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From TV Hits

Backstreet Boys became so huge all over the rest of the world so
quickly that they never had time to conquer America! But now they're
ready, and their fave mag, TV HITS, was invited to Miami to see it all
begin!


Welcome to Miami!
"Mmm bop, ba duba dop, mmm bop ba duba dop."
We're just stepping out of a lift into a hotel lobby in Miami, Florida, and someone is belting out that
Hanson song. Of course, that someone had to be Nick Carter. "I love that tune, it's just so catchy
and real easy for me to sing to!" he laughs.
We soon find the rest of the Backstreet Boys milling around the lobby of The Raleigh Hotel on
Miami Beach and yes, they're very happy. "We've just had ten days off and it was brilliant," raves
Brian. "The only thing is, it's hard getting back into the work routine again." Not surprisingly, the
guys spent their holidays apart. "Hey, don't you think I see enough of these guys as it is?" jokes
A.J! Brian, Howie and A.J. all went off to exotic locations with friends, while Nick and his family
travelled around the US, hitting many a theme park!
Kevin stayed at home in Orlando, though. "I just wanted to relax," he explains. "I do enough
travelling with the band. To me, a real holiday is being able to relax at home and just catch up with
friends and stuff."
It's been a year and a half since the lads last had any proper time off and they're still in holiday
mood. They've flown from Orlando to Miami this morning to start a US promo tour, and their first
stop is MTV Latino, a Spanish-speaking version. Having spent so much time with the guys in
Europe, it's weird to see them in a country - even weirder, their home country - without all the fuss
that follows them everywhere they go. The staff at the station are polite, but not too bothered. Now
if it'd been MTV Europe they'd have been mobbed by the workers, their kids and the cleaner's dog!

Viva Espanol!
Howie's particularily excited about MTV Latino as it gives him a chance to practice his Spanish.
"I'm not exactly totally fluent," he admits modestly, "but I can definitely get by." He's soon
gabbling away in Spanish with the show's presenter and sounds pretty darn fluent to us! The
show's rounded off by a rather splendid Spanish version of Anywhere For You - nice. Nick's
having some trouble remembering the words in his solo bit, but Howie helps him out 'til it's
perfect. Bless.

Grub's up!
Everything's running behind schedule, but no-one seems to care. The guys are really relaxed and
it's brilliant to see. Over lunch they want to catch up on all the gossip from the UK. "How are 911
doing, where are Boyzone at the moment, what are Spice Girls up to?"
They then take turns filling us in on all their travelling tales - it's hysterical! Did you know that
every time they do a show with the Spicies, those naughty misses insist on sharing a dressing room
with the Boys?! And recently they read that 911 had listed BSB as one of their influences. "We
were just so touched by that," raves Brian. "We see them as our contemporaries, and for them to
say something like that is just mindblowing!"
While A.J's looking through an issue of TV HITS he spots a feature on Dru Hill and is majorly
interested... "They're pretty young, too, aren't they? People keep telling me I really sound like
Sisqo and I think that's a real compliment. I think Dru Hill are excellent."
Meanwhile, Nick's gabbling away about everything and anything. We've known the guys for quite
a while now, and hanging out with them like this has let us see just how much they've changed,
especially Nick. He's blossomed from the self-conscious young teenager we first met into a sorted,
confident young man. Aaaaw!

Back to work!
After lunch the guys have some more filming to do. It's in the middle of a shopping mall, but
no-one bats an eyelid. "It's brilliant for us," says Brian. "We start to feel like five normal guys
again - we don't need any security and people aren't staring or anything. It's exciting starting all
over again!" But it's obvious it won't last for long. Just from the excitement they've created with
their first couple of interviews, it's easy to see that Backstreet fever will soon strike America.
Everyone's convinced the time is right for the guys to take on their homeland, and especially with
Spice Girls doing so well out there, the way's been paved. America's ready.

Get yer skates on!
As the guys wander through the mall, Nick spots a skate shop. "Oh man, I've gotta go in there!"
Nick has officially gone roller-blading mad... "I don't get much time to practice as I never usually
take my blades on tour, but because I've been home for a bit I've really got into it. We're going to
Hawaii for a week tomorrow, and my mom's coming out to meet us, so she's bringing my skates
as there're some really cool skate spots there!"
A.J's equally excited about the skate shop. "I'm into it now, too" he says. "It's just that I'm not
very good!" His mum backs him up on that one. "It's really weird - he's a brilliant dancer, but put
him on a pair of rollerblades and he's all over the place!" laughs Denise.
It's then time for a visit to another shopping mall for a signing, but on the way back to the bus
Brian drags us into a chemist. "I need you to help me decide what colour to dye my hair," he
pleads. "I know I want it red, but I don't know which shade!" We help pick a rather fetching russet
colour. The only prob is, the instructions are in Spanish, so don't blame us if next time you see a
picture of Brian he's got bright pink hair or something!

They're an energetic bunch this lot, and back at the hotel everyone soon decides they're not tired
anymore so it's outside for a quick game of "Whiffle Ball" (it's like baseball, but with a plastic bat
with a hole in so when you hit it it goes, "whiffffffle") on the beach. Everyone except for A.J, that
is - he's busy trying out his new blades! He's not doing too badly either, that is until he has to stop.
Well, he can't actually, so he ends up slamming into things - a lamp post, a bin or another
Backstreet Boy! Someone in the apartment block above the street doesn't seem too impressed with
his blading, though, and lobs an egg at him. Charming!
In between his skating A.J's excitedly telling us about his new place. "I've just rented this
apartment for six months, and I'm having a studio built in the spare bedroom. But when the
contract's up I've seen this house I want to buy in Orlando... actually, I've just heard that Warwick
Castle in England's been sold for about two and a half million pounds. Wow, that'd be so cool to
have your own castle in Britain - think of the parties you could have! I'd definitely do it if I could
ever afford it. I'd either keep it really traditonal or go completely mad with it, fill it with really wild,
colourful, art deco stuff and loads of mirrors. I love mirrors - I've got loads in my place. They're
not really for looking in - I've only got one small one for myself. I mean, with this hair (he's just
completely shaved his head - but don't worry, he's growing it back again as we speak!), I just look
and go! But I love funky ones. I've just bought this huge one and I cracked it from the middle out,
and with a couple of candles in front of it it looks really effective!" How about that, then - home
decorating tips the McLean way!
It's half eight at night and by now everyone's exhausted, but we all decide to go out for a meal.
Now where food is concerned it's never an easy decision in the BSB camp, but eventually everyone
agrees on Cuban - Howie's choice! We stroll along the beach front until we find the restaurant
owned by Gloria Estefan - the guys are dead excited they might meet Glo herself!

By the seaside!
Nick and Brian are running off ahead as usual, mucking about and being their usual cheeky li'l
selfs. Every now and again you'll hear, "Hey Frick," then, "Whassup, Frack?" and so on.
Everyone else is ambling along behind, chatting and chilling. It's a real holiday atmosphere and it's
brilliant to see, and even better to be a part of.
It's very hard to describe exactly what a BSB dinner is like - it's chaos, madness, mayhem and a
lorra, lorra fun. Oh, and some food is eaten, too, believe it or not! Back at the hotel it's time to say
our goodbyes again. The guys are off to Hawaii for a week of photo-shoots tomorrow - nice work
if you can get it - then it's back to the serious business of breaking America. It's the final part of
this pop tkae-over and the most important bit for them. And without a doubt, it's gonna be huge.
World domination is inevitable...

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