Latest news with #BackstreetBoys'
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean opens about addiction struggle: "Fortunately, I missed a large bullet"
Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean opens about addiction struggle: "Fortunately, I missed a large bullet" Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean has opened up about his addiction to drugs, sharing how close he came to catastrophe at the peak of the opioid epidemic. In an interview, McLean discussed his path through addiction, the turning points that altered his life, and how he eventually found hope and healing. "Dodged a Huge Bullet" Amid the fentanyl crisis When he guested on The Lulu Podcast , McLean, who has had hits such as 'I Want It That Way,' revealed that his use of drugs came close to ending in tragedy, particularly since the fentanyl epidemic was growing worse. Operation Sindoor 'Pakistan army moving its troops in forward areas': Key takeaways from govt briefing 'Pak used drones, long-range weapons, jets to attack India's military sites' 'Attempted malicious misinformation campaign': Govt calls out Pakistan's propaganda "Fortunately for me, I avoided a gigantic bullet because the fentanyl epidemic hadn't reached the level that it is today, but it was occurring; it was there, but it wasn't quite as common knowledge as it is today," he disclosed. McLean admitted he was lucky to have retreated before things could have gone in a deadly direction. A turning point in Miami McLean spoke about a very bleak incident three and a half years ago that turned around his recovery. He shared, "I was doing a show in Miami on my own with a friend of mine and I went out that night. I went hard." The artist confessed that one thing led to another, and he was again taking drugs. Once he returned home, he tried to conceal his relapse by consuming lots of coffee and breath mints. "I consumed a c**p tonne of coffee and tried breath mints and all this rubbish," he stated. Even though he tried to keep his addiction hidden, McLean's wife knew about his issues already. "My wife had known all along and was simply waiting for me to be truthful, which was my greatest issue for decades-being truthful with anyone concerning it because I was attempting to make it work. And naturally, as we all know, it worked until it did not," he confessed. The stress of addiction ultimately led to the dissolution of his 13-year marriage, McLean and his wife having two daughters together. Family and recovery The 'Missing You' singer revealed that it was his daughter who ultimately inspired him to seek help and turn his life around. Hitting rock bottom, McLean recognized the need for change and is now grateful for the second chance he's been given. 'I hit rock bottom, but I'm glad to have come out of it better,' he reflected.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift's ‘Daylight' Soundtracks Intense First Trailer for Final ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty' Season
In the new trailer for the third and final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, Belly and Jeremiah live happily ever after — or do they? Luckily, Taylor Swift has songs for either outcome. Released Thursday (April 24), the minute-long teaser features two of the pop superstar's most beloved tracks, starting with Lover album closer 'Daylight.' The ethereal ballad plays over an ooey-gooey montage of Lola Tung and Gavin Casalegno's characters picking up where they left off in season two — as a couple, despite Belly previously dating Jeremiah's brother, Conrad, who is nowhere to be found for almost all of the trailer. More from Billboard Taylor Swift Unseated as World's Youngest Self-Made Woman Billionaire: Who Took Her Place? Bain of K-Pop Boy Band JUST B Comes Out at L.A. Concert: 'F--ing Proud to Be Part of the LGBT Community' Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell Tells Son Baylee He'll 'Always Be in Your Corner' After 'American Idol' Exit As the two frolic through their college campus, make out in the library and slow dance at a party, Swift's voice sings, 'I don't wanna look at anything else now that I saw you/ I don't wanna think of anything else now that I thought of you/ I've been sleeping so long in a 20-year dark night/ And now I see daylight.' At the very end, however, #Jelly's romantic fantasy is interrupted by a certain intruder: Christopher Briney's Conrad, who shows up at the brothers' beach house and delivers the only spoken line in the entire trailer. 'Hey,' he says as a shocked Belly opens the front door on him, while 'Daylight' abruptly switches to a line from a very different Swift track. 'Loving him was red,' interjects the 14-time Grammy winner's voice on 2012's Red title track. The new trailer is far from the first time The Summer I Turned Pretty — which is based on the Jenny Hahn book series of the same name — has featured Swift's music. In fact, the singer-songwriter has been one of the biggest musical contributors to the show since it premiered in 2022, with 'The Way I Loved You,' 'Exile' featuring Bon Iver, 'Snow on the Beach' with Lana Del Rey, 'Sweet Nothing,' 'This Love,' 'Last Kiss' and several more Swift tracks finding homes in various episodes. The final season will put an end to the messy love triangle that has fueled the show from the beginning, with the description reading, 'It's the end of her junior year of college, and Belly's looking forward to another summer in Cousins with her soulmate, Jeremiah … until some core-shaking events bring her first love Conrad back into her life.' 'Now on the brink of adulthood, Belly finds herself at a crossroads and must decide which brother has her heart,' it continues. 'Summer will never be the same.' Season three of The Summer I Turned Pretty arrives on Prime Video July 16. Watch the trailer above. Best of Billboard Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Pentatonix & Train Will Bring Their Holiday Hits to iHeart Christmas Concert Fox Plans NFT Debut With $20 'Masked Singer' Collectibles 14 Things That Changed (or Didn't) at Farm Aid 2021
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson Support Baylee Littrell After 'American Idol' Elimination
Baylee Littrell's time on American Idol has come to an end. On Monday, April 21, Baylee was eliminated from the singing competition show after making the Top 20. Reflecting on his experience on Instagram, the singer received some encouraging words from his father, Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell, and his second cousin, BSB bandmate Kevin Richardson. "My American Idol journey has come to an end💙 Thank you so much to all that supported me this season🙏🏼 I love you all 🙌🏼 #idol #bayleetrain," Baylee, 22, wrote. In the comments section, Brian, who shares Baylee with actress wife Leighanne, wrote, "Bubba I am and always will be in your corner. You'd are so strong and so very talented, and inspire me every day. It's never the end, only the beginning for so many to be blessed by your gifts….. you killed it last night. 🔥❤️" Related: Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell Has an Emotional Reaction to His Son Baylee's American Idol Audition Meanwhile Richardson, 53, wrote that he was "So glad you got to experience this. Proud of you young man. Your journey has just begun… ❤️" During his audition for season 23, Baylee sang an original song about wanting to give up called "Waiting on Myself to Die." Brian, 50, was present during the audition and grew emotional, saying he was "super proud" of his son who had "obviously grown up in the business and he's cut out for it." Then, judge Luke Bryan asked if they had ever sang together — and they proceeded to harmonize. In April 2023, Baylee opened up in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about how growing up on the road influenced his music career. Baylee recalled having some "completely out of the ordinary" yet "amazing" experiences while traveling with the boyband. "I got to introduce my dad at 5 years old," he said. "And then when I was 10, I started opening up for them. I would sing two or three songs before the opener would come out and play their set. And then that transcended into 2019, being able to go on a 42-show run with them and be the official opening act. That was the experience of a lifetime." From an early age, Baylee knew he wanted to pursue music and dreamt of being the "sixth Backstreet Boy" when he would hangout backstage at shows. Related: Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell Gets Emotional as Son Baylee Pays Tribute to Late Grandmother on American Idol — Watch! "I had to be 6 or 7 at the time and I'd go crash the wardrobe closet and put on their outfits and stuff before shows," he told PEOPLE. "I have a memory of myself standing in front of a mirror in my dad's show outfit and I was like, 'Hey, can I be a part of the group?' And he put his hands on my shoulders and he was like, 'One day. One day you're going to get your shot.' " Baylee first revealed he was joining the singing competition show on Instagram on Feb. 5. The "Boxes" singer shared a picture of the show's infamous sign and added one of him playing the guitar. "Well guys😁recently I had the opportunity to audition for @americanidol 🙏🏼," he wrote in the caption. "Tune in to see the season premiere and what happens on 3/9/25!" Read the original article on People
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson Support Baylee Littrell After 'American Idol' Elimination
Baylee Littrell's time on American Idol has come to an end. On Monday, April 21, Baylee was eliminated from the singing competition show after making the Top 20. Reflecting on his experience on Instagram, the singer received some encouraging words from his father, Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell, and his second cousin, BSB bandmate Kevin Richardson. "My American Idol journey has come to an end💙 Thank you so much to all that supported me this season🙏🏼 I love you all 🙌🏼 #idol #bayleetrain," Baylee, 22, wrote. In the comments section, Brian, who shares Baylee with actress wife Leighanne, wrote, "Bubba I am and always will be in your corner. You'd are so strong and so very talented, and inspire me every day. It's never the end, only the beginning for so many to be blessed by your gifts….. you killed it last night. 🔥❤️" Related: Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell Has an Emotional Reaction to His Son Baylee's American Idol Audition Meanwhile Richardson, 53, wrote that he was "So glad you got to experience this. Proud of you young man. Your journey has just begun… ❤️" During his audition for season 23, Baylee sang an original song about wanting to give up called "Waiting on Myself to Die." Brian, 50, was present during the audition and grew emotional, saying he was "super proud" of his son who had "obviously grown up in the business and he's cut out for it." Then, judge Luke Bryan asked if they had ever sang together — and they proceeded to harmonize. In April 2023, Baylee opened up in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about how growing up on the road influenced his music career. Baylee recalled having some "completely out of the ordinary" yet "amazing" experiences while traveling with the boyband. "I got to introduce my dad at 5 years old," he said. "And then when I was 10, I started opening up for them. I would sing two or three songs before the opener would come out and play their set. And then that transcended into 2019, being able to go on a 42-show run with them and be the official opening act. That was the experience of a lifetime." From an early age, Baylee knew he wanted to pursue music and dreamt of being the "sixth Backstreet Boy" when he would hangout backstage at shows. Related: Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell Gets Emotional as Son Baylee Pays Tribute to Late Grandmother on American Idol — Watch! "I had to be 6 or 7 at the time and I'd go crash the wardrobe closet and put on their outfits and stuff before shows," he told PEOPLE. "I have a memory of myself standing in front of a mirror in my dad's show outfit and I was like, 'Hey, can I be a part of the group?' And he put his hands on my shoulders and he was like, 'One day. One day you're going to get your shot.' " Baylee first revealed he was joining the singing competition show on Instagram on Feb. 5. The "Boxes" singer shared a picture of the show's infamous sign and added one of him playing the guitar. "Well guys😁recently I had the opportunity to audition for @americanidol 🙏🏼," he wrote in the caption. "Tune in to see the season premiere and what happens on 3/9/25!" Read the original article on People
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Emotional Carrie Underwood reveals fate of Backstreet Boys nepo baby as American Idol reveals Top 14
Carrie Underwood got emotional when revealing the fate of the final Top 14 singer, which resulted in beloved nepo baby going home. The 42-year-old singer - who reportedly 'pushed' for Sunday night's three-hour faith-based Easter special - insisted several times that the remaining seven singers - six of which were about to go home - were all 'great.' She ultimately revealed that Amanda Barise was the last member of the Top 14, which host Ryan Seacrest had been slowly unveiling throughout the two-hour episode. After four singers went home on Sunday, six more hit the road, including Season 23's final nepo baby, Baylee Littrell, the son of Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell. The 22-year-old singer was sent home along with Isaiah Misailegalu, Olivier Bergeron, Drew Ryn, Zaylie Windsor and Victor Solomon. Fans has mixed thoughts about Baylee's exit, with some sad to see him go and others thinking he wasn't talented enough to move on. The two-hour episode was ultimately comprised of host Ryan Seacrest pulling out singers one by one, and revealing whether or not they were voted into the Top 14. If they did have enough votes to advance, they sang just to celebrate their advancement, but if they didn't advance, they sang for one more shot. There were four spots that the judges would collectively choose to round out the Top 14 after all of the performances. Baylee did not get enough votes, so he sang All Of Me by John Legend in hopes of impressing the judges enough to give him one of their picks. After the performance, Carrie Underwood was certainly impressed, even going so far as to say it was Littrell's best performance this season. 'Baylee, I feel like every time you get on the stage, you give us more. I feel like this was your best performance today,' Carrie said to applause. 'I don't know if it's, like, just confidence or song choice or what that thing is, but keep doing more of this. Like, all of the stars are kind of aligning right now, and I feel like this was really the first time that I was like, he's a front man, like, he needs it, he deserves to be on this stage,' Carrie said to applause. Still, Baylee seemingly didn't do enough to move on, which upset some fans while others weren't too sad to see him go, it seemed. Some like Emily Carl (@Free_Reign) were done watching Idol, stating, 'With Baylee no longer on the show, my time watching @AmericanIdol has come to an end.' Ms Jen (@Missjen325) added, 'Guess that's it for me watching idol since my favorite didn't get it #AmericanIdol,' referring to Baylee. Shannon Stern (@ShannonStern) said, 'Bummed @littrell_baylee and #OlivierBergeron didn't make the Top 14 on @AmericanIdol, but I know they both have long careers ahead!' Others like @lilacpeeps called out Backstreet boys fans who voted for Baylee, stating, 'If you voted for Baylee just bc you're a BSB fan then that's called bias voting. I've been a BSB fan since I was a teen, but Baylee has not wowed me at all. Mky has more stage confidence than Baylee & Baylee has been on stage w his dad ever since he was a kid.' The 4th Wall Insider (@4thwallinsider) said, 'Send home Zaylie, Baylee, Josh, Olivier,' all of whom were sent home except Josh King. Daisy (@DaisyLou2320) said, '#americanidol Baylee would not have gotten thru the first round if he wasn't Brian Littrels son. He can't out sing anyone on that stage.' Rach (@superbatson) said, 'i really hope the judges don't save baylee, like we are so close to finally defeating the nepotism here.... #americanidol.' Daisy (@DaisyLou2320) said, '#americanidol Baylee is forced. Not naturally talented enough.' Some like Emily Carl (@Free_Reign) were done watching Idol, stating, 'With Baylee no longer on the show, my time watching @AmericanIdol has come to an end.' Others like @lilacpeeps called out Backstreet boys fans who voted for Baylee, stating, 'If you voted for Baylee just bc you're a BSB fan then that's called bias voting. I've been a BSB fan since I was a teen, but Baylee has not wowed me at all. Mky has more stage confidence than Baylee & Baylee has been on stage w his dad ever since he was a kid' Rach (@superbatson) said, 'i really hope the judges don't save baylee, like we are so close to finally defeating the nepotism here.... #americanidol' Others had encouraging words for Baylee, like @MattWhitekiller, who said, 'Don't worry you're going to go far this isn't the end it's just the beginning! #AmericanIdol #BayleeTrain #BayleeTrain4life' She added in another tweet, 'Baylee is singing better than normal. But still he has no business being there taking a spot.' Others had encouraging words for Baylee, like @MattWhitekiller, who said, 'Don't worry you're going to go far this isn't the end it's just the beginning! #AmericanIdol #BayleeTrain #BayleeTrain4life.' Another X user - @GayConservMan_ - said , 'SO SAD that @littrell_baylee didn't make it longer on #AmericanIdol !!!! LOVED HIM! Shirley Hansen (@shansen579) told Baylee, 'Don't feel defeated. You had a great performance tonight. You have a good voice.
