Posted by It turns out that Drake’s formative romantic experiences were soundtracked by the pop icons of the late 90s. The global superstar recently confessed that a Backstreet Boys song was playing during his first kiss, a revelation he shared directly with the group during a chance encounter in Toronto.
In a recent interview with Billboard, BSB member Kevin Richardson recounted the serendipitous meeting that took place in 2022 during the group’s DNA Tour. According to Richardson, the band was dining at a restaurant in Toronto—a favorite spot for the rapper—when they were informed that Drake was present and interested in meeting them.
“He told a story about his first kiss was to one of our songs!” Richardson recalled. The connection was immediate, leading to an invitation for the group to perform at his show, where the rapper famously joined them on stage to perform their massive hit, “I Want It That Way.”
During that 2022 performance, the artist provided further context to the crowd, explaining that the moment occurred at his bar mitzvah when he was 13 years old. “For the first time in my life, this girl I was in love with came up to me while one of the greatest songs in the world was playing, and she asked me if I would dance with her,” he shared. “It was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and it was the first time I ever felt like, you know, I had a shot at being cool.”
This candid admission highlights the lasting impact of pop culture on even the biggest names in hip-hop, proving that the nostalgia of a first kiss is a universal experience, regardless of one’s status in the music industry.