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Nick Carter was in the middle of what was “probably our best and biggest show to date” with the Backstreet Boys when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the iconic group to put their tour on hold. That’s when Carter returned home to his family and took on the stay-at-home dad role: making breakfast for his kids every morning and taking them to play tee-ball and other activities. Carter credits the time spent with his wife and kids – “who are my world, and who I live for and do everything for” – with inspiring his latest cross-genre project.
The world-famous singer-songwriter took to his studio and wrote “Easy,” a heartfelt tribute to his family. Carter and his wife, Lauren, tied the knot in 2014 and have three children, Odin, Saorise and Pearl. The melody of “Easy” stuck out in his head one morning, and it reminded him of how much he loves country music. He grew up listening to Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson and other artists, and previously teamed up with Florida Georgia Line (along with his Backstreet Boys bandmates) on “God, Your Mama, and Me” in 2016. Carter brainstormed country artists who are “breaking the mold” and standing out as “progressive,” and one of the artists who stuck out the most was “Freedom Was A Highway” hitmaker Jimmie Allen.
Carter drew similarities between himself and the award-winning country artist, including that they were both contestants on Dancing With The Stars and, importantly, both down-to-earth artists who have young families. “Really, the reason I wrote this song was it was dedicated to my wife and my kids,” Carter explained, noting that the song and music video could serve as a “time capsule” for his family. The video “kind of paint this picture of what the song is kind of portraying,” bringing the Carter and Allen families together as the kids eat s’mores and ride dirt bikes. Teaming up on “such a personal song, it only felt right getting everyone together.”
Stepping back into the realm of country music, Carter, who also recently debuted his first NFT, expressed that the genre is unique because it “happens to be the place where I think a lot of pure music still exists.” He noted that some older songs – “Playing Games,” “As Long As You Love Me,” “Shape Of My Heart,” “I Want It That Way” and others – rely heavily on guitar, well-written lyrics and other elements often seen as a staple of country music. “Sometimes people think about our big bangers, but don’t realize the meat and potatoes really came from true songs that were written for us and that we also wrote. So, I tend to go back to that place, and the song itself ‘Easy,’ I think wanted to head in that direction. …We also were able to put a little bit of R&B into it,” Carter said. “So, this fusion of a little bit of country, a little bit of R&B, very progressive, I think just lent itself to the song. It is what it is.
“I wrote this song as a dedication (to my family) …People gravitate towards it and wanna hear of it more. I’m definitely recording and writing right now. I could talk forever about this because at the end of the day, I just, I’m really, really happy (with) the direction it’s heading …I’m excited to see what people think about it.”
In the midst of songwriting, Carter is also gearing up to get back on the road with the rest of the Backstreet Boys – Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson – on the “DNA World Tour.” During the two-year hiatus, Carter “had a lot of time to reflect on what it means for me to be an entertainer.” Now a father, Carter re-evaluated his purpose, and “realized how important” his job is. He said: “We come from a particular, specific time in people’s lives where you could look back, listen to those songs that we had, or you went to a performance and it’s nostalgic, hopefully brings a smile to your face. For us, getting back on the road with the state of the world, the craziness of the world right now, entertainment is so needed and people are hungry to get out, to socialize, to just be together, to celebrate. Music is a very powerful thing to bring people together. I’m just looking forward to getting back out on the road, doing my job and giving people two hours of peace…as we perform for them. I think our job is incredibly important right now going forward.”
Watch Carter's and Allen's music video here: