"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" is a song by American boy band
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
, written and produced by
Denniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He was a member of the DJ collective SweMix and later co-founded the recording studio ...
and
. It was released as the first
single from the band's second international studio album ''
Backstreet's Back'' in July 1997 by
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
, and the third single from their
self-titled debut US studio album. It became a worldwide success, peaking at number four on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, with 22 weeks on the chart, and number three on the
UK Singles Chart. The accompanying music video was directed by
Joseph Kahn, featuring the band members inside a haunted mansion. The song is played at the end of the 2013 film ''
This Is the End''.
Background and release
Zomba chairman
Clive Calder suggested that "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" should be released as a single, which was met with resistance from
Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
president
Barry Weiss, as he believed that it would be weird to have a song called "Backstreet's Back" on the Backstreet Boys' first US album. The band suggested it could just mean that they were back home. After Canadian markets began playing the song, US markets near the border began picking the song up. They met with Weiss and asked that the song be added to the US album after the first million units had already been produced.
[Interview with Backstreet Boys, management, and others from '']Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' 10th Anniversary Issue.
There are two versions of the song. The international album features the album or 7-inch version, which is the standard recording. The US album features the song's extended version, which includes an extended breakdown section but cuts the bridge. The music video for the song was cut to both versions, with the extended video released to the US market and the standard video released everywhere else.
Critical reception
Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...
from ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' stated that "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" contained a "contagious
dance/pop beat and catchy
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved/bent back or has a deeply grooved indentation, which serves to grab, latch or in any way attach itself onto another object. The hook's d ...
that perfectly showcases this talented group's voices". British magazine ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' gave the song four out of five, adding that "the boys turn up the power on a strutting, soulful anthem, which will be one of the summer's bigger successes." ''Music Week'' editor Alan Jones noted that Backstreet Boys "state the obvious" in the song, "but they do it with a certain amount of style. The mid-tempo piece is instantly assimilated and well-sung, primarily as a group effort. Another major hit is guaranteed."
Commercial performance
Written and produced by
and
Denniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He was a member of the DJ collective SweMix and later co-founded the recording studio ...
, "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" is one of the Backstreet Boys' most successful singles to date. It reached number four on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United States—the band's second top-ten single in the country following "
Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)"—and spent 22 weeks on the chart, and number three on the
UK Singles Chart. It is
certified platinum
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
in the US.
Music video
Background
The music video for "Everybody" was directed by American director
Joseph Kahn and filmed in Los Angeles, California, from June 16–18, 1997. Jive contacted Kahn to direct a project with a "white
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci, and K-Ci & JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1988 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci began as a duo of DeVanté Swing and JoJo ...
." Initially unaware of who the Backstreet Boys were, he was shocked by the group's European sales figures after being given a
cassette tape
The Compact Cassette, also commonly called a cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog audio, analog magnetic tape recording format for Sound recording and reproduction, audio recording and playback. Invented by L ...
and publicity release about them. Initially a
grunge
Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
and
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
director, he wanted to explore the
pop genre since he grew up listening to
music from the 1980s.
The haunted house aesthetic was based on a treatment Kahn envisioned for rapper
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson Sr. (born June 15, 1969), known professionally as Ice Cube, is an American rapper, songwriter, actor, and film producer. His lyrics on N.W.A's 1989 album '' Straight Outta Compton'' contributed to gangsta rap's widespread popu ...
a few months prior and was inspired by the music video for
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's "
Thriller." Kahn and the group wanted
Antonio Fargas
Antonio Fargas (born August 14, 1946) is an American actor known for his roles in 1970s blaxploitation and comedy movies, as well as his portrayal as Huggy Bear in the 1970s TV series ''Starsky & Hutch''.
Early life
Fargas was born in New York C ...
to portray the bus driver, as they were fans of ''
Starsky & Hutch
''Starsky & Hutch'' is an American action television series, which consisted of a 72-minute pilot movie (originally aired as a '' Movie of the Week'' entry) and 92 episodes of 50 minutes each. The show was created by William Blinn (inspired ...
''. The video shoot lasted 36 hours, with Nick Carter's mummy shot being filmed last. Jive did not get behind the concept of the band in costumes or the $1 million requirements and did not believe
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
would respect the video. The band ultimately had to put up their own money to shoot the video and fight with the label to get reimbursed once it was successful.
The video premiered outside the United States in July 1997, although viewers with
MuchMusic USA were able to see it as, at the time, it was still mostly a simulcast of the Canadian channel. In a 2017 interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Kahn stated that the video's impact broadened his view of pop culture while creating a new scene in the US.
Synopsis
The video is
bookended by scenes framing the context. When the Backstreet Boys' bus breaks down, their bus driver (
Antonio Fargas
Antonio Fargas (born August 14, 1946) is an American actor known for his roles in 1970s blaxploitation and comedy movies, as well as his portrayal as Huggy Bear in the 1970s TV series ''Starsky & Hutch''.
Early life
Fargas was born in New York C ...
) insists that they spend a night at a nearby haunted mansion while he gets help. It then shows
Brian Littrell preparing to sleep in one of the bedrooms. While in bed, he pulls out a scary animal from under his covers, making him scream in horror. The musical portion of the video then starts, playing as a dream sequence in which each band member appears as a different
movie monster: Brian Littrell as a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...
;
Howie Dorough as
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
;
Nick Carter
Nickolas Gene Carter (born January 28, 1980) is an American singer, the lead vocalist of the vocal group Backstreet Boys, and an alleged rapist. As of 2015, he has released three solo albums, '' Now or Never'', '' I'm Taking Off'' and '' All A ...
as a mummy;
AJ McLean
Alexander James McLean (born January 9, 1978) is an American singer. He is a founding member of the pop vocal group Backstreet Boys.
Early life
McLean was born on January 9, 1978, in West Palm Beach, Florida, to Denise (née Fernandez, now ...
as
Erik, the Phantom of the Opera; and
Kevin Richardson as both
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is an 1886 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series ...
in a half-transformed
Two-Face
Two-Face is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bob Kane, and first appeared in ''Detective Comics'' #66 (August 1942). He has become one of the superhero Batman's most enduring e ...
-like state. Throughout the beginning and middle of the song, the band, as monsters, mainly appear in their vignettes related to their character; during the final chorus, they collectively appear in the mansion's foyer with a Casper vibe, performing a dance routine with a group of additional dancers. Supermodel
Josie Maran appears as Dorough's companion in his vignette, presumably portraying
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engaged t ...
. At the end of the video, Littrell wakes up realizing everything was a nightmare. He talks with the members about his dream, all stating they had similar dreams while trying to leave the house. However, the driver shows up, now a
Frankenstein-esque monster, making the boys scream in horror.
There are two video cuts, one for the US market and one for the international market, each of which features the edit of the song released on the album for that market. The global video cuts from the opening bookend to the first verse. The bridge of the song is intact, and the first half of the dance routine, a ballroom dance portion, is intercut with the vignettes under it. This leads into the second half of the dance portion during the final choruses of the song, which are not intercut with the vignettes. In the US cut, the ballroom half of the dance routine and the beginning of the second half are used at the start of the song during the first rhythm-only breakdown and are not intercut with the vignettes. The second breakdown, which replaces the bridge, is accompanied only by shots from the vignettes, along with some shots of Littrell tumbling in the foyer and the various vignettes. When the final chorus begins, the second half of the dance routine is shown again from the start but is intercut with vignette scenes. Most of the remainder of the video is cut identically, other than several minor instances of alternate scenes or takes being used. The dance floor in the video was painted by an art director brought on to also paint a huge portrait of the boys as vampires.
Awards and nominations
Track listing
* US enhanced CD single
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (radio edit) – 3:45
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Matty's Radio Mix) – 3:55
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (remix video)
* US enhanced maxi-single
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Matty's Radio Mix) – 3:55
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Multiman Remix) – 4:08
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Sharp London Vocal Mix) – 7:58
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (radio edit) – 3:45
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (extended version) – 4:45
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (remix video)
* US
12-inch single
The twelve-inch single (often written as 12-inch or 12) is a type of vinyl ( polyvinyl chloride or PVC) gramophone record that has wider groove spacing and shorter playing time with a "single" or a few related sound tracks on each surface, compa ...
:A1. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (extended radio mix) – 4:45
:A2. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Matty's Hip Hop Radio Remix) – 3:55
:A3. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Kano's Undercurrent Dub) – 7:11
:B1. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Sharp London Vocal Remix) – 7:58
:B2. "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Sharp Trade Dub) – 8:55
* Canadian CD single
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (7-inch version) – 3:44
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (extended version) – 4:45
# "Boys Will Be Boys" – 4:05
# "
Anywhere for You" – 4:40
* UK and European CD single
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (7-inch version) – 3:44
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (extended version) – 4:45
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (MultiMan Remix) – 4:09
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Matty's Remix) – 3:55
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Max & Macario Club Mix) – 6:12
* UK CD single
digipak
Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage.
Jewel case
A ...
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (7-inch version) – 3:44
# "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (extended version) – 4:45
# "Boys Will Be Boys" – 4:05
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{Authority control
1997 songs
1997 singles
1998 singles
Backstreet Boys songs
Song recordings produced by Max Martin
Song recordings produced by Denniz Pop
Songs written by Max Martin
Songs written by Denniz Pop
Music videos directed by Joseph Kahn
Songs about dancing
Number-one singles in Hungary
Number-one singles in Romania
Number-one singles in Spain
Jive Records singles
UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles