Nearly two decades after their 1999 “I Want It That Way” MTV VMAs performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, the Backstreet Boys are returning to New York City to celebrate the best in today’s music.
The reunited ’90s boy band has been tapped to perform a special pre-show outside Radio City Music Hall on Monday, before the VMAs, MTV announced Tuesday.
The two-time Video Music Award-winners (who last took home moonmen in 1999) will perform for New Yorkers outside of the venue on Avenue of the Americas, dubbed VMA Way in April. The “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” singers will be joined by rising New York City rapper Bryce Vine (“Drew Barrymore”) and “Mine” singer Bazzi for the red carpet pre-show.
The 8 p.m. pre-show will be hosted by MTV’s Nessa and “Jersey Shore” castmates Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Vinny Guadagnino. Fans can head to the area to catch a glimpse of the performers from afar, or tune into MTV’s Twitter live stream, starting at 7:30 p.m.
The VMAs pre-show performance is only the latest of moves in a packed year for the Backstreet Boys. The band is riding out the successful “Larger Than Life” Las Vegas residency through April 2019, and teased the possibility of two new album releases in a May interview with Entertainment Weekly. Come 2019, the boys will hit the road again for a tour celebrating their 25th anniversary.
The VMAs air live from Radio City Music Hall at 9 p.m. Monday. Mainstage performances include Panic! at the Disco, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande and more.
