The sound of a guitar chord comes over the speakers in your car, at a bar, or even in a grocery store. Before you even fully recognize the song, you’re singing it: “You are my fire …” Somehow, this song has been encoded into your subconscious and you know all the lyrics without even having to think about it.
The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” was released on April 12, 1999 as the lead single from their Millennium album. In addition to becoming a mainstay on TRL, it was nominated for three Grammy Awards and the music video received four MTV VMA nominations, ultimately winning the Viewer’s Choice Award.
To this day, “I Want It That Way” is a defining song of the teen pop era of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s.
But did you know …
1. The Swedes
“I Want It That Way” was off to a strong start from the beginning thanks to the dream team that wrote it: Swedish pop hitmakers Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson.
Martin is especially well-known for his songwriting prowess. As of 2025, he’s written or co-written 28 Billboard Hot 100 #1 songs, including “ … Baby One More Time,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “I Kissed a Girl,” “Shake It Off,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
Carlsson actually opened for the Backstreet Boys (BSB) in Sweden in 1996, but he found he was a better songwriter than pop star. In addition to his work for BSB, he went on to write hits for acts like NSYNC, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, and Bon Jovi.
2. Boy band goes metal
Remember that iconic guitar intro we mentioned? Although this acoustic arpeggio riff is one of the most memorable parts of the famous pop song, its source is more hardcore than you might expect.
The riff is actually inspired by Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters.” Like in “I Want It That Way,” the repeating acoustic sound forms the backdrop throughout the song.
Metallica also played a part in the making of BSB’s documentary, Backstreet Boys: Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of. Band member Howie Dorough said Metallica’s rock doc was one of the main inspirations for their own film.
3. Blink and you’ll miss it
The “I Want It That Way” music video was basically just as popular as the song itself. TRL played it daily for months, and it clinched the #1 spot in the show’s “Top 99 of ‘99” countdown on New Year’s Eve.
But the real sign that you’ve hit it big? You get spoofed.
Blink 182’s music video for “All the Small Things” included obvious references to “I Want It That Way” along with some other popular hits at the time, like “Genie in a Bottle.” And that was just the beginning. The song and/or music video has been parodied countless times, including a Weird Al song about eBay and music videos for “Worldwide” by Big Time Rush and “Walks Like Rihanna” by The Wanted.
4. What did they say?
What is “that” way, anyway?!
If you’ve ever thought this to yourself while listening to “I Want It That Way,” you’re not alone. The lyrics don’t exactly make a lot of sense, an issue that — according to band member Kevin Richardson — may have stemmed from fact that the Swedish songwriters weren’t fully fluent in English at the time.
BSB seems to have embraced the mystery surrounding the lyrics, however. Talking to ET about the song in 2018, the band doubled down on the nonsense lyrics. They essentially said it’s open to interpretation and doesn’t have any particular meaning. As band member Brian Littrell explained, “Some of the greatest songs mean nothing! It happens.”
5. Melodic math
There’s another theory as to why the lyrics for “I Want It That Way” don’t make a whole lot of sense: math.
Melodic math is a strategy implemented by co-writer Max Martin to create catchy pop songs. He focuses on the melody and the hook above all else, while lyrics are more of an afterthought. With melodic math, it’s actually more important that the syllables of the words have a balanced sound with the melody.
Basically, if the song sounds that great, people won’t really care what the lyrics are!
6. Opposite Day
BSB actually recorded an alternate version of “I Want It That Way” in which the song’s message is reversed. Instead of “I never want to hear you say …” as the final line of the chorus, it’s “I love it when I hear you say, I want it that way.”
Does the message in this version make more sense then the original? We’ll let you be the judge — listen to the alternate lyrics here.
7. Hopped off the plane at LAX
The “I Want It That Way” music video was filmed at Los Angeles International Airport in April 1999, with the band dressed in all white as they dance in the Tom Bradley International Terminal and sing to fans on a tarmac.
BSB members later realized how unique the opportunity had been. After 9/11, filming at an airport became nearly impossible.
8. Teenage dream
Can you imagine getting cast in your favorite band’s music video? Devon Daniels, now in her early 40s, got to live the dream back in ‘99.
In 2021, Daniels went viral on TikTok for sharing her story from being an extra in the “I Want It That Way” music video. Just 17 at the time, she won a call-in radio sweepstakes to participate and appeared as one of the fans in the airplane hangar.
After she shared some behind-the-scenes photos from the video shoot, she got a shoutout from band member Nick Carter, who responded on social media.
9. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
You can thank Andy Samberg for one of the most memorable tributes to “I Want It That Way.” In a cold open for a season five episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, his character Jake has the members of a police lineup sing the song to help a victim identify a killer. Before long, it turns into a group sing-a-long. Classic.
10. Ohh … “THAT” way
The TV series Tokyo Vice provides an interesting look at how “I Want It That Way” became an international phenomenon. Set in Tokyo in 1999 and based on a memoir by Jake Adelstein, the show features an American journalist investigating the yakuza.
It’s a pretty gritty show, but a moment with the iconic BSB song definitely provides a bit of levity — along with a moment of connection between American and Japanese culture. Apparently the band really was a big deal in Japan at the time, and the show features the journalist connecting with Sato, a yakuza member, while listening to “I Want It That Way” in the car.
The scene also delves into the perennial question of what the lyrics really mean. Sato’s take is a little racy … watch the scene to see if you agree with him.
“I Want It That Way” may be one of the best karaoke songs ever. Forward this to the person you’d pull up on stage to sing it with you.
Editorial: Ashley
Illustration: Nick