'Party days are over': Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean reveals how he stays healthy (and sober) on tour

It’s understandable that AJ McLean doesn’t know where he is in Virginia.

His tour bus broke down after the Backstreet Boys' planned performance at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, and he’s hopped a ride on bandmate Nick Carter’s bus to the next show in Virginia Beach.

“On the first round of the DNA tour, I went through two buses. Maybe I have some bus gremlins,” he says.

But even with fully functioning vehicles, McLean jokes, “I don’t know where I am half of the time. I just go where they point me.”

The Backstreet Boys – which also includes Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell and Howie Dorough – will be on the road in the U.S. through September.

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A setlist packed with late-’90s/early 2000s pop nuggets – “I Want It That Way,” “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart),” “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” – has kept the group’s devoted fan base in a state of appreciative nostalgia.

McLean chats with USA TODAY about his life on the road.

AJ McLean stays sober by attending virtual AA meetings

In December 2020, the Backstreeter branded the "bad boy" celebrated one year of sobriety, an admitted challenge for the singer who has struggled with drug and alcohol abuse since the early 2000s.

Now, he's "in the best mindset and shape" of his life ("vocally, mentally, spiritually") and regularly logs into virtual AA meetings to continue "kicking butt sober-wise."

The overnight drives, however, require entertainment, and McLean fires up an Xbox for "Madden" or "Trials," a dirt bike game he's "obsessed" with, and gets the Apple TV rolling.

"I’m an avid movie guy. I love TV shows. We just finished Season 3 of 'The Boys' and my wife (Rochelle Karidis) and I are going to finish 'Modern Family.' ... Usually, if we’re not in a hotel, we get to the venue in the morning and have until about 5 p.m. to chill. That’s when I’m out there ripping the (remote-controlled) cars around or if it’s early enough I’ll go find a golf course."

The Backstreet Boys turn to cold to soothe their aches

Considering all of the bandmates are in their 40s, it's understandable that their movement-intensive show might cause some sore muscles.

Ice baths are popular among the guys, while McLean leans toward cryotherapy, exposing the body to intense cold for short bursts to repair muscles.

But sleep is the key for McLean to maintaining a healthy mental space. "All of the party days are over," he says. As the group has matured, so have their relationships with each other.

"The five of us are the tightest we’ve ever been. We always talk things out. We’ll use constructive criticism and not call anybody out. We talk about it like family because we are. We’re all alphas, but at the same time, we’re seasoned (pros)," he says.

No grain or sugar for McLean, who trains with weights to stay healthy

Mealtime for McLean usually consists of chicken, lean meat, fish, or "healthy carbs." There's no eating after the show – especially not the post-concert treats of his 20s, such as pizza or burgers.

He works out four or five days a week, concentrating on weight lifting.

"I’m 44. I’m trying to be as health conscious as I can. And being a father (McLean’s oldest is 9 and youngest is 5) and trying to keep up with kids when they come out. I want to be playing with them as much as possible, even though I was home with them for two years," he says.

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"A Very Backstreet Christmas" arrives on Oct. 14, the group's first holiday offering. Containing mostly covers with two original songs, the album has "the best vocals we've ever done, maybe even ever."

McLean's nail polish line, solo album also brewing

A professed fan of nail polish since the earliest days of Backstreet, McLean last year launched the nail polish brand Ava Dean Beauty as a way to bond with his daughters over mani-pedis.

The busy Backstreet Boy is also planning his first solo album for the fall. The first single "Smoke" was released last week.

"It has a Prince/George Michael feel to it," McLean says. "Very soulful R&B funk."

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Backstreet Boys tour: How AJ McLean stays sober, healthy on the road