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The Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line have a country song together, a tour and now a "CMT Crossroads" special. The two bands talked about the brotherhood and learning new moves. (Aug. 22)
AP

Backstreet's back, alright.

Six years, two newborns and one hit Las Vegas residency later, the Backstreet Boys are plotting their return with 10th studio album "DNA," out January 25.

It's the pop group's first full-length effort since "In a World Like This" in 2013, in which time the guys have expanded their families, released a documentary (2015's "Show 'Em What You're Made Of") and charted their 18th song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart ("Do not Go Breaking My Heart," which peaked at No. 63 in July).

"After 25 years, to be played on the radio and get as much love as (" Heart ") has gotten, is still overwhelming," says AJ McLean, who makes up one-fifth of the band with Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough. "We feel very safe to know that we have been able to do everything we can to get back to this place. I'm going back to the races soon. "

First up, there's anthemic new single "Chances," out Friday. Co-written by Shawn Mendes and OneRepublic Ryan Tedder, the gushy love song talks about the "two-in-a-million" luck you'll meet the love of your life in the most precarious, everyday scenario.

"You do not need to meet someone else," McLean says. As illustrated in its dance-heavy music video, which the Boys co-directed and appear in, "you could literally miss your train and get to know the eyes of this person, and just lose yourself in that moment and go to whatever lengths to actually be with that person. "

"Chances" was one of the last songs that the group recorded for "DNA," which aims to go back to basics while pushing their way forward in new and interesting ways. "Honey, I'm Good" singer Andy Grammer, Lauv (Charlie XCX's "Boys") and Mike Sabath (Liam Payne & J Balvin's "Familiar") have written credits on the album Vegas, Los Angeles and Nashville.

The latter city informs the country / blues-rock of "No Place," which is largely autobiographical.

"I've been all around the world," says Richardson, 47. "That's a song that we were inspired by our families and children to make."

Backstreet Boys members Brian Littrell, left, Kevin Richardson, AJ Carter, AJ McLean and Howie Dorough perform in Wantagh, New York, in July. Their Las Vegas residency concludes in April, ahead of a massive world tour. (Photo: Charles Sykes, Charles Sykes / Invision / AP)

Backstreet's The World's Largest Day Trips, which marks their biggest arena in 18 years and kicks off its North American leg July 12 in Washington DC, following a two-month European run. Tickets for the tour, which lasts through mid-september, go on sale Nov 14 at LiveNation.com and a full list of dates can be found on the band's official website.

Coming off their record-breaking "Larger Than Life" residency in Vegas, which wraps its two-and-a-half-year run next April, "we have to go big," McLean says. The show will have a live band, as opposed to dancers, and run 1½ to 2 hours. "You'll get to hear all the hits and probably half of the new record, with some little surprises in. We're just locked into the stage design and it's going to be mind-blowing."

JULY

12 Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C.

15 Bell Center, Montreal

17 ScotiaBank Arena, Toronto

20 Xcel Energy Center, Minneapolis

22 Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg

24 ScotiaBank Saddedome, Calgary

25 Rogers Place, Edmonton

27 Live Pepsi at Rogers Arena, Vancouver

29 Angels of the Winds Arena, Seattle, WA

30 Moda Center, Portland, Oregon

AUGUST

1 Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, California

3 Staples Center, Los Angeles

4 SAP Center, San Jose, California

5 Honda Center, Anaheim, California

7 Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah

8 Pepsi Center Arena, Denver, Colorado

10 United Center, Chicago

12 Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

14 TD Garden, Boston

15 Barclays Center, New York

17 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia

18 Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, Pennsylvania

20 PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina

21 State Farm Arena, Atlanta

23 BB & T Center, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

24 Amway Center, Orlando

26 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville

27 Fed Ex Forum, Memphis

28 BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma

30 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans

31 Toyota Center, Houston

SEPTEMBER

1 American Airlines Arena, Dallas

3 Cajundome, Lafayette, Louisiana

4 The Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, Alabama

6 Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri

7 Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri

8 CHI Health Center, Omaha, Nebraska

10 Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

11 Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee

13 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky

14 PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh

15 Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey

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