Late last month (June 23), Verzuz took us back to when your biggest issue was running out of room on your walls for Word Up! posters. With the vocal battle between Ray J, Sammie, Omarion and other favorite millennial heartthrobs fresh on our minds, we just got another performance we never knew we needed. Saturday night (July 2), Drake hit the stage with the Backstreet Boys.
After forming in 1993, the Backstreet Boys dominated the pop charts for the 99s and the 2000s. On Saturday, Drake joined them in his hometown of Toronto, Canada for their 1999 hit, “I Want It That Way.” According to fans, Drake’s performance came as a complete surprise. “Drake man. Holy hell. We didn’t even see him at first, he just Morgan Freeman God’ed it and started talking about how he’s the [sixth] Backstreet Boy,” an excited fan said. In disbelief, another added, “BACKSTREET BOYS GOT DRAKE OUT TO SING ‘[I] WANT IT THAT WAY’ FOR TORONTO N2. HELLO, I’M IN SHOCK [RIGHT NOW.]”
Fans relished in the nostalgia with posts like, “Backstreet Boys brought Drake out tonight at their Toronto show. And he [sang] ‘I Want It That Way’ with them. So cool to see if you grew up singing their songs in the 90s.” One user noted how decades later, the chart-topping group that played a role in shaping our teenage years is still relevant: “Drake aside, it’s honestly AMAZING the crowds that the Backstreet Boys is still pulling while STILL sounding great. A testament of TIME.” Another element of the show that seemed to be a hit was the blending of cultures. “The best of both worlds,” a fan said. Another echoed, “Life is not real because why is Drake on stage with the Backstreet Boys wearing a C-Murder T-shirt?”
Check out a clip of the iconic performance and the top tweets below.