THE Backstage boysconsisting of AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Litrell, are campaigning to headline the 2027 Super Bowl halftime show.
This offer comes more than two decades after the boy band declined the opportunity. With renewed enthusiasm and a solid fan base, the group seems ready to conquer one of music’s biggest stages.
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AJ McLean proposed the idea in front of his fans
The Backstreet Boys are in the middle of their “Into the Millennium” residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and in one of the shows, McLean proposed an idea to the audience.
“What do you think guys? Backstreet Boys. 2027. Super Bowl halftime show. Let’s make this happen,” he told the audience.
The idea was met with loud cheers from the audience, who responded enthusiastically to the prospect of seeing the iconic ’90s boy band perform their biggest hits on the Super Bowl stage.
A Change.org petition has already been started by someone named Regina Brodley, and at the time of writing it has over 4,500 signatures.
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The Backstreet Boys want a reunion of the biggest stars of the 2000s
On February 13, Backstreet Boys spoke with People and expressed interest in presenting the halftime show next year, sharing their vision of what it would look like if given the opportunity.
“You better vote yes for us to do the halftime, especially because it’s going to be in Los Angeles at SoFi next year. It’s our home for me and Kevin, so that would be really awesome,” McLean said.
Carter added his view, saying they would bring a “pop explosion”, hoping to bring back their peers, *NSYNC and Britney Spears, to which McLean said both had already performed at the Super Bowl.
“We’re bringing back 98 Degrees, I don’t care. We’re headlining. We’re bringing back all our pop friends,” Carter insisted.
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As Carter explained, music from the ’90s and ’00s is “some of what people are most nostalgic for,” which is why they want this show to happen.
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The Boy Band had the opportunity to perform in 2001
More than 20 years ago, the Backstreet Boys were offered the chance to perform on stage at the 2001 Super Bowl, but they declined.
That year, the Super Bowl was held in Tampa, Florida, and *NSYNC and Aerosmith headlined the halftime show. Both groups took the stage alternately singing their biggest hits, and in the final number, they came together and brought special guests, including Britney Spears, Nelly and Mary J. Blige.
Although they declined to participate in the halftime show, the Backstreet Boys agreed to sing the national anthem. “Back when we were coming up, we loved Whitney Houston’s rendition of the national anthem. And for us, we had a choice and we left out the halftime show,” Carter explained.
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The Backstreet Boys appeared in a 2026 Super Bowl commercial
Mobile telecommunications company T-Mobile returned to the 2026 Super Bowl, marking the 13th consecutive year airing an ad at the event. This time, they brought in the Backstreet Boys.
The boy band, dressed in pink and white clothing, sang a rendition of their 1999 hit song “I Want It That Way”, changing the lyrics from the commercial. Rapper and singer MGK also made a special appearance at the end of the commercial.
Andrew Panay, founder and producer of Panay Films and the mastermind behind the concept, said he was inspired after seeing the Backstreet Boys perform live. “It was extraordinary to see the energy, I was having a spiritual experience – it was incredible, uncontrollable,” he exclaimed. “I knew at that point that this is what we could possibly do for the Super Bowl,” he added.
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Do people want the Backstreet Boys to perform at the Super Bowl?
Many users on social media have made their opinions known since the group discussed the idea of performing at the Super Bowl. While some offered their own suggestions on who they thought should be cast, many wanted to see the Backstreet Boys.
“I fully support this. Having 3 or 4 beers at halftime and having the opportunity to sing ‘Quit Playing Games With My Heart’ would be a vibe,” one wrote.
“They are relevant, successful and contain material that almost everyone knows. Not a bad choice,” added another.
One user suggested an idea, writing: “Okay hear me out… *NSYNC vs Backstreet Boys Halftime Show.”