Backstreet Boys say they are 'very grateful' to Max Martin

Backstreet Boys expressed just how “very indebted” they feel to Max Martin after the iconic hitmaker attended their Las Vegas residency on Saturday (Aug. 16, 2025).

The legendary Swedish songwriter and producer, whose credits include Britney Spears’ ...Baby One More Time, Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way, and NSYNC’s It’s Gonna Be Me, was spotted in the audience at the group’s Into The Millennium show at The Sphere.

Before launching into the Martin-written Don’t Want You Back, Howie Dorough told the crowd, “He helped us create our legacy and the soundtrack to our lives.

"He wrote all those hit songs that we get a chance to sing for you guys. We are very indebted to Mr. Max Martin.”

Kevin Richardson then asked the fans to rise and show their appreciation.

“Let him feel the love y’all. Let him feel the love,” he said, as the crowd erupted in applause.

Martin’s collaborations with the band go back to their very first single, 1995’s We’ve Got It Going On, and continued with classics like I Want It That Way, Shape of My Heart, and Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).

In other news, it was recently confirmed that Martin has reunited with Taylor Swift for her upcoming album, The Life of a Showgirl.

He and Shellback have worked on new songs for the follow-up to 2024’s The Tortured Poets Department.

Swift has a long history with the duo, having collaborated with them on her albums Red, 1989, and Reputation.

Speaking on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s New Heights podcast, she said: “One of the things about this record is, like, it’s a record I made with my mentor Max Martin and Shellback. The three of us have created some of my favorite songs that I have ever done before.

“They were my main collaborators on my Red album. We did We Are Never Getting Back Together, I Knew You Were Trouble, 22, Shake It Off, Blank Space, Style, Wildest Dreams, Ready for It, Delicate.”

She added warmly: “They’re just geniuses.”