Backstreet Boy Howie D will release his debut family album, WHICH ONE AM I?, on July 12th, 2019. The album is a collection of songs that offer musical reflections of his own childhood and overcoming his insecurities to discover his true self.
Produced by Grammy nominee Tor Hyams, these songs inspired an upcoming family musical theater production, Howie D: Back in the Day, which will have its world premiere next year at the Rose Theater in Omaha, Nebraska. Read more about the show here: https://bit.ly/2DSMbxY
“When I started writing these songs with Tor Hyams and veteran Broadway performer Lisa St. Lou, it became clear that together they revealed my own story,” Howie says of the inspiration and hilarity that went into writing both the album and the musical. “These songs are about a kid who conquers a myriad of his own fears and learns to accept himself for the unique person he really is.”
PEOPLE Magazine premiered the album’s first single, “No Hablo Español,” an ebullient Latin number that taps into Howie’s mixed-race heritage. Growing up in Florida as the son of a Puerto Rican mom and an Irish-American dad, Howie never knew quite where he belonged. With gusto and good humor, “No Hablo Español” expresses the dilemma of being a thoroughly American-raised kid who is also part of a minority community.
The accompanying video for “No Hablo Español” is a real family affair. Howie D’s ten-year-old son, James, plays a younger version of Howie, while Howie’s mom, Paula, plays her own mother, the song’s “abuelita.” Howie himself makes a cameo as a guitar player.
All videos for the Which One Am I? project were shot in collaboration with Full Sail University, whose innovative programs in the arts have long been supported by Howie D.
Listen and watch the official video for “No Hablo Español” below:
“The goal of Which One Am I? is to remind people that no matter what they’re going through, they can emerge victorious,” says Howie D. “I especially want kids who listen to the music to come away knowing that everything that happens teaches you how to develop into the person you were meant to be.”
Which One Am I? is now available for pre-orders at iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers.
About Howie D: Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, Howie Dorough’s passion for music and entertaining was evident as early as age three, when, with his little guitar, he would sing around the house for his family. By the time he was seven years old Howie had performed his first role in a musical production of The Wizard of Oz. Clearly bitten by the show biz bug, Howie spent his childhood taking dance lessons, singing lessons, acting lessons, performing in school productions, singing in choir, and, as he puts it, “doing anything to break into the business.” He acted in a Nickelodeon TV production, starred in a commercial for Walt Disney World, and even landed roles in movies such as Parenthood and Cop and a Half. After high school, Howie studied music at the University of South Florida until he got his big break as a Backstreet Boy at the age of 19. As everyone knows, he has been performing all over the world with BSB ever since.
