ASK AJ

-How does it feel to have BSB finally be a huge success in the US?
AJ: I’d say it’s a big dream come true! We never really got a chance to be here. For the last year and a half, we’ve been over in Europe. Now we are finally bringing it home. Ithink it’s worth our while. It’s “the bone” as we say.

-are you surprised by the worldwide success of the group?
AJ: shocked, shocked! I’m more or less shocked at how quick things are moving htan I am at what’s happening. The fact that things are going so quickly is what’s blowing my mind. The fast pace of success—it’s like I’m only 20! Slow down and give me alittle time to have a life. I never went to my prom. I never went to high school. I mean, I had to get tutored. I have my ring. I graduated, but I graduated in my hotel room.

-did you really?
AJ: Yeah, I still got to fly back home and graduate with my class. And it was funny because my last name is McLean, so I was supposed to be in the middle, but because I wasn’t there for the actual rehearsal they put melast. All my friends were like ‘Be careful of this one step. Don’t trip’ and what do it do? I trip accepting my award!

-were you embarrassed?
AJ: nothing really embarrasses me. I’m pretty goofy.

-are you looking forward to getting back in the recording studio and creating new BSB music?
AJ: yeah, performing live is more fun, but in a studio is more creative side. You can do anything and everything you want in there—create your songs, create your sound to be the BSB sound. Especially if the five of us learn more about this stuff and coordinate together to make our own sound comfortable for us. Then we’ll step apart from all the other groups and we’ll sound unique. So hopefully within the next year, that will happen. Actually for our next album, Bri wrote a song and the five of us produced it. It’s our first time doing one backstreet boys style

-before you joined BSB you did some acting. Is there any chance you’d consider doing an acting project?
AJ: actually I wanted that to be my first career! I wanted to be a dancer or an actor. I never really wanted to be a singer, but it just kind ofwent that way, I guess. Being in the entertainment business just covers all terrain.you always have to have something to fall back on.

-what would be your dream acting job?
AJ: to do a movie with either Geena Davis or Dusting Hoffman and be bad guy. I would love to be the villain. I mean, the good guy wins, but the villains are the one everyone likes.

-as a bsb you’ve done so much. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
AJ: still making music, I think at that level, jeez, we might split up and do our own thing. There is a solo artist within each one of us. Not right now, but down the road. Like howie with the latin market, or Nick with alternative, but the group Backstreet boys will never break up. We’ll always be a group, doing different things at different times. Maybe two or three of us will be working together.

-what do you think it is about bsb that the fans find so special?
AJ: we’re real. That’s what makes us special, being real. We have nothing to hide.