All I Have to Give
If you don’t know what the acronym KTBSPA stands for, I’m not sure we can be friends.
Kidding...sort of.
KTBSPA stands for Keep The BackStreet Pride Alive. It’s a motto true fans of the Backstreet Boys like myself live by and it’s the reason why we get incredibly annoyed when someone says “Oh, are they back together?” THEY NEVER BROKE UP. Get it right, people. Okay, so Kevin left the group for a bit, but the rest of the guys stayed together. That was the time period I finally got to meet them and checked a box off my bucket list.
I’ve been a huge fan of BSB for over 20 years. I grew up with them. Their debut album was the first CD I ever owned. I had the posters, calendars (prime example in the photo below), magazines, keychains, t-shirts, etc. I also used to have recorded VHS tapes of their music videos from way back when MTV actually played music videos. I’m not even the slightest bit embarrassed to admit I can still bust out some of their choreography. Challenge me to a dance-off during Hey, Mr. DJ and I’ll show you my dedication to learning their moves extended far beyond the more well-known routines from songs like I Want It That Way or Everybody.
Clearly our dog wasn't as excited about my 1999 Backstreet Boys calendar as I was.
After all these years of being a fan, I think I appreciate them more now than I did when I was younger. Now that I’m an adult, I hear more stories in their lyrics that resonate with my own life experiences. The fact that Nick is aging like a fine wine (in Amber’s words) and still has the voice of an angel doesn’t hurt either. Most importantly, I have had the opportunity to take some pretty epic trips to see them in concert with some of my best friends. The photos below are from concerts in Kansas City (2011), St. Louis (2013), and Las Vegas (this past March).
While I could listen to their entire catalog without skipping a song, I have always been most drawn to their slower songs. Songs like Darlin’, Undone, Breathe, I Need You Tonight, Safest Place to Hide, and Back to Your Heart. But my all-time favorite song, which has not changed the entire time I have been a fan, is All I Have to Give. Enjoy a live acoustic version of the song below. And then proceed to swoon.
In May 2016, I was at the Florida Georgia Line concert here in Rapid City. During their encore, BK and Tyler declared their love for BSB and covered a portion of Everybody. I was fortunate enough to have captured this magical moment on video, which went viral after I posted it on YouTube. BSB ended up sharing it on their Facebook page and it had over 2.5 million views the last time I checked. So basically you can thank me for the FGL/BSB performance at last year’s ACM Awards (video below), their collaboration on God, Your Mama, & Me, and their upcoming CMT Crossroads episode (check my homepage for a preview).
So there you have it. A small insight to my slight obsession with Nick, Brian, Howie, AJ, and Kevin. Yes, I'm 31 and still love the Backstreet Boys. KTBSPA.
