#150 - Artists That Tried To Cross Over + Interview with AJ McLean from the Backstreet Boys

00:00:01
Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to Episode one fifty. Sponsors are Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club. And this was all about crossover songs artists that either crossed over to country or a country artist that crossed over to pop. And we're also going to talk to a J. McClain who is of the Backstreet Boys and is also trying to put out country music and instring to kind of hear their thoughts and and listen. Nobody wants. No one in the country music world like traditional country music world wants anything to cross over if they're like super traditional. I think artists kind of get crap when they do that. I I enjoy it because I mean it's so good inside of our format that everybody else gets to experience it. Because right now, you know, Dan and Shay are are doing that with tequila, and I guess that's the first really big crossover possibility in the last four or five years. I mean, body like a back Road tried, and but I don't think that it got as big as Tequila from Dan and Shay. Maybe I still see cutting up the floor road. It seems funny because Danny, they're already on speechless right now, and Speachless when number one, it's Keela Still, you know, kind of jumping up pop chart. That's just so right now, Speechless is at number twenty four on the pop chart and it's trying so and recently, I mean, Marin crossed over Mary Morris, but that wasn't so much her song that she as an artist did because she was on this Z and it else. I just know Z somebody else is on the song body that come back to what to number six on the pop chart. It was that high. Yeah, I was completely wrong about that. I guess I didn't hear it that much on the pop chart. I heard it a lot. I was wrong on that. Lady and Abellum Need You Now went to number two on the pop chart. Rascal Flats had a top ten song on the pop chart with What Hurts the Most, And I think in you know, the Last Generation, the biggest obvious crossover as Taylor Swift. Well, I can just play one of her songs here, but she just crossed over herself like she humanly crossed over the way did country and was like, you know what, I'm just gonna do pop. Everybody's like all right, we get it. And I was doing pop radio for a lot of these songs, Lady and a Bellum Rascale, Flats, Taylor Swift, those three. I was doing pop radio and it was like, oh cool, check it out. Some country steps crossed over. But I'm a big fan of crossing over because I mean, you know what, Darius crossed over pop to country in staid a country to pop, like Darius is an artist that he went from hoodie to being Darius the country singer. And a lot of people will go uh to sellouts, No way, man, They're just selling out bigger rooms and it has to be super awesome in our area to go over to to another one. Let me talk about Warby Parker for a second, because I do love Warry Parker. A lot of my glasses are Warby Parker and basically what Warby Parker is. By the way, it was a collaboration of fore close friends and what they wanted to do is have a different kind of glasses, like an alternative to the overpriced even the boring eye wear that's out there now. And they also felt that prescription I wear shouldn't cost you more than a plane ticket or a new iPhone. And that's why Glasses started nine including prescription lenses. It's anti glater lens, anti scratch coatings, and for every pair that you buy, a pairs distributed to someone in need. And you might be thinking, how can you buy eyeglasses online? Because I've done this though. They send you a home try on program and it's very easy. You order five pair of glasses online, have up shipped directly at your house sort of work, and then you have five days to try them on where I'm around, show your friends and get an honest opinion of what they look like, and if you don't like them, mailing back. It's a hundred percent free. It's really easy. And you find a pair of glasses you like, go to Warby Parker dot com slash Bobby, I mean ordering them from there Warby Parker dot com slash Bobby, w A R. B y Parker dot com slash Bobby. Get started with a free home try on Warby Parker dot com slash Bobby and find your perfect glasses today. And so I have a lot of artists here that crossed over one way or the other. Right, that's kind of what it is. And and again we're doing this because we'll talk to a J. McClean coming up in a second. Who is trying his own, you know, pop two country crossover. Do I think it's gonna work? It normally doesn't work for anyone. It's rare that it does, so just playing the odds, I don't. But again, I've seen stranger things happen, and I like, the guy's a nice guy. But we'll talk to him and find out what's going on. It's called night visions. J McClain sleeping it out, all right? Did they cross over Darius Rucker? It was in Hooty And that's kind of the weird crossover because rarely do they go pop two country and make it, you know, especially talking about J McLain. But he did, He crossed over and had a bunch of hits. Mike's on if I'm not saying anything. Darius rutger By, who is one of the biggest selling bands of all time. Like that record Cracked Review was one of the biggest selling records of all time, and I think most people thought that Darius would be a flash in the pant or would have because again, if somebody goes from pop to country, the traditional country, people go, wait, why are they doing this? Why are they trying to come country because they can't make it him pop. But that really wasn't the case with Darius. As you know now, Darius is a South Carolina dude that loves country music, loves classic country music, and also nobody calls him hoodie anymore, which he's gotta love. I think I might just call him honey. I didn't know him as Darius, So Darius actually did cross over. Steven Tyler was an interesting one that that tried to cross over because he is like American rock Royals, Aerosmith, Massive, and whenever Steven Tyler was crossed over, I was excited because I just wanted to meet him. It's freaking Arrowsmith and Arrowsmith's rock band, and all of a sudden, Steven Tyler was like showing up in Nashville and making surprise appearances that other artists shows, and then he started showing up at bars playing shows, and then he launched his country career. Love is Your Name? So this is called right. It kind of sounds like Mumford and Sons and Aerosmith mixed together. I do not think that was a successful cross over. And I had him on the show and I was rooting formed the crossover because I wanted to be his friend just selfishly. I wanted to live here and making country music and I was gonna be Steven Tyler's friend. And a lot of my friends are writing with them. Like Eric Pass I was writing with him. He was like, he's the nicest guy. But did not work. He did not It wasn't a successiful crossover. Crazy to write with him. A lot of people, did, you know, trying to write with anyone who would write. Cindy Lauper tried to cross over and I would get emails going, hey, we have Cyndi Lauper on your show, and I never did. And this was this is our song right called Funnel of Love. There was a country attempt run and it's not even bad, and it's kind of awkward and kind of your weird sounding. But I think if it were someone who was coming starting in their career and something like this as as that kind of an American Americana, um, I think it would work in that realm, like like a Margot Price. She has that really distinct super country because we know it's Cinndy Laper, we picture Syndey Lapper. I think if you just go, hey, this is you know, Missy Johnson, and she's from Kentucky and she kind of has this weird, this country vibe, and I think you'd probably go, oh, maybe that's not for me, but I get it. But the fact that she was Sendy Laper kind of made it weird and You're like, why is she doing it? It was weird? Yeah, right, it was. It was weird. That didn't work. Sny Laper did not cross over. Brett Michaels from Poison, someone I had on the show because I was like freaking poison and played softball with him. He's a good athlete. Yeah yeah, really nice guys. And he came in and he had a song called Girls on Bars, Girls Dancing. Did he ever release the album for this? Do you know, like a full album? I thinking maybe two singles? It didn't work. He served as a judge on Nashville Star in two thousand five. Did you know that he released He did release a full on country album, Freedom of Sound. This is an older, one older, older record with Jessica Andrews. So that he did not That did not work. But I had him on the show and I thought he's a nice guy. Sometimes I have people on the show and I don't even root for their music so much. I just liked them as a guest. So I didn't think that Brett Michael stuff was gonna work. But I did like him, and he was gonna talk about poison, talk about rock love, all that stuff that I thought my audience would like. So Brett Michaels did not cross over. Kid rock is one. And so when I was in college, was this kid rock. Kid rock is like rap. It was like hardcore rock rap and kid rock freaking crossed over. And he was sh Aw Summer Long, We crossed over hers Thanks Whiskey, not thinking about this was a top five song. He hops to CEMT Music Awards twice. Kid Rock. Did you know that it's very can He also had like picture pion I changed. It was never weird like him doing country, know him doing to such like rock wrap to doing country. It made sense him because he kinda was like a trailer park dude, and being a fellow trailer park dude, it was kind of like trailer park dudes like all kinds of music. And I feel like it's gonna be post Malone. You think he's gonna come with the country record. Here is like here's a song that did not work from kid Rock but ain't nothing like I thought this was a good this Tennessee Mountain Top, some straight shooting, but yes, he's a crazy successful crossover him pray for peace but still pecking. Here's an interesting one is Aaron Lewis him from Staines who I think I gotten to fight on the area, remember that because he was bashing Luke Bryan and somebody else. And I put him on and we called him. I called him to have his numbers. We have his number? No, did we have his No? We did. He was in stain and he put out a country record and two Thou was the first one that ain't country. That's It almost feels like, I don't know, that's not super believable to me, and I think I think this is more so and it sounds like stain doing country. That's I felt like he's this is really trying that ain't country. You got in a saloon with his chaps and I was like, no, trust me. I do think he's probably kind of a country is guy. But when you go from me in a rock band is something sounds super super traditional. There's gotta be like at that pivot point where you just don't go from one or the other that ain't country. I hate when people tell other people they're not country, and not just that song, but that's that's what that song does. But that really bothers me when people go with that ain't because that's not country, Like you're not the country warden. You don't get to decide, And what does that even mean? What's country? That is at the instruments? Is that the message of the music. There are a lot of things that our country. That's kind of his whole thing, Like goes looking at his Twitter that he feels that some things are country. People can say he's not country, and you know what, it's the right to say that. But I'm just not someone who goes on any country, Like, what are your sensibilities? How you grew up? I grew up in a tiny town in Arkansas. His country. It could possibly be. However, I love hip hop, most big nineties alternative. I think it's just what aid you grew up with, a big part of all that you'd like to listen to. Lionel Richie had a big crossover attempt. Come on, is it me? Huge pop star? But he had a top ten country song huh yeah. Nine. Deep River Woman climbed number ten. He also wrote Lady for Keney Rogers, was a pop number one in a country number one. Whenever I go bon Jovi, you probably go probably not, but he kind of did. This song was massive in it. The weird part about this bon Jovi first, so bon Jovi huge band of the eighties, even a bit of the nineties obviously, but then him and Jennifer Nettles did this song you know who says you can't go home, trying to get out of this place. I was a little song. And the weird thing about this was is that this song he cross over in the country. It's so big a country that crosses back over into pop like he's a pop artist, the wind country that it was so big across back over into pop again because we played that a little bit, but that was interesting. Tom Jones had a number one country song by the Way, which is crazy. She's this's Tom Jones, this is Tom Joes. It's not mus you want to be alone by everyone, It's not unusual. Here's this number one country song. Seventy six. Tom Jones had the number one country hit ca to Mad and then I'll finish with this one. Jessica Simpson. She was obviously a huge pop star when she was younger, and I think they did that movie together, the Dukes of Hazzard and Willie Nelson. Was like, hey, you like country music, you grew up in Texas. Do a country music song and a record, And so she put out an album called do you Know? Debuted number one country album and come on Over. It was a top twenty song, so kind of she's kind of crossed over. It's kind of funny, like back the history of crossovers again, I root for things from country to crossover into pop because that means it's so good for us that it got so big that pop has to look at it and go, oh wow, this is doing so great in its own format. And that's what happens a lot of times. Like the alternative songs like Imagine Dragons, they have to do so well an alternative to be considered a pop. Pop is basically the major leagues for all music. If it kills and its genre, it goes to pop. Like hip hop, All the biggest hip hop songs go to the pop stition like panic get to Disco right now has the number one alternative and so unless it's an artist that is just a straight pop artist, like the pop format is basically just what's popular and altogether formats, there's this weird negative connotation to pop when it actually pops awesome because it just means popular. So as Dan and Shame make a run Tequila, I'm rooting for him. I mean, I don't know speech Slo doesn't do hit the pop chart too, it is. It is on the too, Tequila, So they're both where are they both? Well, Tequila is done on the pop chat Yeah, look at that. Well whatever, those guys are crossover money. Eventually they're gonna have something go big. So well, there you go. It's all the crossovers. Let me do um before we get a j on from the Backstreet Boys. Let me talk about Dollar Shave Club because I love it. In my house, my bathroom, you see a lot of Dollar Shape Club stuff. I love that they have everything I need to look my best. You know what I love too, is that I never have to go to the store because Dollar Shape Club delovers everything I need right to the door, and they keep me fully stocked on what I use so I don't run out and they have it all. They have you covered head to toe, your hair, your skin, your face, whatever you need, they have it. And they have this new program where they automatically keep you stocked up on products you use. You determine what you want when you want it, and it shows up right at your door from once a month to every six months. And for me, the Dollar Shape Club toothpaste, I love it because one, it's a great toothpaye. The two comes every three months. That's how I haven't said every three months comes right to me tooth face I run out, or I just I'm always squeezing the very bottom of the two because I don't want to go to the store or I forget it. Every three months, I haven't set to come to my house. They're handsome discount The more you buy, the more you save. Right now, they have a bunch of starter sets. You can give her five bucks, like their oral Care Kit. After that, the restock box ships regular sized products at regular prices. So what are you waiting for? You started set five bucks right now? Dollar Shave Club dot Com slash Bones Dollar Shave Club dot Com slash Bones. Alright, we'll talk to J. McLean. We're gonna play that interview right now. Hello, Hello, Mr Mr Man, Hey dude, what's happening dude? Wait? First off, Happy New Year, Mary Chris, and congratulate freaking relations. Dude. I was your number one fan on the show when you got the mirror ball. I was like, thank you. I would have been so mad. I would have caused a social media uproar if you didn't win. Thanks dude. I appreciate that you're good. M dude. I couldn't be better, man. I mean, just uh, a little bit of stress with the whole fire situation that happened in California. My family and I've been bouncing around from hotel to hotel, the house to house. We're moving again tomorrow, but we'll we'll hopefully be back in our house by April. How about New Year start? What are you up to, man, dude. I've been busting my butt trying to finish up my debut solo country record, which will be out in April. UM and then uh backstreets, gearing up about to go back on tour, brand new album coming out at the end of this month. We have two more runs in Las Vegas and then we are done in Las Vegas, and then rehearsals start and we're back on the road again Manniversary tour. It's pretty much the rest of this year is cooked. You're you're grinded. Man. Yeah, dude, got to man, gotta do it. I truly missed being on a tour of US Vegas has been outstanding, it's been phenomenal, But there's just something about being on a bus that I do miss. Talk to me for a second about this country project and what you have in mind, Like, what's what's the plan? Well, Uh, we're hoping to have another single released, hopefully shortly in the next few weeks or like in like the next month. Um. It's a song that I actually did with a guy from Nashville named Dave Finley. Amazing writer, producer. He was just just just recently on the Voice Uh made it to final three. He's super talented. Um, And uh, you know, I've I've been working on this record now for about a year and a half. Uh, pretty much ever since we finished and put out God Your MoMA and Me with Us in FTL. That was where I kind of got the inspiration to really kind of just shed my skin and really kind of try something new. And but I told myself. If this wasn't really organic, then I wasn't gonna do it. I wasn't gonna force it. The songs had to be right, my writing space in my head had to be right. And it's has happened perfectly, and I couldn't be happier with what's with with what's come out, and I can't wait for the world to hear it. So what was that like for you? Whenever Florida Georgia Lane calls and goes, hey, do this project with us? Was that like, Wow, we're gonna hop into the country world or was it like like what happened in your mind there? Well? You know, I mean, Nick was the one that kind of was the catalyst for that whole thing. Dick actually saw the guys during CMA Best in Nashville and Franklin, and he went to c M A Best. He met the Fellows backstage and found out that they're huge backstory boy fans. UM b K's first concert when he was six was our concert, which is kind of crazy, um and they were doing backstreets back in their show and none of us really believed it, and then Nick showed us a YouTube video and sure enough, they're doing it in like a stadium and everyone's singing along, and it was just kind of a mind mind blown moment, like, Wow, really the country world is rocking out the backstreets back but music is from music lovers, you know, and the country to me is really kind of open up its doors to really expand so much more outside of what what country has been known for. And f GL truly, in my opinion, are the are the trailblazers. I mean, working with Nelly, working with PB rex uh, Jason Derulo, kind of stepping in almost an E d M direction with certain songs, and then really just kind of having almost that urban in that urban pop influence, and that really really inspired me. After we did Crossroads with those guys, I started really kind of diving into the whole Nationville scene. I spent probably a grand total of almost a year in Nashville. I was gonna move there. I was gonna take my family and move there. I'm mad lee in love with the city of Nashville. I love it there. I love the people, I love the culture, I love the music. It's so inspiring and uh, I spent so much time down there, and hopefully someday I do get a you know, a nice place down there, but still out in California for now, but just been busting my button studio. Probably recorded about three quarters of the album in Nashville and the rest out here in Los Angeles. So tell me the record is gonna come out in April, and it's your debut solo country album. Like, what's the record gonna sound? Like? What can you tell me right now? Um? It is. It's a little bit of all that I kind of bring to Backstreet as well as what I want to bring to country. So it's got pop, it's got urban, it's got country, it's got soul, um, it's got gospel. It's definitely just me kind of being myself. You know, I'm not trying to be something I'm not. I just want to make good music that people love, that people can relate to. I want to write songs about my beautiful children, about my gorgeous wife, about the highs and lows that I've been through in my life, and just make it a real fun, relatable record. And like I said, I couldn't be more proud. I've got to work with some super super talented cat that in l A and I've done Aunt writing. Ah, we're losing them. I think we lost him. Well, there you have a folks, He'll leave us with that, He'll leave. We'll just have to keep wondering. There he is a J McClain. These songs here, I'm having knife his Nie visions, Miss Nick Suberstein, drinking with Red Finance, his bag porch bottle service got me buzzing on. This was the jam. I want it that way. A good luck to him there, he is real quick. Hey, we lost your buddy. Yeah, sorry, man, it's it's this weird random drop area by my house. I have no idea why. It's all wide open spaces. Now you're all good, Well, listen, let us know whenever you come back to town. Love to have you up, dude, absolutely man. And I'll be out in Vegas for a c M. So I hope I could get to see you out there, because that's right around the time that I'm dropping the record. Okay, cool, Well, there is a J. McClain. Hey, I appreciate the nice words, buddy, And uh yeah, maybe I see in Vegas. If not, next time you come to town, hit me up, absolutely all right. Chopping out again, Hey, Jake, gonna talk to you, bud, we're losing you again. There is a J McClain. All right, there we go. Episode one fifty, Thank you very much, our crossover episode, thanks the sponsors Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club. Thanks to A. J. McClain and Jake Owen's and next one going it next few days so jakeo win will be here. Also check out the Sore Loserer's podcast if you like to come the sports with Raymundo, Eddie and Lunchbox. Also, Amy Brown has won four Thanks with Amy Brown. A lot of things, um, motivational, spiritual, a lot of what else you had to do over there, like exercise, a lot of health stuff. Yeah, four things to Amy Brown, Velvet's Edge if you're into fashion, and she does a bunch of beauty stuff and even pop culture stuff, so a lot of stuff. Check it out on the Nashville Podcast Network. Thank you very much, Episode one fifty. We'll see you next time, everybody,