Nick Carter Reflects on the ’90s Backstreet Boys, Says New Album Is in the Works (Q&A)

“I sometimes miss the days where I could fly a little more under the radar,” the former boy band frontman said.

Nick Carter – Getty – H 2016

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Twenty years since the release of the Backstreet Boys’ self-titled album, the boy band’s frontman Nick Carter is continuing his music career with the November release of his third solo album, All American, and a monthlong tour.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 36-year-old explained that with his solo music, he tries to “step out of the box and do stuff I don’t get to do with the boys,” and that he wanted his new album “to be fun, rock-infused and try some new things while going back to my roots.”

Carter will begin his tour on Feb. 26 and perform across the U.S. during the month of March, performing solo songs and classic Backstreet Boys hits for fans, including his new single “19 in 99,” which features fellow band mate A.J. McLean in the music video. “I wanted to bring in the fact that “I Want It That Way” was huge in 1999,” Carter says of the cameo. “He makes an awesome pizza guy, doesn’t he?

The musician also revealed that a new Backstreet Boys album is in the works and that fans might be able to expect more cameos from his fellow band members in the future: “I feel like we’re going to have to make that happen soon.”

Read THR‘s Q&A with Carter below.

The Hollywood Reporter: “19 in 99” gives nod to the 90s. Tell us about the concept of the video and how you came up with it.

Nick Carter: It’s a really fun video that came from the idea that we all get nostalgic and wish we could go back in time. 1999 was a big year for [Backstreet Boys] and I wanted to try and take the viewers back to ’99 with me.

THR: Tell us about A.J. making an appearance in the video and how you collaborated to make that come about.

Carter: It actually worked out perfectly. It was the director’s and my idea. A.J. and I don’t live too far from each other, and I wanted to bring in the fact that “I Want It That Way” was huge in 1999. He makes an awesome pizza guy, doesn’t he?

THR: Will any other Backstreet Boys be making cameos in any future videos?

Carter: I’d love for that to happen. We’re all scattered across the U.S., but I feel like we’re going to have to make that happen soon.

THR: Explain the All American album. What was the concept behind it? Why did you title it what you did? What is it meant to embody?

Carter: With my solo music, I really try to step out of the box and do stuff I don’t get to do with the boys. I wanted it to be fun, rock-infused and try some new things while going back to my roots. “All American” the song is one of my favorites from the album, which is why I chose to title the album after it. To me, it’s the perfect song to represent the feel of the album.

THR: It’s been 20 years since the release of your self-titled Backstreet Boys album. What do you miss most about the ‘90s days of the Backstreet Boys?

Carter: I sometimes miss the days where I could fly a little more under the radar. There was no social media in the ‘90s, and it was a different world. I also miss TRL — that was always a blast!

THR: What can we expect from Backstreet Boys in the future?

Carter: We actually started working on our next album, and will be continuing to work on it throughout the year. We’re going on our first cruise to the Mediterranean in May and are all excited about it. The fans had been asking us to do a European cruise for awhile and I’m glad we are finally getting to do one.

THR: In what way(s) do you feel you have most evolved since branching out and pursuing a solo career, and how is that reflected in your music?

Carter: I get to do a lot of things I don’t usually get to do with the boys. I love playing guitar and rocking out on stage, so I do a ton of that with my solo project. [Backstreet Boys] all give each other the freedom to do our own thing, which just makes the bond the five of us have stronger.

THR: What songs can fans expect to hear on your one-month solo tour?

Carter: I don’t want to give too much away, but I’m super excited about the set list. I have a lot of old and new stuff, plus some Backstreet Boys stuff I think people will recognize.

THR: Any fun stories or moments that you’d like to share that occurred in the making of the All American album?

Carter: I wrote the entire All American album, and while I was in the studio with my producers, we all started talking in this really thick and exaggerated surfer accent. We were trying to “crack the code” of writing a hit single, and every time one of us thought we’d found it, we’d yell “dude, you totally cracked the code!!” It was hilarious. You may have had to have been there, but it is one of those things that really sticks out in my mind when I think about the time I spent in the studio for this album.