The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song and Record of the Year, and has been included in lists by Blender, MTV, Rolling Stone and VH1. Critically, the song was met with positive reception, with many critics commending its catchiness, also calling it the pop ballad of the year. The pop ballad talks about a relationship strained by matters of emotional or physical distance.

It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, while Martin and Kristian Lundin produced it. It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, Millennium. During the episode, a fan called in and asked the boys the question that has been on all our minds since 2009.'I Want It That Way' is a song by American boy band the Backstreet Boys. The group is currently gearing up for their DNA World Tour and recently appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. The group been off and on in the public eye until 2019 when they announced with another album which debuted at number one. Now they’re all dads: Richardson, Carter, McLean, and Dorough each have 2 children, and Littrell has one. Back in the day, they were the biggest boy group and they traveled all over the world performing to stadiums full of screaming fans. The Backstreet Boys consists of group members Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter, AJ McLean, and Howie Dorough.

Now, a shocking 21 years after that song came out, the boy band is finally admitting the song makes no sense. The Backstreet Boys achieved both those marks when the group of 5 guys burst onto the music scene in 1995 when they released their first single, “We’ve Got It Goin’ On.” From there, the group hit mega status and their biggest hit “I Want It That Way” was all over the radio in 1999. It can be hard to predict what song or artist is going to hit superstar status, but it’s easy to recognize when they do.

Backstreet boys tell me why