Nick Carter feels most himself when he’s making music. After touring the world with the Backstreet Boys for the previous 4 years, one would possibly suppose he’d step again and take a a lot deserved break — however, in truth, he’s simply getting began.
“After I obtained again house and was lastly in a position to be with the household, it was so superb, however I’m a musician, I’m a performer. I like music, and so I made a decision that I needed to get again on the highway and do what I like,” the 43-year-old celebrity tells Billboard.
That’s why he’s heading out on the highway for his first solo tour in seven years. The Who I Am tour, introduced completely through Billboard, goals to seize the music, the tales and the journey that, fittingly, made Carter who he’s. “I used to be born in 1980 and there was quite a lot of music that influenced me all through the years to be one of many members of the Backstreet Boys. So, I’m going to carry out quite a lot of songs that I like,” he says of what followers can count on from the 14-show run. “80s songs, 90s songs — songs that that all of us grew up with, after which additionally some solo songs and quite a lot of the Backstreet Boys songs. It’s simply going to be an actual enjoyable present.”
The tour kicks off on October 4 in Lexington, Ky., earlier than making its method by way of cities like Nashville, Tempe and Orlando earlier than wrapping up on October 25 in Las Vegas. Whereas Carter shall be honoring his Backstreet Boys pop roots, followers may count on to see a brand new aspect of the singer.
“I’m going to exit with a band, and I play guitar. I’m going to be enjoying drums all through the present. So, it has a bit extra artistic private expression and is a bit of bit extra natural, I suppose you may say,” he says of how his tour differs from a BSB run, earlier than sharing the “shocking” songs he hopes so as to add into the setlist. “There’s no partitions for me with regards to music,” Carter says with amusing. “One of many songs I actually need to do is Easy Thoughts’s ‘Don’t You (Neglect About Me)’ from The Breakfast Membership and one other one I need to do is Bon Jovi’s ‘Needed Useless or Alive.’ I’m truly going to do some rap as a result of I grew up listening to rap music. I’m gonna tear up some rap and do my very own East Coast versus West Coast!”
Don’t fear, Backstreet Boys followers. Simply because Carter is embarking on a solo tour, doesn’t imply he’s not nonetheless shut with the remainder of the fellows. “I’m most likely going to write down a track with AJ [McLean], and I simply frolicked with Kevin [Richardson] just lately. We went to a yoga retreat collectively,” he says.
Carter’s Who I Am tour comes at a very poignant time within the celebrity’s life. In November, his youthful brother and fellow pop star Aaron Carter died at age 34 after he drowned within the bathtub at his house in Lancaster, Calif., after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam. His explanation for dying was deemed unintended.
“It’s been a really tough yr for me and my household and dropping my brother remains to be one thing that I’m processing,” Nick shares. Following Aaron’s dying, Nick and his sister Angel launched a donation fund of their late brother’s reminiscence to profit On Our Sleeves, which advocates to interrupt the stigma surrounding psychological well being and offers youngsters’s psychological well being sources to households and academics nationwide.
“You attempt to discover methods to deal with the issues which are being thrown at you in life. Leaning into something philanthropic or charitable, it makes it about one thing larger than your self,” Nick says of his previous few months. “When my sister and I [launched the donation fund], I feel that was the one method we had been in a position to course of what we’ve been going by way of. It’s change into about how can we flip what we’ve been feeling into one thing that may hopefully assist any person else, after which we are able to study from it after which any person else can study from it.”
“I like my brother. He’s my child brother and I like him. Shedding him, it’s been actually onerous,” he provides, earlier than taking time to supply some recommendation for these additionally going by way of the lack of a beloved one. “You simply must take life because it comes and study from it and, most significantly, simply know that you simply’re not alone.”
Amid the grieving course of, Nick has additionally been going through a brand new sexual abuse lawsuit from Melissa Schuman – a former member of teen-pop group Dream who has lengthy claimed that she was assaulted by the singer. “I’m a very robust believer within the authorized system,” the Backstreet Boys member tells Billboard, noting that he can’t share too many particulars concerning the ongoing lawsuit at the moment. “I’m assured that justice shall be served ultimately, and I truly sit up for talking about it extra when it’s throughout.”
As for now, Nick says that the Who I Am tour has offered a a lot welcomed beam of sunshine in a very tumultuous yr. “I’m a musician. I’m an artist. I’m a performer, however I’m additionally a human first,” he explains. “Music is therapeutic to me and all of us discover methods to handle the issues that we’re going by way of in life. Getting on the market and performing for followers and simply being who I’m — it’ll assist me throughout this this time.”
Tickets and unique VIP packages for the Who I Am tour go on sale beginning July 21 right here. See beneath for the total listing of tour dates.
Oct. 4 – Singletary Middle for the Arts – Lexington, KY
Oct. 5 – The Household Enviornment – St. Charles, MO
Oct. 7 – Schermerhorn Symphony Middle – Nashville, TN
Oct. 8 – The Basic Middle Theatre – Athens, GA
Oct. 9 – Harbison Theatre – Irmo, SC
Oct. 11 – Shaftman Efficiency Corridor Jefferson Middle – Roanoke, VA
Oct. 13 – Wilson Middle – Wilmington, NC
Oct. 15 – Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Middle – Orlando, FL
Oct. 17 – Pompano Seashore Amphitheater – Pompano Seashore, FL
Oct. 19 – Curtis M. Phillips Middle for the Performing Arts – Gainesville, FL
Oct. 20 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Corridor – Sarasota, FL
Oct. 22 – Morsani Corridor Straz Middle for the Performing Arts – Tampa, FL
Oct. 24 – Mullett Enviornment – Tempe, AZ
Oct. 25 – The Theater at Virgin Lodge Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
