AJ McLean Joins Season 29 of ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’
The rest of the cast will be announced next week!
Boy band icon AJ McLean is the first official celebrity joining the upcoming season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. The Backstreet Boys member and rising country singer signed on to season 29 with his daughters in mind.
“They are stoked,” McLean told Good Morning America of his daughter’s reactions to him joining the cast, noting that his oldest has been doing competitive dance for the last two years. “They’re both just elated. It’s going to be awesome for them to watch daddy cutting a jig on TV.”
McLean’s BSB bandmate Nick Carter previously competed on the hit show, ending up as runner up during his season. So, has he offered up any advice to McLean?
“I reached out to Nick about four days ago just to get some kind of insight on what to expect during the course of the season and he both supported me as well as terrified me a little bit,” he said with a laugh. “He kind of just let me know the schedule was going to be rough but just ‘hang in there, pace yourself. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.’ And I’m gonna do the best I can and hopefully take home that mirrorball.”
The announcement of McLean joining the cast comes nearly a week before the final cast reveal, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 2.
McLean may be best known for his nearly 30 years with the Backstreet Boys, but he recently began working on his own solo music, releasing several country songs. His desire to explore the genre was born after the BSB collaboration with Florida Georgia Line, “God, Your Mama, and Me.”
“Once I started making this record, everything happened organically. Nothing was forced and it just fell into place and feels right,” he shared previously with Sounds Like Nashville. “If you’re going to be yourself and tell stories and be honest and allow yourself to be relatable, then country is the perfect place for you. I’ve got stories, boy I’ve got plenty of stories to tell.”
Since working on his country album, McLean has released several songs including “Back Porch Bottle Service,” “Night Visions,” “Boy and A Man” and “Give You Away.” No word yet on when his debut country album is expected.
Season 29 of Dancing with the Stars debuts September 14 on ABC at 8/7c.
