Groups like Why Don’t We and PRETTYMUCH continue to be part of the pop music landscape, but boybands as a whole aren’t exactly known for having a long shelf life. Mostly due to the ever-changing tastes of the young teen demographic they cater to, many boy bands struggle to achieve consistent popularity in the long-term. Then again, not every boyband is Backstreet Boys.
The ‘90s heartthrobs, who are in the midst of a high-profile Las Vegas residency, released “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” back in May. It’s the group’s first new music in five years, and it reached No. 63 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week. While this pales in comparison to the group’s late-'90s smashes like “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” and “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” it’s a solid achievement for a boyband that’s been around for over two decades.
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” is the group’s first charting hit as a lead artist since 2005’s “Incomplete,” although their Florida Georgia Line collaboration “God, Your Mama, and Me” did reach No. 46 back in 2017. So far, it’s amassed over 25 million YouTube views, 13 million Spotify streams, and 80,000 pageviews on Genius.
In terms of content, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” doesn’t stray too far from songs the group is best known for, although it underscores familiar lyrics with more contemporary, electronic-driven production:
I’m not that kind of person
Who can fall in and out of love with you
That’s not what love’s supposed to do
Baby, don’t go breaking my heart, breaking my heart
Somewhat similar pop boyband acts, such as New Kids on the Block and Hanson, are still active, but haven’t charted a single in a decade or more. Others, like ‘N Sync, have long since splintered. Whether “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” becomes a Top 40 hit remains to be seen, but a ‘90s boyband scoring any charting single in 2018 is certainly no easy feat.
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to Backstreet Boys' “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” on Genius now.
