Nick Carter is on top of the world right now. I think it’s pretty fair to say that straight off. The Backstreet Boys dominated the Sphere here in Las Vegas the entire summer and while I plan to expand on that elsewhere, the show has been literally trending all over social media for about two months now. It’s crazy. It feels like 1999 again in many, many ways.
But it’s not 1999.
It’s 2025 and personally I find that to be a good thing. Nick has grown over the years into a humble, mature adult who knows who he is as an artist and appreciates every opportunity he’s been given. As a local, I’ve seen the many ways he’s given back to this city we now both call home since he’s moved here back in 2017. He was donating to victims of the Vegas Massacre and visiting them in the hospital. He partners with Cure 4 The Kids often, a local children’s cancer charity. He’s volunteered at the homeless shelter one year during the holidays. I could keep going, easily. But then we’d be here all day. Suffice to say, he’s always been a wonderful part of the Las Vegas communtiy.
Last weekend, Nick not only did a signing at Torpedo Comics and set up a charity auction where the proceeds go to Child Haven here in Nevada, but he did a Listening Party down at the Brooklyn Bowl where the proceeds went to the Foundation For Recovery. The Foundation For Recovery really hit home for me as it focuses on helping those who suffer from addiction and mental disorders. They help not only the addicts in trouble but the families it affects as well. Because these fan events didn’t have to be for any sort of charity. We all still would’ve gone. Let’s be real there. But he wanted them to be. This is the Nick Carter that goes under the radar, if I’m being completely honest. When people think of Nick, they either picture the kid with the curtain hair from 1999, or the flashy Backstreet Boy persona we all know and love on stage. Both are true, but they’re not all of him. People simply don’t realize that at his core, Nick is more than just a Backstreet Boy.
I’m hoping those who attended who maybe didn’t know before, know now.
At the comic book store signing fans showed up in full force, the line going on around the entire building in the shopping center. I was floored, but thrilled. When he entered he was stopping to greet and hug before even thinking over going over to the table set up to do what he came in for. He gave fans plenty of time, selfies, signing extra items, and not only started early – but he stayed later to try and see as many as he could. Because that’s the thing about him, he’ll try to extend himself as much as he can even when he has a show he literally has to go get ready for that same night. I don’t even want to ask him how much coffee he needed to survive that weekend.
As for Sunday, Nick’s Listening Party was completely off the cuff. He admitted it was an experiment of sorts for maybe a tour he might do in the future between Backstreet Boys shows. The idea was to connect with the fans on a more personal level, something so fitting for his Love Life Tragedy album. When I was in line, I met a few fans – one who admitted she never heard Nick’s previous solo music but the new residency got her to check out his newest project. She’d told me that she fell in love with it because of how raw and real the album itself felt. That seemed to be a common theme with others I talked to as well. I know for me, it’s why I connected so much to it. It hit at on a personal level.
When you’re honest in what you’re creating, it always shines through.
I know I’ve talked about the album before, and I have another post in the works (well two, actually) about specific songs. But the thing that really sets Love Life Tragedy part as a solo era is just how much of himself Nick truly put into this. Love it or hate it, this is Nick and take him as he is or not at all.
He started the event with the one and only Backstreet Boys song he did for it and that was refreshing. While Backstreet Boys as a group has my heart first, when I’m there for solo Nick, I want Nick Carter not the group songs. Not to mention seeing him sing songs live for the first time such as Hey Kid, was something so special. I mean that song a song that had me crying the first time I heard it. Watching him put his heart into the song live? Amazing. There was a level of passion behind it that just had me floored. He sang Nothing Without Your Love and by his own admission forgot half the lyrics. It was funny and served as a reminder that unlike the residency which while amazing, is very prepared and set, this was not. This was intimate, personal, and a chance to connect from fan to artist.
He had a short little Q&A too, which was unexpected but definitely not unwelcome where a couple of us got to ask further questions about the album. He ended up revealing that he wrote a song called Love Life Tragedy that he plans to record when he has time, and do a re-release of the album with extra songs on it. Now you’ll never find me saying no to more new music from Nick. Hopefully this means he might throw Phantoms on there. I also suggested maybe throwing on alternate versions of the songs we got (like how we did with Cold Night) and he explained that the evolution of songs happened because he would challenge the producers. Hearing him talk about the process will forever be my favorite thing. (I mean hell, Nick if you could just create a whole event where we just chat without about the album making process, take my wallet.) But really, at the end of the day, Nick’s really come into his own on this album.
He also took a moment to talk about his Who I Am Tour and how the journey for this album started there. I think that really touched me though, was him taking that time to thank the fans who joined him on that journey. Because that tour was a journey, so imperfectly imperfect, when maybe it wasn’t the trendy tour to go to but it was one that mattered. In my personal opinion, it’s one thing to support when it’s the cool thing to do, it’s another to do it no matter what anyone thinks.
That little nod at the fans who were there for him before, the fans who were there during the valleys and not just the peaks? It means something. I love seeing Nick back on top, it makes me smile. Because I know he deserves every bit of attention. That said, it’s nice for him to show he sees the ones who were there no matter what. That is why I’m grateful to be a fan of his.
It’s because he sees, he knows, and he truly appreciates every bit of the journey and support.
Every dark has a day…
And it’s beautiful to see the sun shining for him again.
Forever Rebel 