Backstreet Boys’ Howie Dorough talks new Spanish project, more Sphere dates: ‘Fingers crossed’

“And I feel like it’s a great way for me to show my pride in being Puerto Rican, and also to continue the culture [for] my kids.”

Howie did study Spanish in school, but his plans to live with a family in Mexico and become fluent were derailed by, he jokes, “a little group called the Backstreet Boys.” So he worked with a co-writer from the Dominican Republic to adapt the songs, including “I Want It That Way” and “As Long as You Love Me.” He says the rest of the guys are “very supportive” of the project.

“Coqui,” one of the new, original songs also featured on the album, is named after the native frog of Puerto Rico. “You hear this frog at night making this beautiful sound,” he says. “People sometimes leave their windows open just to hear the sound … it’s one of those sounds that even when you leave the island, it doesn’t leave you.”

Meanwhile, Howie and the Boys resume their Into the Millennium residency at Sphere Las Vegas on July 16. Those dates are set to end Aug. 29, but will there be more?

“I mean, I can only hope for that. Right now, there’s nothing on the horizon planned yet, but we will always keep the door open,” says Howie. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because that Sphere is no joke.”

Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.