#TBT 2

For Throwback Thursday every week we're going to shine our poplight on a stone cold classic.

For this week's Throwback Thursday we go back to 1999 to a song by a boyband at the height of their powers. They've sold over 130 millions albums worldwide and are credited as the biggest selling boyband in history, they are also the only boyband in history to have their first 9 albums reach the top 10 in the US. This single's parent album 'Millenium' sold 11 million copies in the US alone, was nominated for 5 Grammys and produced sold gold pop songs like "I Want it That Way", "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" and our Throwback Thursday track this week. I am of course talking about the Backstreet Boys and their stone cold classic "Larger Than Life".

The song is a call out to all their fans, letting them know how much their love and support drives the band and keeps them going.

"All you people can't ya see, can't ya see,

How your love's affecting our reality.

Every time we're down,

You can make it right.

That makes you larger than life."

The song begins with an earworm of a bouncy synth and soon goes all out into that quintessential late 90's/early 00's sound that was also popularized by N*SYNC and Britney Spears. The sci-fi influenced video also deserves a mention purely for highlighting the excesses of pop promos at the time. Costing over $2 million dollars it was directed by Joseph Kahn (who was also responsible for the Backstreet Boys "Everybody (Backstreet's Back) video as well as other classics like Britney Spears' "Toxic" and Destiny's Child's "Jumpin' Jumpin'"). 

  

The song was a massive hit worldwide, #5 in the UK, #3 in Australia and #2 in Finland, and although it may not sound particularly fresh in today's pop landscape there is no denying that this is a standout pop song from the era.