It could arguably be the comeback of the decade, and not for the first time either. After an initial split in 2001 and subsequent comeback album in 2006, followed by the departure of one of the five members that same year, the Backstreet Boys have made yet another comeback, the four remaining members proving they are made of the stuff that lasts the distance.
Last Friday the biggest boy band of all times played for a third time in Portugal, at Lisbon’s Pavilhão Atlântico.
Whilst the pavilion only filled with an estimated six thousand fans who had made their way to the venue, the enthusiasm was as vibrant as ever, the anticipation contagious.
Not as extravagant as previous performances, it seems a conscious effort was made to present a more mature and individual four-member band, though the dance moves and vocal efforts were on a par with those of a band at their peak.
Thousands of fans had been queuing since the early hours of the afternoon, littering the surrounding area of the pavilion to ensure the best possible place.
Different generations made up the excited crowd, some fans from the boys’ grand entrance to pop nearly 15 years ago, and other younger fans though still as dedicated.
Some had even travelled from as far away as the UK and Italy, proving that despite a six-year break, debatably successful solo careers, and a one-member-less comeback, those who were faithful, remain faithful.
One young female told The Portugal News how she had followed the band’s career since the very beginning, having followed them on their previous world tours, travelling to countries including Japan, Australia and Russia, before more recently following them to Spain and Portugal.
On the night the quartet performed songs from all their albums, past and present.
Opening with ‘Larger than Life’ from their 1999 album ‘Millennium’, they progressed through a medley of musical renditions, which included their first ever smash hit, ‘Quit Playing Games (with my heart)’ from their introductory album Backstreet Boys, proceeding with favourites from albums ‘Backstreet’s Back’, ‘Black & Blue’, ‘Never Gone’, and their latest chart-topper, ‘Unbreakable’.
With album sales in their millions, a place in The Guinness Book as the ‘biggest boy band of all time’, and no signs of slowing down, the Backstreet Boys certainly do seem to be ‘Unbreakable’, if not unstoppable.
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