Backstreet Boy star: *NSync feud 'invented'

AJ McLean, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, and Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys.

Backstreet Boy AJ McLean insists there was never a feud between his band and *NSync.

The boy bands both comprised five members and enjoyed success in the Nineties with a similar pop sound.

The media often spoke of animosity between the two groups but McLean says this was invented.

"There was never any kind of rivalry," he told TooFab.

"[*NSync singer Joey Fatone] and I grew up in the same town together, Howie [BSB singer D] and Chris [*NSync star Kirkpatrick] went to college together. The media just manifested and tried to force it.

Pop group N'Sync. Photo / Getty Images

McLean and Fatone were attending the Comic-Con event in San Diego on Friday where they promoted their new Syfy movie Dead 7, which was written by Backstreet Boys heartthrob Nick Carter and stars Fatone himself.

But while there was no official rivalry between BSB and *NSync, McLean admits there was something of a competition between the groups in his family - a contest that he mostly lost.

"My wife was a bigger *NSync fan than Backstreet fan," he said. "She saw Pop Odyssey and the tour before that because she was like, 'I think they're way better dancers than you guys'."

The Backstreet Boys recently confirmed that they have signed a three-year deal with Live Nation, which will see them take on a tour and new album.

"Our music is always evolving. We're getting ready to go back into the studio later this year," the group said.

"We also just signed a deal with Live Nation to do 150 shows in the next three years."

The boy band's last release was In a World Like This in 2013.

- Noise11