Backstreet Boys scored a major hit with their U.S. debut single, “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” but it turns out that the song didn’t take much time to write. The track was co-written by Max Martin with British producer and songwriter Herbie Crichlow, with the latter contributor claiming that he wrote the song in less than half an hour after being inspired by a fight with his wife.
In a verified annotation, Crichlow broke down exactly how the song came together:
Crichlow frequently collaborated with Backstreet Boys early in their career and penned another hit for the group with 1999’s “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely.” He has also worked with other boybands such as O-Town, and recently wrote songs with former One Direction member ZAYN.
“Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” was originally released in 1996 on the international version of Backstreet Boy’s self-titled debut album. One year later, it arrived as the first single from the U.S. version of the LP, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1997.
Read all the lyrics to Backstreet Boys' “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” on Genius.
