Howie Dorough & Fellow Backstreet Boys Release Claymation Video for “Christmas in New York”

Everything’s a-oclay for Howie Dorough

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys have released a new music video for their holiday track “Christmas in New York.”

Howie Dorough, BSB, Backstreet BoysThe sweet and sentimental visual sees the quintet — Nick Carter, Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson — passionately singing the holiday track while their claymation counterparts explore a twinkling New York City during Christmas time.

The claymation dolls of the boy group witness and participate in classic scenes.

One features a dressed up Santa with an elf at his side ringing a bells and asking for donations with a big red bucket. The dolls head down to the TV-decorated intersection of Times Square, take a horse-drawn carriage ride in Central Park, view the holiday windows at Macy’s 34th street and go ice-skating in Rockefeller Center.

“All the elves are busy/ On Macy’s eighth floor/ It’s good to know there is still a miracle on 34th/ But what I love the most/ Is holding you this close/ This is what they made the Season for/ Oh, spending Christmas in/ Oh, another Christmas in/ Oh, yes, another Christmas in New York,” Littrell closes out the song with the rest of the members.

“Christmas in New York” hails from the boy band’s A Very Backstreet Christmas. The LP — which marked the group’s first collection of yuletide songs and its first studio effort in three years — was released on October 14 via BMG. The set charted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200 following its release.

In addition to “Christmas in New York,” other holiday tracks like “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” are included on the album.

“Christmas in New York” is one of three original Christmas songs on the album; the others are titled “Together” and “Happy Days.”

Howie Dorough & His Fellow Backstreet Boys’ “Last Christmas” Cover Hits No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay Chart

It’s a Christmas season to remember for Howie Dorough

The 49-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his Backstreet Boys band mates have dashed to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Radio Airplay chart dated December 3, reflecting plays in the Nov. 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate.

Howie Dorough, Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys notche their third Adult Contemporary No. 1 and first since its pop classic “I Want It That Way” reigned for 10 weeks beginning in July 1999.

The act first led with “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” for seven weeks starting in October 1998.

Backstreet Boys’ triumphant return to the AC summit grants them the record for the longest break between No. 1s among groups: a week shy of exactly 23 years since the last frame on top for “I Want It That Way.”

Among all acts, only Elton John has waited longer between time at No. 1 (23 years, 11 months and a week between “Something About the Way You Look Tonight” in 1998 and “Merry Christmas,” with Ed Sheeran, last holiday season).

Among groups, Backstreet Boys pass the Eagles (a week short of 20 years between “Best of My Love” in 1975 and “Love Will Keep Us Alive” in 1995).

Backstreet Boys’ update of “Last Christmas” is from their first holiday LP, A Very Backstreet Christmas, which launched at No. 1 on the Top Holiday Albums chart in October. Another song from the set, “Christmas in New York,” rises to a new No. 19 AC high.

Released in 1984, Wham!’s “Last Christmas” — written and produced by George Michael — re-enters the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100 at No. 23. The song hit the top 10 for the first time in the 2020 holiday season and reached a No. 7 best last season. On the Holiday 100, the carol ranks at No. 6 as the survey returns.

With the original receiving strong airplay, and streams, each holiday season – Wham’s version ranks at No. 5 on the December 3-dated Holiday Airplay list with 19.8 million audience impressions – charted covers of “Last Christmas” have been rare, although all by high-profile acts.

Howie Dorough & the Backstreet Boys to Release Boy Band’s First Christmas Album “A Very Backstreet Christmas”

Howie Dorough is embracing the holiday spirit…

The 48-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer and his fellow Backstreet Boys bandmates will be ringing in Christmas early with the release of A Very Backstreet Christmas, a collection of yuletide classics plus three freshly cut tracks, out October 14.

Howie Dorough, BSB, Backstreet Boys
For their first-ever Christmas album and first studio effort in three years, the boy band has recorded “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and other timeless numbers, along with new songs “Christmas in New York,” “Together,” and “Happy Days.”

 

In addition, the ‘90s pop superstars will release exclusive versions that include a 15-track CD through Target, which will feature bonus tracks “Feliz Navidad” and “It’s Christmas Time Again,” and a limited-edition red-vinyl on the act’s official store.

“We’ve been wanting to do a Christmas album for nearly 30 years now, and we’re beyond excited that it’s finally happening,” co-founder Dorough said in a statement. “We had such a fun experience putting our BSB twist on some of our favorite Christmas classics and can’t wait to be part of our fans’ holiday season.”

The Backstreet Boys are currently on the North American leg of their DNA World Tour, which kicked off in April with four shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Those dates are in support of DNA, the band’s 2019 album which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the act’s third No. 1, and first leader since Black & Blue spent two weeks at No. 1 in December of 2000.

DNA earned a Grammy nomination in the category for best pop duo/group performance (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”), and it marked BSB’s 10th top 10 album in the U.S.

Across their 29-year career, the quintet has shifted some 130 million records, according to BMG, which signed the BSB back in 2013.

Here’s the track list for A Very Backstreet Christmas:

“White Christmas”
“The Christmas Song”
“Winter Wonderland”
“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
“Last Christmas”
“O Holy Night”
“This Christmas”
“Same Ole Lang Syne”
“Silent Night”
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
“Christmas in New York”
“Together”
“Happy Days”
“Feliz Navidad” *
“It’s Christmas Time Again” *

*Target version only