Photo: Wes and Alex
Multi-platinum selling superstars New Kids on the Block celebrated the unveiling of their eighth studio album, released on May 17th, with an exclusive iHeartRadio Album Release Party on Tuesday, May 21st at 7:00 p.m. E.T. The chart-topping icons answered a handful of exciting questions from iHeartRadio's very own Valentine during the live broadcast (featured on Today's Mix on the free iHeartRadio app), and performed a slew of their most popular hits including a few tracks featured on their latest record, Still Kids!
The legendary 80s heartthrobs kicked off the show with a performance of "Kids;" the first single release from their brand new album. Listeners also got to jam out to 2024's "Magic" and were invited back in time with a masterful performance of 1988's "Please Don't Go, Girl" and "The Right Stuff," and 1990's "Step By Step."
Valentine gave the band (and awe-struck listeners tuning in live) the opportunity to catch their breath before asking New Kids on the Block why they decided to dust off their boots and release a new album after 11 years.
"Well, first things first, they [fans] demanded it. They did. I mean for a decade they've been like 'what's the deal with the one song here and there?' We don't do EPs. There are a lot of young New Kids fans...a lot of young blockheads, but our fans you know... they like albums. They want songs. They need depth."
The artists revealed that the writing process behind their latest masterpiece took about a year and a half and was largely inspired and fueled by their fans. The entire project was created unapologetically with excitement and fan reaction at the forefront.
"We had to do it before you guys decided to run away," the hitmakers joked. The award-winning group expressed their love for creating music since they were kids and mentioned that they hope to never stop creating.
They also commented on how epic it will be to collaborate with tour openers Paula Abdul and DJ Jazzy Jeff when their long-awaited Magic Summer 2024 Tour kicks off on June 14th!
Speaking of touring, bandmates Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight, and Donnie Wahlberg, are all looking forward to taking the stage in 47 cities across North America starting next month, and plan to slow things down in an effort to soak up each moment and watch their hard work pay off in real time.
"Life is very precious, so we've got to cherish these moments."
When asked to describe the album in one word, the band threw out terms like "meaningful," "humbly-perfect," "party," and last but not least, "exciting!"
Select iHeartRadio AC stations will re-air the intimate album release party through Memorial Day weekend for blockheads who missed the first live show, or simply want to relive the magic a second time. Fans can look forward to a video special to follow the New Kids on the Block album release party, slated to air on PBS this September.