I Want It That Way

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"I Want It That Way"
Single by Backstreet Boys
from the album Millennium
B-side "My Heart Stays With You"
Released April 12, 1999
Format CD single
Recorded November 1998
Cheiron Studios
(Stockholm, Sweden)
(My Heart Stays With You Po' House Studios, NY)
(I'll Be There For You Parc Studios, Orlando, FL)
Genre Pop
Length 3:33
Label Jive
Writer(s) Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson
Producer Max Martin, Kristian Lundin
Backstreet Boys singles chronology
"All I Have To Give"
(1998)
"I Want It That Way"
(1999)
"Larger Than Life"
(1999)

"I Want It That Way" is a hit song by the Backstreet Boys, and their first single from their 1999 album Millennium. It was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson along with other producers. The song was highly played on the radio and the video, directed by Wayne Isham, was well played on television. It was later released on the Backstreet Boys' greatest hits album, The Hits: Chapter One, in 2001. It is considered one of their signature songs.

The song is still routinely played on both radio and video and the single has been highly critically acclaimed, winning and being nominated for various awards including, three Grammy nominations, MTV awards and Billboard Awards, as well as many others. It reached number 1 in over 25 countries.

Contents

Writing and inspiration [edit]

In an interview with HitQuarters, Carlsson described the genesis of the song: "‘I Want It That Way’ was a play with words.

When Max came up with the original idea for the song, it already had the line 'you are my fire, the one desire'. We tried a million different variations on the second verse, and finally we had to go back to what was sounding so great, 'you are my fire, the one desire'. And then we changed it to 'am I your fire, your one desire', which made absolutely no sense in combination with the chorus - but everybody loved it!"[1]

The acoustic-guitar arpeggio riff, which forms the song's intro and reiterates throughout the verses, was written at the very end of the recording sessions and was, according to Carlsson, inspired by "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. The song is written in the key of F# minor and their vocals span from E4 to B5.[2]

History [edit]

"I Want It That Way" was written in October 1998, by frequent collaborators Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson. When the members of the Backstreet Boys came to Stockholm in November 1998 for a two week recording engagement, they were eventually presented the demo, which at the time only consisted of the main chorus. Upon leaving Sweden on November 16, vocals for the song had been completed in two days.

This was originally not intended to be the first single, as Larger Than Life held that position because it was completed before I Want It That Way. This was due to the album up until early 1999 planning to be titled "Larger Than Life" and follow the similar formula of their previous studio album "Backstreet's Back" having an upbeat lead single that included the album's title in its own titling. This was changed due to hearing the final version of the "I Want It That Way" and the group's desire to move in a more mature direction, by utilizing a mid-tempo track as the lead single. Zomba Recording executives had to be convinced to approve of the song as the first single, due to them citing that the group could "alienate fans" with a mid-tempo song that had vague lyrical meaning.

In the end, press information in the form of snippets were authorized for release to radio stations in March 1999, to precede the song's release to radio in April. An alternate version of lyrics were written and recorded by the band in January 1999. This version was included in some early demo presses of the album. In this alternate version, the song has the opposite message ("I love it when I hear you say, I want it that way"). Some of the lyrics are common among both versions, and other lines are changed but end on the same rhyming words ("My heart is on fire/Such a strong desire"). The alternative lyrics were written by Martin and Carlsson in collaboration with Mutt Lange.[1]

The alternate version was leaked on the internet via Napster and other methods in the early 2000s, and was also played infrequently on some radio stations. According to then-member of the Boys' backing band, Tommy Smith, the album version is the "original version"; the alternate version was recorded because the chorus of the album version did not make sense.[3]

Popular success [edit]

The single broke the record for most radio station adds in its first week with 165. It reached the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts, where it stayed for ten non consecutive weeks.[4] On the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream chart, it set a record for most weeks at number one. The single, however, failed to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking and then stalling out at number six for eight non-consecutive weeks. The song hit big in the United Kingdom, where it debuted at number one.[5] "I Want It That Way" made chart history in the Netherlands being the first single ever to debut at number one in the Top 40, without being in the "Tip Parade" first.

The song also entered the charts at number one in Italy, Spain, Canada, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. The song is also highly critically acclaimed. The song was voted number three on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s in December 2007,[6] number ten in the MTV/Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Pop Songs Of All Time" in 2000. It was ranked number sixteen on Blender Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born list and number sixty-one on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs Of The Past 25 Years in June 2003. It was ranked number one in MTV's Top 99 Of 99 special.

The song was also the 15th biggest selling boyband single of the 1990s in the UK selling 423,300 copies. The video itself ranked as number three on the top 10 list of the most iconic videos of all time at the TRL finale. The song was also nominated for three Grammys in 2000 for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo or Group Performance; it lost all three to Santana's "Smooth."[7]

Music video [edit]

The music video is set mainly at Los Angeles International Airport on April 1, 1999 (date filmed), and features prominent special effects scene transitions between shots. Notably, a high-speed zoom effect which makes it appear that the foreground subject has not changed to a new shot while the background has, fades in and out of white, and shifting between different film speeds during shots. Another special effects sequence using greenscreen, in which the band, dressed in white, would perform a dance sequence while being manipulated over the backdrop of an airport lobby was mostly cut from the video, as it was felt that a dance sequence did not fit with the song, though elements of the dance remain in the second chorus, as do non-dance elements that sequence. As the band prepares to board their plane, they are greeted by a crowd of screaming fans bearing signs and flowers.

The Tom Bradley International Terminal is featured when the band sings the chorus. The video reached #35 on "Muchmusic's 100 Best Videos." The song's music video has been parodied by Blink-182 in their music video for the song "All The Small Things".

Track listing [edit]

  • UK
CD1
  1. "I Want It That Way" (Radio Version) - 3:34
  2. "My Heart Stays With You" - 3:37
  3. "I'll Be There For You" - 4:43
CD2[8]
  1. I Want It That Way (Album Version)
  2. I Want It That Way (David Morales Club Version)
  3. I Want It That Way (The Wunder Dub)
  4. I Want It That Way (Jazzy Jim Vocal Mix)

Awards And Nominations [edit]

MTV Video Music Awards [edit]

Year Recipient Award Result
1999 "I Want It That Way" Video of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Video Nominated
Best Group Video Nominated
Viewer's Choice Won

MTV Europe Music Awards [edit]

Year Recipient Award Result
1999 "I Want It That Way" Best Song Nominated

Grammy Awards [edit]

Year Recipient Award Result
2000 "I Want It That Way" Record of the Year Nominated
Song of the Year Nominated
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal Nominated

MuchMusic Video Awards [edit]

Year Recipient Award Result
1999 "I Want It That Way" Peoples Choice Favorite International Group Won

Parodies, covers and in popular culture [edit]

Censorship [edit]

On August 19, 2011, China's Ministry of Culture released a list of 100 songs including the then 12-year-old "I Want it That Way" that were required to be removed from the Internet. This purge came about because the Ministry claimed that these songs had been released without first being subjected to a mandatory screening process conducted by Ministry officials as per official government policy. Media sites were given until the 15th of September to delete the named songs or face unspecified penalties. The Chinese government claims that such measures are necessary for national security purposes.[15]

Charts [edit]

Peak positions [edit]

Chart (1999) Peak
position
Australian Singles Chart 2
Austrian Singles Chart 1[16]
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders) 4[17]
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia) 7[18]
Canadian Singles Chart 1
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 2[19]
Danish Singles Chart 2[20]
Dutch Singles Chart 1
European Hot 100 Singles 1
Finnish Singles Chart 4[21]
French Singles Chart 20[22]
German Singles Chart 1
Irish Singles Chart 3
Italian Singles Chart 1
New Zealand Singles Chart 1[23]
Norwegian Singles Chart 1[24]
Spanish Singles Chart 1
Swedish Singles Chart 2[25]
Swiss Singles Chart 1
UK Singles Chart 1[5]
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 6
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 1
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream 1
U.S. Hot 100 Airplay 1

End of year charts [edit]

End of year chart (1999) Position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart[26] 3
UK Singles Chart 35
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[27] 15
Preceded by
"We're Going to Ibiza" by Vengaboys
Dutch Top 40 number-one single
May 29, 1999 to 5 June 1999 (1 week)
Succeeded by
"Best Friend" by Toy-Box
Preceded by
"Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears
Eurochart Hot 100 number one single
22 May 1999 (7 weeks)
Succeeded by
"My Love Is Your Love" by Whitney Houston
Preceded by
"Swear It Again" by Westlife
UK Singles chart number-one single
May 9, 1999 - May 16, 1999 (1 week)
Succeeded by
"You Needed Me" by Boyzone
Preceded by
"Look at Me" by Geri Halliwell
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
6 June 1999 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
"Livin' la Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin
Preceded by
"You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins
Billboard Adult Contemporary number-one single
July 31, 1999 (first run)
August 28, 1999 (second run)
October 2–9, 1999 (third run)
November 6 - December 11, 1999 (fourth run)
Succeeded by
"You'll Be in My Heart " by Phil Collins
"That's the Way It Is" by Celine Dion
Preceded by
"Flat Beat"
by Mr. Oizo
German Singles Chart
14 May 1999 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
Mambo No. 5
by Lou Bega
Preceded by
"Changes"
by Tupac Shakur
Norwegian Singles Chart
Week 18 1999 (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom!!
by Vengaboys
Preceded by
"Baby One More Time"
by Britney Spears
Austrian Singles Chart
16 May (2 weeks)
Succeeded by
Flat Beat
by Mr Oizo
Preceded by
"Baby One More Time"
by Britney Spears
Swiss Singles Chart
16 May (3 weeks)
Succeeded by
Mambo No. 5
by Lou Bega

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b "Interview With Andreas Carlsson", HitQuarters, 27 July 2009.
  2. ^ Backstreet Boys. "Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
  3. ^ BSB Band FAQ #9, archived at archive.org. Archive is circa 2001; FAQ is circa 1999. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 26. 
  5. ^ a b Chart Stats - Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
  6. ^ 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s
  7. ^ "42nd Annual Grammy Awards - 2000". Rock On The Net. 2000-02-23. Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
  8. ^ "Images for Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
  9. ^ [1][dead link]
  10. ^ [2][dead link]
  11. ^ [3][dead link]
  12. ^ "Interview: Steel Panther". Nick Pollard. 2013-01-04. Retrieved 2013-01-04. 
  13. ^ [4][dead link]
  14. ^ "Brokebackstreet Farmers - I want it that way". YouTube. 2011-12-30. Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
  15. ^ "Lady Gaga and Katy Perry: banned in China for 'being vulgar'". 
  16. ^ austriancharts.at
  17. ^ ultratop.be/nl
  18. ^ ultratop.be/fr
  19. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 69, No. 9, June 21, 1999". RPM. Retrieved 2011-01-30. 
  20. ^ "Hits of the World: Denmark (IFPI/Nielsen Marketing Research) 06/07/99". Billboard (Nielsen Business Media) 111 (25): 53. 19 June 1999. ISSN 0006-2510. 
  21. ^ finnishcharts.com
  22. ^ lescharts.com
  23. ^ charts.org.nz
  24. ^ norwegiancharts.com
  25. ^ swedishcharts.com
  26. ^ "Top Singles - Volume 70, No. 8, December 13, 1999". RPM. Retrieved 2010-11-03. 
  27. ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Retrieved 2010-08-28. 

External links [edit]