How The Beatles Inspired a Backstreet Boys Song
At least some of the Backstreet Boys’ songs have the timeless quality of The Beatles‘ songs. The writer of many Backstreet Boys tunes said he drew influence from The Beatles to write a very odd line. While the lyric might raise eyebrows, it certainly worked out for the Backstreet Boys.
A Backstreet Boys song was inspired by perceived gibberish from The Beatles
Max Martin is a Swedish songwriter who penned hits for the Backstreet Boys (“I Want It That Way”), Britney Spears (“…Baby One More Time}, Katy Perry (“I Kissed a Girl”), Ariana Grande “(“Break Free”), Taylor Swift (“Shake It Off”), and numerous other singers. He co-wrote and co-produced the Backstreet Boys’ “Shape of My Heart.” That tune includes the oddball lyrics “Sadness is beautiful/ Loneliness is tragical.”
During a 2019 interview with The Telegraph, Martin explained why he sometimes coins new words in his songs. “I grew up on Elton John and The Beatles and I had no idea what they were saying, it was just gibberish,” Martin said. “If we come to a place in a writing session where one word might be better sense but the other option sounds cool, I will always pick the one that sounds appealing to me.” The songwriter said his intention is to “say something meaningful with the right sort of phonetics. Then you’re golden.”
Max Martin said his songs are part of a tradition
Martin’s approach to music is not without criticism. Noel Gallagher of the band Oasis criticized the industry practice of artists not writing their own songs. During a 2019 interview with Music Week, he said the industry formula is “two guys do the beats, another one does the top line, another does this, that and the other. It’s the death of art, because there are no artists — there are just writers and performers.”
In his interview with The Telegraph, Martin did not respect this viewpoint. “I think art is art, however it’s made,” Martin said. “I’m a huge fan of what Noel did with Oasis. But in the whole history of pop, from Elvis to Motown to Whitney Houston, great artists have had songs written for them by teams. Maybe Noel should try it.” Martin may have been insulting Gallagher with that comment, considering Gallagher peaked in the 1990s and Martin’s career is as successful as ever.
How the Backstreet Boys’ ‘Shape of My Heart’ performed
“Shape of My Heart” became a decent hit. It reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 20 weeks. While the song was popular, it’s not as famous today as “I Want It That Way.”
“Shape of My Heart” appeared on the 2000 album Black & Blue. That album climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks, lasting on the chart for a total of 42 weeks. It was the end of an era for the Backstreet Boys. Black & Blue became the band’s final No. 1 album until they released DNA in 2019. While DNA managed to hit No. 1, it did not return the band to position of prominence they had in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“Shape of My Heart” doesn’t sound much like a Beatles song. However, Martin’s unique perception of The Beatles’ songs influenced his approach to the track.
