InRock Vol12 Magazine Scans + Translation from AJ McLean's interview
Exclusive Interview with AJ: On Day I Will Start A Family, But Seen From my schedule right now—It’s impossible.
Before dawn of the interview day (Oct.2nd), AJ who had finished his part in the MV of Bigger first, was really tired and yawned with his eyes turning red. On the table beside him laid his breakfast that was sent by the room service. But it was a feast that he only can taste after the interview. Before then, all that AJ can do was staring at the muffin and eggs before him. When the interview was done, AJ finally got the chance to eat his breakfast with bacons. He’s really a kind person, he was always so kind.
Why you guys wanted to shoot Bigger’s MV in Japan? What’s the relationship between the MV and Japan?
We are walking along the streets in Tokyo, and many big electric billboards comes into view. From the flash light to the buildings, it feels like a comic world. First, this song is a song about love, the content of this MV is mainly about love. We are tired of always shooting those love story MV. So we decide to shoot a special and exciting MV. Plus, this is our first music video that we shoot outside US.
Ah, really? It’s really an honor to all the Japanese fan!
AJ: No, it should be our honor. We shot it yesterday. While we were enjoying the shooting, it’s really a hard job, too. This is because; Japan has really strict rules about shooting, which we have to obey. So there are a lot places that we want to shoot but can’t.
As for?
Nick wanted to shoot in a videogame center, just when he rush into it, the staff came out following him and say there doesn’t allow shoot. Haha, that’s really funny. But, besides this all the shooting stuff goes pretty well, this content will become those very cool scenes in the MV. We really shot many beautiful scenes. We want to give everyone as much as possible surprise, so I can tell you the details. All in all, it a really great MV
It’s whose I idea about shooting the MV in Japan?
This idea just came out when we were talking, so it’s our idea. We were planning to shoot the video in LA a week before the tour. But that week we need to do some dancing rehearsal and some preparation of the tour. So it’s not so possible for us to shoot the video in that week. But these days when we were in Japan, we just have a day that we don’t have to work, so we suggest to shoot the MV in Tokyo. And we have also got the approval of our company, so we just shot it.
Recently, you guys are really creative in shooting MV. The MV of Straight Through My Hearts is also using the most popular theme in US—science fiction.
As for the MV of Straight Through My Hearts, the lyric goes well with science fiction theme. So we took the challenge. Personally, I think it’s pretty successful. It combined with the most popular sexy factor, it’s really a magnificent MV.
Recently BSB is very united. What role you are playing in this group?
I think everyone’s role in this group is different. Talking about my basic function, it should be put the most popular factor into this group and not losing our creativity. As for the other member, as for the economic, plan or shooting we all have our advantages, Nick and I had learnt a lot about economic from Howie and Brian. This is the so said overcome our own shortcomings by learning from each other's strong points.
BTW, what about your private life? You have been dry out for a long time?
Yes. I have been dried out for 8 years. But, I will drink a little occasionally, Sometime I will drink so beer with my friend. I try to drink when there is some ladies, this can avoid me for drink too much to get crazy, I will lose face that way. In a word, I want live a normal life. So I try to balance my real life and the illusory life of being a Backstreet Boys. Sure, we are our real self when we are Backstreet Boys, but in a world like this we feel like we are illusion. We travel around the word, we perform in the stage of the world, this is just like a dream. A dream that come true.
You gonna release your solo album.
Yes, I just finish recording. Although it took so long a time, yet it finally finished. I can finally draw a breath. I’m wondering if it can come out at the end of October or the beginning of November?
As for Japan, it will be January of February next year.
Actually, it haven’t decided yet. But maybe like the time your are talking about. This album has been put off for too long. It was planed to be released six months before. But I’m very busy with BSB, so it didn’t work out. I just wanna do well in both the BSB’s job and my own career.
Why you must release you solo album?
Brian, Nick and Howie have the same feeling. That is we have been a group for so long, for a single man, we have somehow lost our own personality. So releasing a solo album is a way to express ourselves as a single man, a artist, a singer, and a producer. And a man who has been through a lot will be stronger. Thanks for those experience when you go back to BSB, you have more to give to the group. Nick is a very good example. When he finished his own tour and go back to the group, this guy became stronger, and more confident. It must be the solo career that made him grown up and become better. I think it will also be a good thing for me. Even this album ending in failure, even nobody love this album, it will let me know my limit, this is enough for me .
The style of this album is different for BSB’s style?
There will be some difference, but basically the same. ‘Cause I don’t want let those big differences to shock you guys. It will definitely shock everyone if it’s all heavy rock. This album have so many different style such as Rock, Punk, Pop, Soul and so on. But there will still be 3 or 4 BSB style songs. And the chorus and the rhythm will be similar with BSB’s. In a word, for fans, it will have some songs that is familiar to BSB’s style, and it will also let them hear something in my own style. This album is a mix.
After the new tour will be a long holiday, do you have any plan? You may will do something about you solo album and your tour, will the others stay in home with their family?
This is it. Actually I’m not sure about the details, everything is all in planning. First, this tour is a world tour, so it will take a long time. We plan to touring for 2 months and the have a break for a month, and then we tour again the we have a break, it just goes round and round. So in those 1 month, I want to do something about my solo album. That is to say, BSB and my album will have a good hand over. I can just do it in this situation. When the new album is done, I will go on a world tour with other members, although some time I will find it very troublesome, yet if you only care about your own business for a whole year, you will break down, too. For anyone, to do a single thing in a year is really boring. So it’s very important to balance it.
Have you ever think that right now the group was divided into two groups. 2 members have became father, this is a belief in soul for a man.
Yeah, Brian and Howie have all started their family, they both are very good father. Especially Brian, his is a total brat, he will kidding with you, and make some strange sounds isn’t it funny. They both have master how to balance it. They both have a very serious side although usually they seem very funny and childish. So, they are very good father.
On the other side, you and Nick keep going to clubs to find fun, you guys must enjoy this feeling of freedom.
Free…this word did really good describe me and Nick.
Do you already have a very beautiful girl friend?
Ah, yeah my girlfriend is indeed really beautiful. Ha-ha, but I myself am a person who loves freedom. Nick has the same way of thinking about this question. We two is just like playing in the whole wide world. But I don’t know what Nick is thinking, for me, one day I will start my own family.
Really?
Yes. Even though I have a girlfriend, I will often enjoy the fun of being free. I think even though I got married, this won’t change. For me getting married doesn’t equal losing freedom. I don’t consider marriage a negative thing; on the contrary, I think marriage is a very good thing. Seen from my schedule right now—it’s impossible.
BTW, recently, you will wear the sunglasses for a while, and another time you take it off. Why?
Recently, the AJ you’ve seen is the combination of the new and old AJ. Maybe you have seen me wear glasses, but in fact most of time I don’t wear glasses. In the MV of Straight Through My Hearts and in the 95% scenes of the MV of Bigger, I didn’t wear it.
From the Internet we got so information that a lot fans want Kevin to be back to the group, so you can do your original BSB’s show. But they got refused, why?
This is because, Kevin right know is pretty much alive in a very different career. We are all proud of that. He really did a very good job. By the way, Kevin is also in Japan right now, we ate dinner with him two days ago.
Ah? In Japan?
Yeah, As for our meeting, it’s pretty good. He looks very dashing.
What did you guys talked about?
Something about the new album. What song in the new album you are listening right now, and what’s you favorite?
What’s his favorite song in the new album?“Undone”, by the way, this song is also Brian’s and my favorite song. So we want to make it the third single, although we don’t if it’s possible. After all, it make me very happy to see Kevin again. Right now, he really did very well in his job. And we are still keep going, he’s proud of these success that we got in our career.
Wow, this is a big reveal. You guys are still getting on very well?
Definitely. We are a family. As for Kevin, we also paying attention to each other, and now this big family never changes.
Except for the tour, when will you come to Japan again?
In fact I want to come to Japan January next year. For celebrating my birthday. This is to say I will come here for holiday. If I can’t, then I will wait until the winter next year, when it’s not too cold. I will bring my friend with me; I want to play ice hockey. Howie and his wife also like playing ice hockey. If we can go to Tokyo together, that will be fantastic.
There are a lot great play besides Tokyo. (lol)
Isn’t it? As for Japan, everything is good for me.
Then you will go to record for the christie yamaguchi show, will you?
Yes, we will perform six songs. Because the stage is very small, we won’t dance this time. And the skaters will dance to our music. At last Christie will dance to Straight Through My Heart. Isn’t it so cool?
As for a part of the show?
Yeah, after the show we will fly to the East Coast. This show will be arranged to the end of the radio program. Then, we will fly to Lisbon, use 2 or 3 days to do the final preparation of the tour. In order to give everyone a perfect show, we gonna be busy again.
[bsbchina.com; bsbchina_Tony@LD]
