Back from a five-year break, the Backstreet Boys aren't boys any more, although they still get called a "boy band".
"Call us whatever you want, just call us," band member Brian Littrel, 30, said in Sydney.
He and his fellow band members are just happy to be back in the spotlight, and don't care what people call them, as long as their music is appreciated.
"We always considered ourselves a vocal harmony group first," added Nick Carter, who celebrated his 26th birthday in Brisbane at the weekend.
"Our inspirations were groups like Boys II Men and Shy - a lot of harmony so we have tried to model ourselves on that and try to stay true to music."
The US-based Backstreet Boys - Carter, Littrel, A.J. McLean, Kevin Richardson and Howie Dorough - last year released a new studio album, Never Gone, and have spent the past six months touring the world.
They arrived in Australia last week, playing their first Australian gig ever in Brisbane on Saturday. They play in Sydney tonight before heading to Adelaide and Melbourne.
The Backstreet Boys have sold more than 75 million albums worldwide with hits including Incomplete, I Want it That Way, Everybody, As Long As You Love Me and Quit Playing Games.
In Australia alone, they've sold more than 1.5 million albums.
The group took an indefinite break in 2001. Brian welcomed his first child, A.J. went into rehab for a drinking problem and has been sober for more than two years, Howie worked on a solo album, Nick embarked on a solo tour and Kevin worked on Broadway.
"It is good to be back," said A.J.
"We want to show people that we have staying power and that we are not just coming back and going away. We were truly never gone."
Before taking a break, Howie said the band was "pretty fried" after years on the road and problems with management.
"Each of us needed to find ourselves individually," he said.
Asked if they would stay together, the group indicated they would continue to work on solo projects but that more Backstreet Boys albums were on the cards.
"We are in complete control now of our schedule and what we choose to do and not do," said A.J.
"Once we finish this tour ... everyone is going to go their own way ... and we are going to go back to doing another Backstreet Boys record at some point.
"We are just trying to pace ourselves and let everybody have a chance to do what they want to do because if each of us has success individually, it only helps and benefits us as a unit."
BRIAN Thomas Littrell ~ The Golden Voiced Backstreet Boy
- Established Jan 1999 -