BACKSTREET BOYS - I WANT IT THAT WAY

I WANT IT THAT WAY

BACKSTREET BOYS

SONGWRITERS: ANDREAS CARLSSON & MAX MARTIN

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: MILLENNIUM

LABEL: JIVE RECORDS

GENRE: POP

YEAR: 1999

 

            Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) is an American vocal group formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The group consists of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson.

     The group rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys (1996). In the following year, they released their second international álbum Backstreet's Back(1997) along with their self-titled U.S. debut album, Backstreet Boys(1997), which continued the group's success worldwide. They rose to superstardom with their third studio álbum Millennium(1999) and its follow-up album, Black & Blue(2000). They also released a greatest hits album, The Hits - Chapter One (2001), with their only single, "Drowning". After a two-year hiatus, they regrouped and released a comeback álbum Never Gone(2005). After the conclusion of the Never Gone Tour in 2006, Richardson left the group to pursue other interests. The group then released two albums as a quartet: Unbreakable(2007) and This Is Us(2009).

        In 2012, the group announced that Richardson had rejoined them permanently. In the following year, 2013, they celebrated their 20th anniversary and released their first independent album, In a World Like This(2013). Their álbum DNA(2019) debuted at number one, more than two decades after the group formed, and 19 years after they last topped in 2000. They also became the first boy band to top the U.S. album charts in three decades.

          The Backstreet Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling boy band of all time, and one of the world's best-selling music artists. They are the first group since Led Zeppelin to have their first ten albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the only boy band to do so. The albums Backstreet Boys and Millennium were both certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America(RIAA), making them one of the few bands to have multiple diamond albums. The group received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on April 22, 2013. The group also announced their residency show, Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life in Las Vegas from March 2017 to April 2019. The group also released their first documentary movie, titled Backstreet Boys: Show 'Em What You're Made Of in January 2015.

          "I Want It That Way" is a song by American boy band the Backstreet Boys. It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, while Martin and Kristian Lundin produced it. The pop ballad talks about a relationship strained by matters of emotional or physical distance.

     Critically, the song was met with positive reception, with many critics commending its catchiness, also calling it the pop ballad of the year. The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song and Record of the Year, and has been included in lists by Blender, MTV, Rolling Stone and VH1.

      "I Want It That Way" is the Backstreet Boys’ signature song, and commercially it reached the number-one spot in more than 25 countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the United States, the song peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for eight non-consecutive weeks, while it topped the Adult and Top 40 Mainstream charts.

          The song has been widely covered and parodied by a range of artists, including other boy bands such as JLS and One Direction, while its music video, directed by Wayne Isham, received famous parodies, including Blink 182 on their music video for "All the Small Things", Big Time Rush on their music video for "Like Nobody's Around", their music video for 'Worldwide', and the Wanted on their video for "Walks Like Rihanna". The original music video received four VMA nominations, winning Viewer's Choice.

Yeah

You are my fire

The one desire

Believe when I say

I want it that way

 

But we are two worlds apart

Can't reach to your heart

When you say

That I want it that way

 

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

I want it that way

 

Am I your fire?

Your one desire?

Yes, I know, yeah, it's too late

But I want it that way

 

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

I want it that way

 

Now, I can see that we've fallen apart

From the way that it used to be, yeah

No matter the distance

I want you to know

That deep down inside of me

 

You are my fire

The one desire

You are, you are, you are, you are

 

Don't wanna hear you say, yeah

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

(Don't wanna hear you say)

I never wanna hear you say

I want it that way

 

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

(Don't wanna hear you say)

I want it that way

 

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never wanna hear you say

(Don't wanna hear you say it)

I want it that way

'Cause I want it that way.