As Long as You Love Me (Backstreet Boys song)

"As Long as You Love Me" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys. It was released as the second single from their debut album "Backstreet Boys" in the United States and "Backstreet's Back" internationally. It was released on September 29, 1997, internationally and on October 21, 1997, in the United States. It is one of the band's biggest hits and considered one of their signature songs.
It peaked at number one in New Zealand and the Philippines, number two in Australia and Austria, number three in the United Kingdom, number four in Switzerland and Sweden, and number five in the Netherlands and Norway.
Background.
In an interview with "Billboard", AJ McLean noted that he was initially meant to sing the song's bridge, while Brian Littrell and Nick Carter would both sing the verses. However, he had been infected with strep throat, and was subsequently replaced with Littrell, whose vocals were featured on the album and single. The song was a last-minute addition to the album, as Clive Calder, then-chairman of Zomba, heard the song and called Jive Records president Barry Weiss, who then contacted the band's manager, Johnny Wright.
Due to an error on the part of someone in the production chain, an early mix of "As Long As You Love Me" was included on "Backstreet's Back" and the 1997 US "Backstreet Boys" album. The mistake was corrected in the second pressing of the US debut album released in 1998. This allegedly annoyed writer and producer Max Martin. This early version subsequently became the version released as a single to radio and video. It has different instrumentation and mixing, as well as a slightly different structure, very similar to their previous US single, "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)". The final version is usually listed as the "Radio" or "Video Version".
Critical reception.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic stated that "As Long as You Love Me" "would have sounded perfect in any era". He also praised the song's slick production, which he described "as irresistible as teen pop can be". John Dingwall from "Daily Record" stated that the song reminded him of "the 90s New Kids On The Block".
Commercial performance.
"As Long as You Love Me" was never released as a commercial single in the US but became an MTV staple and radio airplay hit. It spent 56 weeks on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 Airplay chart, peaking at #4. Due to the Billboard Hot 100 being off-limits to non-commercial singles at the time, including "As Long as You Love Me", it did not chart on the main chart.
The single has sold over 530,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Music video.
Background.
The music video was directed by Nigel Dick and filmed on June 15, 1997, in Pasadena, California. AJ McLean learnt the lyrics of the song on the day of the shoot, as he was initially meant to sing the song's bridge. Six ladies were chosen for the video, with the number chosen to ensure that they would not appear to be matched up with the band members. One of the ladies, Donna, was played by Leighanne Wallace, whom Littrell ultimately married in 2000. As of June 2020, the music video has over 264 million views on YouTube.
Synopsis.
The music video begins with the Backstreet Boys auditioning before six ladies. The ladies named Donna, Jana, Linda, Fatima, Gina, and Nina videotape the performances and take notes. The band members primarily sing and dance, with each member performing in a short "screen test" vignette in which they dress up in a costume and perform various unusual activities. During the bridge, they switch places with the ladies and have them perform screen tests. The positions reverse again towards the end of the song. The choreography uses folding chairs. There are special effects utilized in the video, most notably morphing sequences, where the face of one member morphs into another's. There are also quick dissolves or straight cuts between footage of the members each doing the chair routine in the same exact position of the set. The cuts cause a working fan in the background to appear to stutter in its spin.
Cover versions.
The Netherlands retro rock band The Kik recorded a live version in Dutch ("Als jij maar van mij houdt") in the 3FM studio, using only CASIO keyboards. Radio DJ Giel Beelen subsequently asked the band to release their version as a single.
In 2019, the duo La Folie and singer Jordi Ninus recorded a version in Catalan of this song, under the title "Si em dius que m’estimes" ("If you say you love me"), for the CD edited by "La Marató de TV3", a telethon devoted to raise funds for the research of incurable diseases.
Track listings.
US.
Promotional 12-inch vinyl
Promotional 2×12-inch vinyl
UK.
7-inch single
CD1 (also released in Europe)
CD2 (also released in Europe)