse them.

Top Listeners

Song Analysis

Key, BPM (tempo) and time signature of Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Radio Edit.
A♯Key
MinorMode
4/4Time Signature
108BPM

Album

The album Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Radio Edit is released on.

Released By

The record label that has released Everybody (Backstreet's Back) - Radio Edit.
Jive
(P) 1997 Zomba Recording LLC

See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.

Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.

5.8MArtists
73.5MSongs
12.3MAlbums
6.3KGenres
2.5MLabels
493KPlaylists