Atlanta rapper Quavo has had pop crossovers in the past, but who knew he was such a Backstreet Boys fan? Over the weekend, he attended the millennial boy band’s residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas, where he apparently had the time of his life. On his TikTok, he posted an endearing video singing along to their 1999 hit “I Want It That Way,” fittingly adapting it to his own signature ad-lib: “dat way!”
“I want it dat way!” he quipped. “The rich way! The right way! The best way! The good way! The only way!”
While his fondness for late-90s pop may come as a surprise to some, it probably shouldn’t. Quavo has done multiple crossovers with BSB’s solo spiritual successor Justin Bieber, including 2020’s “Intentions,” 2018’s “No Brainer,” and 2017’s “I’m The One,” in addition to enjoying a friendly relationship with the singer. They’ve played pick-up basketball with Drake and participated in the NBA’s All-Star Weekend Celebrity Game together, so they’ve had plenty of chances for Biebs to put Quavo on.
Then again, Quavo could have just been a dyed-in-the-wool Backstreeter from the very beginning. At 34 years old, he would have been right in the target demo when “I Want It That Way” ruled the airwaves, back when monoculture was still a thing. Those were simpler times, and for one night, Quavo got to experience them again.