Backstreet Boys got their first hit country song this year on a collaboration with country duo Florida Georgia and now the two powerhouse acts are teaming up for a “CMT Crossroads” episode airing Aug. 30.
The cross-genre television show will feature all-star group performances of each other’s biggest singles, including “I Want It That Way,” “As Long As You Love Me,” “Cruise” and “H.O.L.Y.” as well as their partnership on the platinum hit “God, Your Momma, and Me.”
The two groups are popping up together a lot this year. They performed together on the Academy of Country Music Awards this year and are playing a series of baseball stadium tour dates this summer.
Longtime fans
FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are longtime fans of the ’90s boy band icons, who are on an upswing after a successful Las Vegas residency this year. Hubbard said in an email interview with The Associated Press that he’s most looking forward to singing their classic, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).”
“It’s crazy to think how we grew up listening to this song and now are on stage performing it together,” Hubbard said. “It still gets me every time!”
With the two groups hitting Boston, Minneapolis and Chicago stadiums, Hubbard said watching the Backstreet Boys performances has been a learning experience.
“These guys are master entertainers, no doubt,” Hubbard said. “But, I gotta say that BK and I have learned to really step up our game all the way around.”
Big hit in Las Vegas
Their performance at the ACMs in Las Vegas in April got everyone from Nicole Kidman to Tim McGraw on their feet to dance along. But the country duo acknowledges that it’s pretty complicated to get all seven singers up on stage together to dance.
“The dance moves are still a new thing for us but we love it, so much so that we even added dancers to our stadium shows,” Kelley said.
Debuting in 2002, “CMT Crossroads” has featured musical mashups between Def Leppard and Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood, and John Mayer and Keith Urban. The one-hour show will air at 10 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on Aug. 30.
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