This week, From The Vault salutes another phenomenal boyband. Get ready to dance like it’s 1997; today’s pick is ‘Everybody’ by the Backstreet Boys.
At the helm of many of the group’s previous hits was Pop god Max Martin. Hence it was little surprise that he was called on once again after the release of the group’s US debut to cook up this multi-format jam, which went on to become one of the Backstreet Boys’ biggest records to date.
A worldwide Top 10, it placed at #4 in the US and #2 in Canada; it went #2 on the European Singles Chart and #3 in the UK.
Without a spec of doubt, ‘Everybody”s impact on Pop culture comes courtesy of its cinematic video.
Directed by Joseph Kahn, the theatrical clip – in all its whimsicality – was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller.’ Indeed, it paid homage to the iconic short film with its haunted house theme and MTV era dance-break.
From its camp and wacky elements to the “qualitative” choreography, the video achieves the perfect balance between cheese and credible, making for a classic moment in Pop. The boys gave a rousing performance of the song at 1998’s MTV Video Music Awards to further cement its status.
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Echoing earlier sentiments, oh how we miss the days when the male arena was this exciting. Creative visuals, solid vocals, and showmanship in earnest. It sadly seems like the requirements for men in this day and age aren’t what they used to be.
The business of music operates in trends and today seems to skew more towards “cool, minimalism.” However, we can’t but feel there is a certain air of “must-see” present here that is missing in much of the output from today’s top talent. Viewed this way, some of modern day’s chart-toppers would be well advised to take a page from Backstreet’s book if really looking to serve up compelling product that lasts the test of time.
