"When you're doing something over and over again, it kind of becomes a habit," says Nick Carter. You probably know what he means. For instance, if one of your chores is washing the dinner dishes, you know that after getting your hands sudsy at the kitchen sink for a few years, you can get your family's plates squeaky clean without paying too much attention. That means that while your hands are scrubbing away, your brain can be thinking about other things, like what you want to snack on for dessert!

Is that what Nick and the rest of the Backstreet Boys--Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Kevin Richardson--are thinking aobut when they burst on stage for the upteenth time on their concert tour this summer? After all, they've spent countless hours practicing their dance moves and rehearsing singles such as "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" (the acoustic version of this song appears on our special BOP BOYS! CD) from their 1997 self-titled debut album. By the time you see the funky fellas from Florida on stage, they can hit all their notes and slide through all their dance steps atuomatically. So it's entirely possible that in the same way that you daydream while washing dishes, the Backstreet Boys are thinking of other things while they are going through the motions on stage.

Nick admits that he's let his mind wander while he's singing on stage. "Anything could come to my head," the 18-year-old cutie confesses. "I could be singing the words, but I'll be thinking of something else."

Like what, you ask? Could this blond babe be fantasizing about chowing down a cheeseburger and super-sized fries from his fave fast food restaurant, McDonald's? "Oh, yeah," he agrees. "Food, or, I mean, it could be anything."

However, Nick swears that his days of daydreaming on stage are all in the past. "That doesn't happen to me that much anymore," he insists. "Now I've kind of gotten into the music." Instead of imagining his next meal, Nick focuses on his performance and puts his heart and mind into all the tunes he sings!

While Nick has been working to keep his mind from wandering while he's on stage, Kevin thinks he needs to let his mind wander more! That's because this 26-year-old cutie from Kentucky concentrates so hard on all the tiny details of his performance that it's not easy for him to have fun on stage. "I'm a total perfectionist," he admits to BB. "I want everything to be perfect, so sometimes I think I focus too much. I need to zone out more."

Kevin believes that if he stops stressing so much singing and dancing perfectly and lets his mind loose while he's on stage, he'll love performing for you even more. That's because in the past, his onstage flights of fancy have made him totally grateful for his moment in the spotlight. "I remember on the first tour we ever did, we did this one theater that was high, and round, like a bowl," Kevin recalls. "I did a cover tune of Elton John's 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me,' and I had flashbacks to when I was in high school at a talent show. I looked into the audience and saw all the lighters in the air and thought, 'Wow, this is incredible!'"

That's how Kev's cousin Brian feels every time he steps on stage and checks out the audience cheering and smiling at him. "It's a blessing just to get out on stage and see the reactions people," the 23-year-old Kentucky-born songster gushes. "You see a mom and dad and their daughters up in front. You see a whole family, friends, or a whole birthday party group that has come to see the show."

The faces of those families and friends stay in Brian's mind for almost all of his time on stage. "I don't really have, like, a specific picture created in my mind of somebody who I'm singing to because there are a lot of people in the audience to sing to," he shares.

When he's not thinking of the fans in front of him, Brian is concentrating on giving the best performance possible. "From an artist's standpoint, you're focusing on sounding good and presenting yourself well and not messing up on a song," he explains. "A lot of people are watching and waiting to laugh!"

Like Brian, Howie spends most of his time thinking of BSB's loyal fans when he's on stage. "I like looking out at the audience and seeing all those people who are excited to see us," says Howie, who celebrates his 25th birthday on August 22.

But Howie admits that the type of tune he's performing has a serious effect on what's going on in his mind. "It really depends on the song," the Florida-born birthday boy tells us. "If it's like a ballad, I'm constantly looking at the audience and trying to make eye contact and show people that it's coming from the heart. If it's an uptempo song, I'm just getting into the music and trying to get people to get up out of their seats and move around with us." Either way, it's clear that Howie's mind definitely isn't wandering while he's on stage!

Neither is A.J.'s. "As I set foot on stage, I forget about everything," the 20-year-old Florida native tells us. "I don't think about anything but me and the fellas and making those girls out there smile. You can see the stars in their eyes and just watch them be so happy and filled with love."

A.J. digs singing for his fans so much that that's what he daydreams about when he's not on stage! "I thrive being on stage and being a ham," he enthuses. "It's just too much fun!"

As much fun as it is to be in the spotlight, A.J. confesses that once in a great while, he can't help daydreaming for a moment or two while he's performing. Those moments only occur when he and his groupmates are getting into their heart-tuggin ballads. Is he imagining his dream girl or recalling a special girl from his past during these romantic tunes? "A little bit of [both]," A.J. admits. But aside from these rare moments of fantasy, the Backstreet Boys assure you that when you see them on stage, their minds definitely aren't wandering anywhere. They're totally focused on their fans and their music. Kevin shares, "We look over at each other and all we can think is, 'Whoa, this is cool!'"

Have the Backstreet Boys Keivn, Nick, Brian, A.J. and Howie always been gifted groovers or did it take them a while to perfect their style? When BB caught up with the Backstreet Boys choreographer Fatima, the woman behind their magical moves, she gave us the scoop on the babes behind "I'll Never Break Your Heart"! And you can't miss next month's BOP, where Fatima dishes on who's lazy, who's hardworking and much, much more!

BB: How did you hook up with the Backstreet Boys?
Fatima: When the boys were first coming out in 1995, they called me up and sent me a tape of themselves. And I was like, they're kind of cool. They were really, really young and I just saw potential in them.

BB: And did they always have such smooth moves?
Fatima: Well, in the beginning it was like, okay, the beat is here, not there. But now they are so good--they are so good! Sometimes I watch the show and I'm like, wow, I did that. And look at Nick, oh my god! They are really good now.

BB: They sure are! Do you get to tour with them?
Fatima: Yeah, I love traveling with them. Usually I stay out for the first week because usually the first show everyone's so nervous and excited, so it goes pretty good. Then the second show usually comes apart at the seams.

BB: Oh, no! How do they get it together?
Fatima: I always write down notes. And at the end of the show I just go to the dressing room and give their notes.

BB: The guys are totally talented. Was it super easy for them to pick up your dazzling dance style?
Fatima: Actually, they had never done my style before so it was kind of hard in the beginning for all of them. It was kind of like a lot of work. I'd go in and teach them something and then something just didn't look right on them dancing.

BB: So you just keep working on it?
Fatima: Yeah. And now we will turn on the music and we will just dance. Then I'll see what they catch on to. I always see if I can push them.

BB: Do the boys contribute to your choreography?
Fatima: They have ideas. Sometimes they say, "Maybe it would be cool to we do hats." And then I just come up with a hat routine.

BB: Are the guys always super-stoked on your moves?
Fatima: No. There are times when they see things and they are just like, "Nah, not for us." Or they feel like they [look like] they are trying to be someone else.

BB: Cool. So have the Backstreet Boys met your expectations?
Fatima: They did. Those are my boys. I'm really happy that I took the job and that I'm part of their lives. I mean, I've seen them grow up. When I see them in concert they're sooo good!