Drake Joins the Backstreet Boys for a Birthday Performance of ‘I Want It That Way’

Drake’s 40th-birthday celebration included a live Backstreet Boys singalong, giving his New York party a pop moment with a history of its own.

Drake stepped into the Backstreet Boys’ lineup for “I Want It That Way” at his birthday party on October 23. The New York performance came the night before he turned 40, extending the celebrations that had already begun in Toronto with something more specific than another celebrity guest appearance.

All five members joined the occasion: Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Billboard’s account of the performance notes that Dorough folded a line from Drake’s “Hold On, We’re Going Home” into the bridge, adding a connection to the birthday host’s own catalog.

This was a reunion, not their first onstage meeting. As Revolt reports, Drake had previously joined the group during its July 2022 Toronto concert, making the party performance a return to a shared song rather than a brand-new collaboration announcement.

The moment also put a familiar pop record back in a hip-hop star’s personal celebration. “I Want It That Way” reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999, and Drake joined the vocals through the song before taking its closing passage, according to Billboard.

His speech kept the occasion separate from a rollout. In footage shared with Revolt’s report, Drake thanked his guests and explained that the gathering was about being alive, not promoting an album, tour or product; the two clips here document the birthday performance and remarks.

Drake also marked the milestone by sharing childhood photographs on Instagram, adding a more private-looking counterpoint to the stage appearance. Together, the throwbacks and singalong framed this birthday around memory and music he enjoys, rather than supplying confirmation of a new record with the Backstreet Boys.

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