Jelly Roll duets with Backstreet Boys legend on 'I Want It That Way'

11 July 2024, 10:30 | Updated: 11 July 2024, 10:38

AJ McLean and Jelly Roll at a pre-Grammys Party. Picture: Getty Images

By Mayer Nissim

Jelly Roll keeps on crossing over.

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Jelly Roll has become a crossover superstar in recent years with his mashup of hip-hop and country music, and he showed off his poppier side at a recent live show with a very special duet.

The Tennessee-born star joined forces with an actual Backstreet Boy, AJ McLean, for a run-through of the massive 1999 hit 'I Want It That Way'.

Their duet was part of Jelly Roll's set at History in Toronto, Canada last night (July 10).

Jelly Roll and AJ McLean had previously photographed hanging out together at the 2024 BMG Pre-Grammy Party in January of this year.

"I can't tell ya'll how unreal this was man," Jelly Roll told the crowd during the show.

Jelly Roll & Backstreet AJ McLean - I Want It That Way (Toronto History 2024)

"I kind of gave up hope that they were ever going to let me into Canada. Man, I couldn't have asked for a better reception."

He later added: "I am such a fan of Toronto music. I either wanted to come here or to the Mod Club. That was my dream, was to go to one of those two."

The performance included tracks from Jelly's 2023 album Whitsitt Chapel, as well as tracks from across his career and covers like 'Should've Been a Cowboy' by Toby Keith and 'Simple Man' by Lynyrd Skynyrd.