For the last 12 months, AJ has been in the studio writing with One Republic’s Ryan Tedder, *NSYNC’s JC Chasez, as well as industry legends, Mark Hudson and Kristin Lundin to create his debut. The album, which he sees as ‘pushing the envelope’, is a departure stylistically and musically from his Backstreet Boys material, and has seen him rediscover an inner sense of himself.
A personal record, the record draws inspiration from his own experiences, including exorcising the alcohol addiction he once suffered.
Says AJ of his new material ‘This record for me has allowed me to rediscover a sense of who I really am. I’ve been writing with some amazing people like Ryan Tedder and Mark Hudson; to be able to finally create this body of work, I really do think I’m going to surprise people with the direction of this album.’
Talking further about the sounds of the album – ‘We recorded partly in Nashville so we’ve got this whole Southern Rock vibe going, as well as in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The record really allows me to unwrap another side to me’.
On first hear of the material, you get a sense that AJ really is, in his words, ‘a sponge in terms of musical influence’. You can sense some early Lenny Kravitz, a bit of Jamiroquai, dripping into Daft Punk and rounded off with some Lynyrd Skynyrd. If you had to use one verb to describe this record, it would be funky.
Having had massive success with the world’s biggest boy band, AJ is no stranger to global chart success. However, he understands that with this record, it is more about discovery as opposed to ‘ticking the boxes to fit in with what gets played on radio’. The album, currently without name, but AJ admits ‘he has a few ideas’, is his vision, and won’t be compromised.
Having already teased fans on the Backstreet Boys World tour, as each of the boys performed one solo track, the record will be released toward the end 2008. The intimate European tour will allow AJ to reconnect with new and all fans, on a level not experienced since his early tenure with the Backstreet Boys. AJ’s tour kicks off in London on May 15th, taking in multiple dates in Germany (Frankfurt, Hamburg, Koln), Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, finishing in Paris on the 3rd of June.
Substance abuse issues
Rising to fame in his early teens, McLean became known as the "bad boy" of the musical group known as the Backstreet Boys. In 2001, the other band members reportedly became distressed by A.J.'s self-destructive behavior. Following an intervention, McLean entered rehab for alcoholism and cocaine abuse. His mother, Denise McLean, later authored the book Backstreet Mom, describing A.J.'s life before, during, and after rehab.
In December 2003, McLean and his mother appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to talk about his recovery from clinical depression, alcoholism, and drug use. Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, and Nick Carter surprised McLean by appearing on the show to talk about their experiences with his addictions and to offer their support for his rehabilitation. This was the first time all five Backstreet Boys had appeared together in public in almost two years.
Drive By Love
AJ McLean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What u want?
Alright now remember that
Ha-ha ha-ha
Introducing me
Stay up
Super flower, black hair
I touched you and my heart stopped
Now I know I'm totally fucked
I'm gonna take you in my car
Let you give me a ride
And tell me now quick or slow
I'll let you decide
And if you get too serious
I'll tell you goodbye
Girl you better realize
This ain't nothing but a
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by, drive by
I drive by lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by love
We went a little too fast
And thumped me back on my ass (Oh)
I can't believe I did this
Let it happen with a just one kiss
So tell me what'd you do
if it happened to you?
Would you wanna give it up
or would you thought you were through?
And I fell in love and now I'm totally screwed
I guess I should've realized
This is more than just a
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by, drive by
I drive by lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by love
Oh!
Coming up, I'm coming up
So tell me what'd you do
if it happen to you?
Would you wanna give it up
or would you thought you were through?
And I fell in love and now I'm totally screwed
I guess I should've realized
It's not a drive by love
lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by lo-lo-lo-lo-lo-love
Lo-lo-lo-lo-lo
I drive by love
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
Drive by, drive by
The song "Drive By Love" by AJ McLean is about falling in love unexpectedly, and the confusion and uncertainty that comes along with it. The lyrics describe the singer meeting someone and feeling an immediate attraction, which eventually leads to them driving around together and becoming physically intimate. However, the singer is unsure if this is just a casual encounter or something more meaningful, and they are afraid of getting hurt. The chorus repeats the phrase "drive by love," which can be interpreted as a reference to the fleeting and temporary nature of the encounter, or as a metaphor for the idea that love can hit you suddenly and unexpectedly, like a car passing by.
The song contrasts the excitement and thrill of falling in love with the fear and uncertainty that comes with it. The singer questions whether they should let themselves get too attached or if they should protect their heart and walk away. However, by the end of the song, they have come to the realization that what they are feeling is more than just a casual encounter, and they are willing to take a chance on love.
Overall, "Drive By Love" captures the complex emotions that come with falling in love quickly and unexpectedly, and the struggle to navigate those feelings and decide whether or not to pursue them.
Line by Line Meaning
Super flower, black hair
Describing the features of the person who caught his eye
Swinging out everywhere
Her hair is moving everywhere as if there is a breeze around her
I touched you and my heart stopped
He was so captivated by her that he was overcome with emotion
Now I know I'm totally fucked
He realizes he’s in trouble and can’t control his emotions anymore
I'm gonna take you in my car
He’s planning to take her with him for a ride
Let you give me a ride
He's letting her take control of where they go
I'll let you decide
He's giving her the power to make choices
And if you get too serious
If she starts getting too attached or emotional
I'll tell you goodbye
He'll end things if it seems like it's more than what he's ready for
This ain't nothing but a
He wants to make it clear that what they have is just casual
Drive by love (Hey-hey)
It's just a casual encounter
We went a little too fast
They moved too quickly physically
And thumped me back on my ass (Oh)
He’s fallen hard for her and it's come as a shock to him
I can't believe I did this
He's surprised and questioning his own actions
Let it happen with a just one kiss
Their relationship escalated quickly after one kiss
I guess I should've realized
He's regretting not recognizing his feelings earlier
This is more than just a
He's come to the realization that their relationship is not just casual
It's not a drive by love
It's more than just a casual encounter
Coming up, I'm coming up
He's expressing his excitement and eagerness to be with her
So tell me what'd you do
Asking what she would do if she were in his position
if it happened to you?
Wondering how she would react if she fell in love with him
Contributed by Matthew I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stéfani Santini
queria essa musica no Spotify
ClaraBamOne
AWSOME!! AJ's Solo Album ROCKS!! I Luv Him & the Guys 2!!
Elisabet Guerrero Carbonell
El mejor álbum que ha hecho hasta ahora y mira que tiene más ninguno como este sexy rokero ..
Jennifer Scalzo
When I listen to AJ McLean sing you know I have to crank it up baby!!! Ha ha oh yeah baby!
Teresa Haugen
AJ Rocks....best of all of them
Nardia McPhee
My fave song from the album and my fave from the BSB solo albums :) can't wait for his country music album heard a preview earlier this year when he was in Nashville sounds awesome!
Narlla guterres
Amo aj ;-)
Nadin From_the_star
Cool! I drive by LOVE!
Georgee George
awsome !!!!
Adriana Celly
lindo