NEWS
Backstreet Boys in Las Vegas in September 2019.
Denise Truscello/Getty Images for iHeartMediaThe Backstreet Boys are putting a halt on their holiday music plans.
The boy band announced on social media Friday (Sept. 10) that their upcoming holiday album is postponed and their forthcoming holiday-themed Las Vegas residency is canceled because of COVID-19-related restrictions.
"With the current state of the world still limiting our travel and causing small things in these processes to take much longer, we have decided to wait until 2022 to release our Christmas album and subsequently will be canceling our limited Las Vegas run of Christmas shows," the Backstreet Boys wrote on Twitter.
The pop quintet -- comprising Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson -- was scheduled for a residency in November and December at Las Vegas' Zappos Theater inside Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The A Very Backstreet Christmas Party dates were to be the group's "first-ever holiday shows, filled with classic holiday favorites, new originals and their biggest hits," the act's website states.
Ticket refunds for the Las Vegas residency will be issued automatically at the point of purchase.
The 12-show run was set to arrive three years after the band's record-shattering Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life residency at the Zappos Theater. The group's residency grossed $34.4 million from the total 62 shows they performed at the legendary Vegas venue in 2017 and 2018, according to Billboard Boxscore.
In their message to fans, the Backstreet Boys said they've "been hard at work" on their upcoming holiday album for the past six months. "We are so excited and proud of what we have and the way it's all coming together. We feel that this is one of our best creations yet and that this creation deserves the best possible scenario and set up for success."
The boy band concluded, "While we are disappointed, we know this is for the best and we absolutely cannot wait to share the magic of this album with all of you when the time is right!"
See the Backstreet Boys' full statement below.
NEWS
Musicians are joining in the celebration after the New York Knicks captured their first NBA championship in more than five decades.
On Saturday, June 13, the Knicks clinched the championship with a 94 to 90 win against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Este Haim, Taylor Swift and Mariska Hargitay attend Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026, in New York City.
Watch Taylor Swift Join in on the Raucous Celebration at MSG After the Knicks’ Game 4 Win
After the landmark victory, artists such as Cardi B, Fat Joe, Alicia Keys and Jennifer Lopez headed to social media to share their excitement over the team's first championship triumph since 1973.
Cardi B gave fans a glimpse of her enthusiastic reaction during an Instagram Live broadcast, springing out of bed and racing through her home while shouting, “Oh my God!” and “We won!” She later told viewers she had to get dressed and head out because “the streets are calling me.”
Fat Joe, who has been one of the Knicks’ most dedicated celebrity supporters and is often seen courtside, celebrated the championship on social media as well.
“Never give up,” Joe wrote alongside an Instagram photo showing him standing with the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
The rapper followed up with several more posts from the celebrations, including a courtside video featuring himself with actor Timothée Chalamet and actress Teyana Taylor.
Alicia Keys also joined the citywide celebration by posting footage of crowds pouring into the streets of New York following the victory. In the video, fans could be heard singing “Empire State of Mind,” her 2009 collaboration with Jay-Z.
“Empire State of Mind!!!!!!” she wrote in the caption of the Instagram upload.
Jennifer Lopez shared one of the evening’s standout reactions, posting a video on Instagram of herself watching the closing moments of the game from her home. Once the final buzzer sounded, the Bronx native leaped to her feet in excitement before falling back onto the couch while yelling, “Yes!” and “Oh, my God!”
Lopez paired the video with a heartfelt note about her longtime connection to the franchise.
“Congratulations to the New York Knickerbockers, NBA Champions!!!!!” Lopez began. “I remember the last time the Knicks were making a run for the championship and rushing home every game day from the set to watch Ewing, Starks and Oakley make a hell of a run.”
She added, “We have all been waiting patiently for this day for years. Thank you for uniting our city again…for uniting the world. You restored faith, hope and belief in that there’s nothing we can’t do!! Hard work, goodness and teamwork pays off! You set the city on fire!! Proud to be from the block!! You already know. Knicks forever. CONGRATULATIONS!! Love, Jenny.”
