People Are Adoring This Mom’s V-Log About Being In A Backstreet Boys Video

Jun 20, 2021 by apost team

Imagine finally getting the chance to meet your favorite band or musician. What would you say to that person or group? Do you think you’d be able to handle the once-in-a-lifetime moment? For one woman in particular, that dream became a reality. Devon Daniels, who currently resides in the state of Maryland, was given the opportunity of a lifetime when she was asked to be an extra in an iconic music video from 1999.

Everyone knows the lyrics to “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, especially Daniels, who was lucky enough to be an extra in the song’s music video. She appears in a few moments throughout the video and is prominently featured in one part in particular. Shot at a vacant airplane hangar near LAX in Los Angeles, California, the video was dreamy and emotional. In the video, Daniels gets to showcase her true personality as a fan of the band as she screams alongside a crowd of fans who are all excited to see the Backstreet Boys, made up of members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson.

Daniels, a mother of four, went to TikTok to give some insight into her unbelievable experience meeting the band and getting to be part of the music video. On June 2, 2021, she posted a video on TikTok that gave some insight into that day and what it was like to not only meet the Backstreet Boys, but to have a chance to be close to them while shooting their music video for “I Want It That Way.”

How She Met The Backstreet Boys

A Buzzfeed News report from June 7, 2021, explained how Daniels is now 39 years old and a writer, and she lives in Maryland with her family. She explained how even though she’s had a quick moment in the spotlight, she is currently “living a very suburban mom lifestyle.” In fact, her four children took a while, but they are finally now just how amazing and memorable the entire experience was for Daniels.

“I’ve tried to explain to (my kids) over the years, and they have not cared,” Daniels said. “I’ve shown them the video, and they’re like, ‘Cool, mom, cool.’ To be in that video was totally life-changing. They’re just now starting to get it.” 

Buzzfeed News reported that Daniels had won a call-in sweepstakes at a Los Angeles radio station, allowing her to partake in the music video shoot. At the time, the Backstreet Boys were not super popular yet, their fame shortly took off afterward, especially with the help of “I Want It That Way.” “They were popular but… it was just before the true explosion, so I wasn’t even super familiar who the Backstreet Boys were,” Daniels admitted. “I knew all the songs, but I didn’t necessarily know the band members. 

Daniels got to familiarize herself with the members in between shots while filming the video, and she described them as being “so nice.” “Fandoms and fame look so different today,” she said. Daniels grew up close to Los Angeles, so it was pretty common to just walk up to celebrities after a concert or even get a chance to go backstage. “It wasn’t like we were doing anything bad; we just wanted to see them,” she recounted.

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Daniels uploaded a TikTok on June 2, 2021, detailing her time meeting the members of the Backstreet Boys and getting a chance to be in their music video for “I Want It That Way.” Since its original upload, Daniels’ TikTok has been seen over 279,000 times and has received over 53,000 likes and plenty of positive comments. Even Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter reached out to Daniels to personally thank her for being in the iconic music video 22 years ago. “We love you,” he wrote in a Twitter post.

Surprisingly, Daniels didn’t tag the boyband members when she posted her TikTok, but plenty of people around the world who saw the video made sure to do just that. “Social media now makes it literally so easy to get in contact,” she said. “I did not tag Backstreet Boys (in my TikTok) because you don’t want to bug celebrities -- I have a certain distance I like to keep -- but when I posted that video, hundreds of people tagged AJ and (Nick) Carter.”

There are a few moments in the music video where Daniels can be seen, most famously at the 3:01 mark, where she is seen reaching out for a chance to touch the band. She was used to seeing herself daily on TRL every time the music video was played, but getting attention all these years later has been overwhelming for the mom. Her newfound recognition for her time in the video has struck a chord with Daniels and has been a beacon of happiness for the mom. “This week has made me feel 17 again,” she said.

Were you able to spot Devon Daniels in the “I Want It That Way” music video? What did you think about her story meeting the band? Let us know, and be sure to send this to your family and friends, too!