Drake told audience during the Backstreet Boys concert in Toronto over the weekend that “I Want It That Way” is “one of the greatest songs in the world”
Drake is an honorary Backstreet Boy.
During the Backstreet Boys concert stop in the rapper’s hometown of Toronto, Canada, on Saturday evening, Drake, 35, joined the band on stage to perform their iconic song “I Want It That Way.”
After the Backstreet Boys brought Drake — whom they called the band’s “sixth member” — out on stage, the star told the audience why the group’s song is so special to him.
“At 13 years old, I had a bar mitzvah, and at my bar mitzvah, for the first time in my life, this girl I was in love with came up to me while one of the greatest songs in the world was playing, and she asked me if I would dance with her,” he said, as seen in video footage shared online by a fan in attendance. “It was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and it was the first time I ever felt like, you know, I had a shot at being cool.”
Drake then playfully teased, “If she can see me now, you know what I’m talking about?” before he and the boy band began to sing the classic tune.
What’s better than I Want It That Way?
I Want It That Way…. f/ @Drake #BSBTO #DNAWORLDTOUR pic.twitter.com/pKVQK2XtDN
— Backstreet Boys (@backstreetboys) July 3, 2022
The Backstreet Boys’ DNA World Tour originally began in 2019 but had to stop halfway through because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The boyband, which consists of members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson, restarted their tour in February 2022 with four shows in Las Vegas.
The shows, produced by Live Nation, took place at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 8, 9, 15, and 16, and followed their last appearance in Las Vegas for their 2017-2018 residency at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.
The group has since announced additional tour stops in major US cities, including Nashville, Memphis and Portland, as well as the addition of a European leg of the tour kicking off in Portugal on Oct. 3.
While speaking to PEOPLE in April, McLean, 44, shared that the additional shows just mean more time with the fans — which he can’t get enough of while on stage.
“When it’s a big number or it’s after a number and we’re still on stage, I pull an ear [monitor] out just to feel that moment, to hear the crowd,” he said at the time. “You can see them singing and screaming but if you can’t hear it and you can’t feel it right here [points to heart], then what’s the f—ing point? To be able to still get that level of love and screams 27 years later, it’s pretty freaking unremarkable.”
“We have the most amazing fans in the world,” McLean continued. “They are loyal to the core. They’re loving, forgiving, passionate, and compassionate.”
He added: “They are truly the rock that has solidified us in this business … we were able to last almost 30 years so far. That’s a huge testament to the fans, the music and to each other. All of us — family, man.”
The Backstreet Boys’ DNA World Tour will conclude in New Zealand come March 2023.
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