AJ McLean Talks New Solo Album, Backstreet Boys Biggest Hits, Sphere Shows and Sobriety
Zach Sang Show
Sangasong, LLC
4.6 • 685 Ratings
🗓️ 15 April 2026
⏱️ 91 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
It’s been 16 years since his debut solo album and now AJ McLean is back with it’s follow up ‘my name is Alexander James.’ Of course it’s not like he’s been resting on his laurels since 2010: he’s a dad of two girls, for one thing, and The Backstreet Boys have been verrrrry busy, and they’re bigger than ever. We discuss the huge success of their Las Vegas Sphere shows and how it all kicked off back in Sin City 2017 when nine shows at Planet Hollywood stretched into 81!
Wonderfully open and funny, McLean is more than happy to talk about the Backstreet Boys earlier years, recording their biggest hits in Sweden with Max Martin before Max Martin was the songwriting legend and producer he is today. He also reminisces about moving to LA back in the day and living in the same apartment complex as Britney Spears and Ryan Gosling circa the Mickey Mouse Club. Plus McClean discusses his twisty path to sobriety, the fights the boys have had, what he thinks of Blink-182’s iconic BB spoof and so much more.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, beautiful human. |
| 0:07.0 | Before we dive into today's episode, I'm excited to tell you that it is presented by |
| 0:11.1 | HBO's original show, Euphoria. |
| 0:14.6 | Come on. |
| 0:16.0 | It's one of my favorites. |
| 0:17.1 | And if you thought euphoria was intense in high school, saddle up. |
| 0:21.6 | Starring Zendaya, |
| 0:26.7 | Sydney, Sweeney and Jacob Allorty, season three picks up five years later. Life looks very, |
| 0:31.5 | very different. Everyone's on their own, free to make their own choices that can either build them or break them. They're chasing money, fame, power, love, or redemption. No one, though, escapes their fate. Don't miss season three. Airing now on HBO and HBO Max. This is a cool thing. This is a big deal. We got a one-on-one with an icon, a casual legend. My name is Zach, that's Stan. Hi, beautiful human. We welcome AJ McLean. Yo. Thank you. |
| 0:56.3 | I'll clap for myself. |
| 0:57.2 | As I should. |
| 0:58.1 | Yes. |
| 0:59.3 | Own it. |
| 1:09.7 | First of all, we have like, okay, we have an incredible body of work that by far is different than anything you've ever done before in both the group and in the solo setting. |
| 1:13.7 | So I am very excited to dive into it. |
| 1:23.7 | But on top of that, we are sitting in front of a human being who makes up the highest selling boy band of all time. |
| 1:25.3 | 130 million album sold. |
| 1:29.8 | That's crazy. |
| 1:30.2 | To declare dominance at a time that was so influential and long-term culture, but also |
| 1:39.8 | we'll never see a moment like that ever again. |
| 1:43.4 | Not, I don't think, I don't think in maybe in the group sense, maybe not. |
| 1:49.3 | Obviously looking at artists like Taylor Swift, BTS. |
... |
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