I Want It That Way

song written Max Martin och Andreas Carlsson; originally recorded by Backstreet Boys in 1998 and released in 1999

"I Want It That Way" is a dance-pop ballad from the American boy band Backstreet Boys. It is about a relationship that is troubled by emotional or physical distance. In the United States, the song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. It hit #1 in many other countries.[1]

"I Want It That Way"
Single by Backstreet Boys
from the album Millennium
B-side
  • "My Heart Stays with You"
  • "I'll Be There for You"
ReleasedApril 12, 1999 (1999-04-12)
RecordedNovember 1998
StudioCheiron (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre
Length3:33
LabelJive
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Backstreet Boys singles chronology
"All I Have to Give"
(1998)
"I Want It That Way"
(1999)
"Larger than Life"
(1999)
Music video
"I Want It That Way" on YouTube

The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards.

It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, Millennium.

Composition

change

The song is written in the key of A major. At approximately the 2-minute, 25-second mark of the song, the key changes to B major. It is around a tempo of 99 beats per minute. Their vocals span from E3 to B4.[2]

References

change
  1. "Backstreet Boys". MStarz. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved Feb 5, 2015.
  2. Backstreet Boys (October 21, 1999). "Backstreet Boys – I Want It That Way Sheet Music (Digital Download)". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved April 20, 2025.