Hi — I'm Asia, and I'm a bonafide former teenybopper.
So when I heard that the Grammy Museum in L.A. was opening an exhibit dedicated to the band that was such a huge part of my teenage years, I was ON IT.
"Backstreet Boys: The Experience" is an interactive experience which features never-before-seen personal memorabilia, concert photography, and wardrobe items from the band's music videos and tours — and the '90s nostalgia hits you the second you enter the room.
The exhibit features some really cool items, like this wall mosaic in which fans can take photos onsite to print and place in the squares.
There are also several displays of some of the band's most iconic video and tour looks...
Including these oh-so-'90s pastel shirts from the "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" video.
You might remember it as the video that singlehandedly caused your sexual awakening.
And there's an ENTIRE WALL full of fan photos from the band's three-decade career!
There's all sorts of memorabilia in every corner, including fan letters, artwork, and gifts...
And there's even a throwback machine that releases collectible wallet-sized photos of each of the guys that you can carry around next to the photos of your real husbands. ~LOL~.
14-year-old me was more-than-happy to get AJ — he and Brian were my favorites back in the day, don't @ me, Nick fans.
And there's a really cute corner where you can reminisce about exactly what the walls of your teenage bedroom looked like, don't even lie.
Of course, there's no shortage of gold and platinum records on display throughout the exhibit.
Oh, and there's even a "confessional booth" in which the most hardcore fans can record a personal video message to be delivered to the group.
But what might be the coolest part of all is the area where you can watch actual holograms of the group singing — and you can join in with a hologram created of yourself!
So at this point, you're probably thinking, "Hmm — I wonder what the Backstreet Boys actually think of all this..."
Well, I got a chance to chat with Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson before the opening about the exhibit, the Backstreet Boys' new album DNA, and the band's enduring legacy.
Kevin — now a husband and father of two — says that the exhibit has caused him to reflect on the Backstreet Boys' journey and the phenomenon of the band's success.
Howie — also a husband and father of two — agrees, telling BuzzFeed that the past 26 years of the band's career have been a bit of a whirlwind.
That said, Kevin and Howie say there's something at the exhibit for both their longtime fans and those who are just discovering the band now.
And when asked what keeps bringing these five guys back together after marriages, kids, and well, life, Howie says without hesitation that it's the love of the music.
Well, there you have it — Backstreet is BACK, better (and hotter!) than ever, and — judging by the fan response at the opening of their exhibit — not going anywhere anytime soon.
