Brian Littrell Claims *NSYNC Was Designed to Be Competition for Backstreet Boys

Mar. 15, 2025

Backstreet Boys (left), *NSYNC in the 1990s.Photo:Larry Busacca/WireImage; Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty

Larry Busacca/WireImage; Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty

Brian Littrellfeels thatBackstreet Boyshelped open important doors for*NSYNC.Appearing in CW’sThe ’90s Boy Band Boom,Litrell argues the rival boy band was created to be competition for BSB, which also included singers AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter.“When you have a Coca-Cola, why not have a Pepsi? When you have a McDonald’s, why not have a Burger King?” Littrell says.“When you look at your big brother going to Europe and knocking down doors, recording songs and moving the needle across the planet … they strolled right into a concrete highway that was built for success,” he adds.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson of Backstreet Boys circa 1995.Tim Roney/Getty ImagesChris Kirkpatrickof *NSYNC says the rivalry between the two was, in many ways, very beneficial.“The competition between us and the Backstreet Boys was definitely a thing. It was the fans. It was us five. It was those five. It was the songs. It was the shows. It was everything we did, it was a competition,” he says of his own group, which also included JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass.“I’ve told this toAJ[McLean], I’ve said, ‘Listen if it wasn’t for the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC wouldn’t have been as big as we were. And if it weren’t for *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys wouldn’t have been as big as they were,' " Kirkpatrick explains.Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez of *NSYNC in 1998.Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty"Because it would’ve been so easy to be complacent, but because of that rivalry we always had to make sure we were one step ahead of them. It challenged us. It made sure that we never got complacent. Put in the time, put in the work. That was the mentality we always had," he says.98 Degrees’Drew Lacheysays they’d look to both groups as the benchmark across the industry.“You would look at their sales and be like, ‘Man so that’s the standard. That’s what we’re trying to do. This is the goal. We need more. We need more,'” he says.“And a lot of that’s the label. It was kind of like we need more and we’re like ‘Wow our deal with you sucks,’ because we need to recoup.”

Brian Littrellfeels thatBackstreet Boyshelped open important doors for*NSYNC.

Appearing in CW’sThe ’90s Boy Band Boom,Litrell argues the rival boy band was created to be competition for BSB, which also included singers AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Nick Carter.

“When you have a Coca-Cola, why not have a Pepsi? When you have a McDonald’s, why not have a Burger King?” Littrell says.

“When you look at your big brother going to Europe and knocking down doors, recording songs and moving the needle across the planet … they strolled right into a concrete highway that was built for success,” he adds.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson of Backstreet Boys circa 1995.Tim Roney/Getty Images

Tim Roney/Getty Images

Chris Kirkpatrickof *NSYNC says the rivalry between the two was, in many ways, very beneficial.

“The competition between us and the Backstreet Boys was definitely a thing. It was the fans. It was us five. It was those five. It was the songs. It was the shows. It was everything we did, it was a competition,” he says of his own group, which also included JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass.

“I’ve told this toAJ[McLean], I’ve said, ‘Listen if it wasn’t for the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC wouldn’t have been as big as we were. And if it weren’t for *NSYNC, the Backstreet Boys wouldn’t have been as big as they were,’ " Kirkpatrick explains.

Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez of *NSYNC in 1998.Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Margaret Norton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

“Because it would’ve been so easy to be complacent, but because of that rivalry we always had to make sure we were one step ahead of them. It challenged us. It made sure that we never got complacent. Put in the time, put in the work. That was the mentality we always had,” he says.

98 Degrees’Drew Lacheysays they’d look to both groups as the benchmark across the industry.

“You would look at their sales and be like, ‘Man so that’s the standard. That’s what we’re trying to do. This is the goal. We need more. We need more,'” he says.

“And a lot of that’s the label. It was kind of like we need more and we’re like ‘Wow our deal with you sucks,’ because we need to recoup.”

source: people.com