Tatyana Ali Dishes on Touring with *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys in the '90s — and Names Her Favorite (Exclusive)

The actress and singer looks back at the busy days of her early career and her memories of hitting the road

• Tatyana Ali is looking back at her time touring with some of the biggest acts of the '90s

• The actress, 45, is releasing a new line of quilts through her brand, Baby Yams —which donates 100% of proceeds to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas — in partnership with Birth Future Foundation to help make doulas and midwives more accessible to Black women around the country

• Ali tells PEOPLE about some of her favorite '90s memories and why community has been at the heart of all things in her career
  

Tatyana Ali spent the '90s around some of the biggest names of the decade — even beyond Fresh Prince costar Will Smith.

In 1999, the singer toured with both *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, a dream for any young adult entertainer at the time. When asked if she had a favorite between the two, Ali, now 45, admits to PEOPLE, "If I'm being totally honest? Yes, I did."

Drumroll please ...

"My favorite was *NSYNC," she shares. "They had more of a family atmosphere on their tour. I opened up for them around the U.S. and they just had a real family vibe — dinners and time together while we were in a different city every day.

"I'll tell you though, with both *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, I had to really work to win the girl fans over," Ali adds. "There were crazy stories. It was wild and such a time with the fans and the stadiums being just packed. It was really fun. I got to see all of the U.S. with *NSYNC. With the Backstreet Boys, we toured Europe. So I got to see a lot of Europe then too."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Related: Tatyana Ali 'Bawled' After Filming with Actress Playing Her Fresh Prince Character: 'Heart Exploded' (Exclusive)

Her booming career hallmarked the '90s but as a young woman coming of age in that time, the fashion of the era was also tremendously important.

"I really feel like we're back in the '90s with what we're doing with fashion today. The colors and the patterns are right there," she says.

"I just hope we don't bring back feathered bangs because I'm not going to participate," she adds with a laugh. "Some things I hope don't come back because I participated enough. You're definitely not going to find me in a floral dress with cowboy boots because I did that one too."

The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!

There are some trends from the '90s that Ali hopes come back, however.

"I hope the music comes back. I miss that '90s music. It was so happy. There was so much joy. I was just recently listening to Arrested Development and that feel-good music — songs about love, songs about going out with your friends and dancing. I wish music like that kind of stuff would come back a little harder."

Like many moms, Ali — who shares sons sons Alejandro Vaughn, 4, and Edward "Aszi", 7, with husband Vaughn Rasberry — notices how much easier things seemed to be for kids of that era.

"I think about my childhood in the '90s and how like we didn't have social media and how I think that made things a little bit easier," she says. "I kind of wonder with my boys as they get older. I'm keeping them away from the phones and stuff as much as possible for now."

Related: Alfonso Ribeiro and Tatyana Ali Reveal What Happens in the Fresh Prince Group Chat (Exclusive)

Speaking with PEOPLE about the latest release for Baby Yams — her limited-edition series of handmade, heirloom-quality baby quilts, which donates 100% of proceeds to Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas — Ali says she's looking to make things a little easier for moms, especially those facing roadblocks due to the Black maternal health crisis.

"Our first collection launched in April for Black Maternal Health Week and it sold out in just a few days. Now, I've partnered with Birth Future Foundation for this round; they're matching the proceeds. And the money is going to go to fund scholarships for Black and Indigenous midwifery students," she shares.

"We're putting out our next new batch of blankets on Father's Day," Ali continues. "It's the abundance blanket but the colors remind me of summer camp when I was a kid. There's these awesome summer sherbet colors and I'm excited to put that out."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.