It’s been 26 years since the Backstreet Boys dropped “Millennium”, and somehow, every single lyric still hits. Whether you were screaming them at your bedroom wall, singing into your hairbrush, or writing them in a journal with glitter gel pens, these words have stuck with us, and they still hit in a different way now that we’re grown. Here are 26 full lyrics from the album, and the upcoming “Millennium 2.0” version that still hit home in 2025, who sang them, and why they’re still burned into our fangirl hearts.
1. I Want It That Way – Nick Carter
But we are two worlds apart
Can’t reach to your heart
When you say
That I want it that way
The angst. The ache. The misunderstanding. Nick’s voice was heartbreak in motion here, and it still captures what unspoken love feels like. In middle school, we didn’t even fully understand what it meant, but it sounded like the kind of love we dreamed of and the heartbreak we feared. Now in 2025, it reminds us of every almost-love, every silent goodbye, and how one song can still say everything we couldn’t.
2. Larger Than Life – Nick Carter & Brian Littrell
Looking at the crowd
And I see your body sway, come on
Wishing I could thank you
In a different way, come on
The ultimate ‘thank you’ anthem. This lyric made us feel seen like maybe, just maybe, he *did* spot us in that arena crowd. Back then, we were the ones holding up signs and screaming our lungs out, hoping to catch a glance. Hearing Nick say he wanted to thank us in a ‘different way’ made us feel like we mattered like our love helped build something bigger.
3. It’s Gotta Be You – AJ McLean
You really made me lose my head
My hungry heart must be fed
AJ giving us chaotic, emotional energy with just the right amount of 1999 boyband spice. This one still makes us giggle *and* blush. It was flirty, fun, and maybe a little scandalous for our teen ears, but that’s what made it so unforgettable. It was a lyric that felt bold when we were shy, and somehow, we still sing it like it’s a secret only we understand.
4. I Need You Tonight – Nick Carter
I figured out what to say to you
Sometimes the words they, they come out so wrong
(Always they do)
For every awkward crush or love letter you never sent, this is Nick being just as human as we were. He stumbled over his words the same way we did trying to flirt with our school crush. It was comforting to know our boyband heartthrob didn’t always have the perfect thing to say either.
5. Don’t Want You Back – Nick Carter
But I should’ve known that I would be
Another victim of your sexuality
Peak sassy Nick. We screamed this lyric like we knew exactly what heartbreak and betrayal felt like. We might not have had a ‘sexuality’ to be a victim of in 1999, but we knew the sting of being brushed off or replaced. This song let us scream our pretend rage, and we loved every second of it.
6. Don’t Wanna Lose You Now – Nick Carter
Girl, if only I knew what I’ve done
You know, so why don’t you tell me
(And I) I would bring down the moon and the sun
To show how much I care
This is the kind of over-the-top romantic declaration we used to dream about. Still do, honestly. The whole idea of someone moving heaven and earth to show how much they care? That was straight out of our fangirl fantasies. And Nick made us believe that maybe, just maybe, someone out there would feel that way about us too.
7. I Need You Tonight – Nick Carter
All those endless times
We tried to make it last forever more
And baby I know
I need you (oh oh, yeah)
I know deep within my heart
It doesn’t matter if it’s wrong or right
I really need you, oh
This was the ultimate ‘stay up crying into your pillow’ song. Nick’s emotional delivery wrecked us every time. It wasn’t just about love, it was about feeling deeply, unapologetically. Now, it reminds us that vulnerability is powerful, and emotions don’t get easier with age – they just get more layered.
8. The One – AJ McLean
I guess you were lost when I met you
Still there were tears in your eyes
So out of trust and I knew
No more than mysteries and lies
This verse is full of vulnerability. AJ singing about trying to help someone heal? Swoon. He wasn’t just the edgy one, he was the one with heart and depth. This lyric was proof that he saw the pain in someone and still chose to love them.
9. Back to Your Heart – AJ McLean
It’s not that I can’t live without you
It’s just that I don’t even want to try
Every night I dream about you
Ever since the day we said goodbye
Every single word in this line was designed to destroy us emotionally. Mission accomplished. AJ poured so much ache into every syllable, it felt like we were the one he was trying to win back. It’s still our go-to when we’re heartbroken, or just pretending to be while cleaning the house.
10. Spanish Eyes – Howie Dorough
When I look into your Spanish eyes
I know the reason why I am alive
And the world is so beautiful tonight
Romantic. Soft. Perfect. This was Howie’s moment and he delivered. It was a different flavor of love song—calm, steady, and real. As teens, we didn’t give it enough credit. Now, it feels like the kind of love we hope to grow into.
11. Don’t Want You Back – Brian Littrell
Baby, don’t bother telling me your reasons why
Just let us sing this story ’bout you and I
Brian being direct and DONE? Iconic. It was unexpected and empowering, especially from the sweet guy of the group. Sometimes, we needed to hear it was okay to walk away, too, and Brian gave us permission.
12. No One Else Comes Close – Nick Carter
And when I wake up to
The touch of your head on my shoulder
You’re my dream come true, oh yeah
Girl, you know I’ll always treasure
Every kiss and everyday
I love you girl in every way
And I always will, ’cause in my eyes, oh baby!
This was every slow dance fantasy in one verse. Nick was the prince charming we all dreamed about. These words made us feel beautiful, loved, and like the main character. It still plays like a wedding song in our hearts.
13. Hey – Howie Dorough
The dreams you’ve been dreaming and all of your moods
Just because we’re not speaking
Doesn’t mean I don’t remember all of you
Quietly one of the most underrated and heartbreaking songs on the album. It captured that feeling of unresolved love—the kind that never really goes away. In 2025, this lyric feels more true than ever. We all have that one person we still remember.
14. Back to Your Heart – Brian Littrell
I don’t know how it got so crazy
But I’ll do anything to set things right
‘Cause your love is so amazing
Baby you’re the best thing in my life
Brian poured his heart out on this track and it still makes us believe in second chances. This lyric shows love isn’t just butterflies, it’s mess and redemption and the willingness to fix what’s broken. And that? That’s real love.
15. Don’t Wanna Lose You Now – Brian Littrell
I’ve got this feeling you’re not gonna stay
It’s burning within me
The fear of losing, of slipping away
It just keeps getting closer (baby)
That panicked feeling of sensing a breakup before it happens? Still relatable, still heartbreaking. In 1999, it felt like something out of a drama series. In 2025, it’s just…life. And we still feel Brian’s fear in our bones.
16. The One – Nick Carter
To hold you
And make sure that you’ll be alright
‘Cause my faith is gone
And I want to take you from darkness to light
This was more than just a love lyric—it was a promise of protection. And Nick meant every word. It was the kind of lyric that made you feel safe, like someone would actually fight to pull you out of the darkness. Still gets us.
17. Back To Your Heart – Nick Carter
If I wasn’t such a fool
Right now I’d be holding you
There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do
Baby if I only knew
Every fangirl knows the pain of ‘what if.’ Nick gave voice to that here. This was our heartbreak anthem before we ever had our hearts broken. Somehow, it still rings true even now, just in new ways.
18. Spanish Eyes – AJ McLean
I loved you from a distance
Thought I couldn’t reach that far
I can’t believe how close that we are
When I look into your Spanish eyes
And the world is so beautiful tonight
Long-distance love. Secret love. Poster love. We’ve all been there, and this lyric is our anthem. AJ’s voice brought something raw to this fantasy, it was sensual, honest, and hit us right in the feelings.
19. Hey – Howie, AJ, Brian
The day we met (Ooh)
The innocence (Ah)
That first ‘hello’ (Oh, that first ‘hello’)
And though it’s over (Hey)
There’s love left over
With nowhere to go, yeah, yeah (No, no, no, no)
When I see you now
Still gonna love you (Love you)
Oh, yeah, yeah
When I see you now
Still gonna love you
But just not out loud
This one hurts in a grown-up way. Sometimes love doesn’t leave, even when the relationship does. We didn’t understand it fully back then, but we do now. This lyric aged with us and hits even harder today.
20. No One Else Comes Close – AJ McLean
When we turn down the lights
The two of us alone together
Something’s just not right
And girl, you know that
I would never ever let another’s touch
Come between the two of us
‘Cause no one else will ever take your place
The commitment. The intimacy. This lyric still gives wedding vow energy. AJ surprised us with this softness. It made us feel cherished, like we were more than just fans, like we were the one.
21. Don’t Wanna Lose You Now – Brian Littrell
Whatever reason to leave that I’ve had
My place was always beside you
And I wish that I didn’t need you so bad
Your face just won’t go away
We’ve all had a face we couldn’t forget. Brian’s voice made us feel it even deeper. It’s a lyric that makes time collapse, bringing old memories and first loves flooding back instantly.
22. If You Knew What I Knew – AJ McLean
I wish I may, I wish I might
Be that certain someone you wish for every night
Wishing on stars for love? Classic 90s fangirl energy. We still get teary over this one. AJ was always just the right amount of edgy and tender. This lyric captured that balance perfectly.
23. Hey – Nick Carter
I saw you just the other day passing your street, mm
From soulmates to strangers, it’s hard to believe
One of the most grown-up, soul-stirring lyrics on the album. That ‘strangers’ line? Instant tears. We went from trading Lisa Frank notebooks to ghosting and breakups. Nick’s delivery? Still devastating.
24. My Heart Stays With You – Howie Dorough
Girl I miss you and it’s only been one day
Since I went away and already I say
I long to kiss you and hold you in my arms
The nights are much too long when you’re gone
Baby, that’s why
This one hit different on tour nights or long-distance crush days. Still hits on lonely nights. It was Howie’s quiet strength, his sincerity, that always caught us off guard. And this lyric is no exception.
25. You Wrote The Book of Love – Brian Littrell
Each time I hold you I find something new
‘Cause I know what I love about you
Girl, I discovered you bring out
The lover in me, yeah, yeah
You’re like a fire that burns in my soul
Like a volcano I’m ready to blow
‘Cause every time I look at you
I feel love I can’t explain
Oh, oh, oh
It’s drama. It’s devotion. It’s Brian literally combusting with love. And we ate it up. This lyric reminds us what it felt like to fall hard and fast, and believe that kind of passion was possible.
26. Hey – Brian Littrell
I never know what to say when I see you
I don’t know you anymore, but damn I used to
This one hits like a punch to the gut. We’ve all had someone who used to mean everything, who became a stranger. Brian’s voice here is raw and reflective, and the simplicity of the words makes them hit even harder. It’s the lyric you hear at 1am when you’re scrolling through old photos and wondering how things changed so much. It’s grown-up heartbreak, plain and powerful.
