![]() "I Want It That Way" is the Backstreet Boys’ signature song, and commercially it reached the number-one spot in more than 25 countries, including Austria, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated for three Grammy Awards, including Song and Record of the Year, and has been included in lists by Blender, MTV, Rolling Stone, and VH1. It was later released on the group's greatest hits album, The Hits: Chapter One in 2001.Ĭritically, the song was met with positive reception, with many critics commending its catchiness, also calling it the pop ballad of the year. The song was heavily played on the radio, with the video (directed by Wayne Isham) also being heavily played. The pop ballad talks about a relationship strained by matters of emotional or physical distance. The song was written by Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson, with Martin and Kristian Lundin producing. It was released on April 12, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album, Millennium. The entire construction of it is a perfect example of being lost in translation, which mirrors the themes of Tokyo Vice perfectly, making the funny moment a bigger commentary on the language barrier presented in the show." I Want It That Way" is a song by the Backstreet Boys. As Americans are confused by the lyrics, it's not hard to imagine that a Japanese listener could misinterpret the song as being about sex. That said, neither version makes any connection to sex or "wanting it that way" as an allusion to it, as Ansel Elgort's character tries to explain. Even that explanation can be somewhat confusing, but it makes more sense than the original version, which is ultimately really well-performed nonsense. The alternate version of the Backstreet Boys song (via YouTube) makes much more sense and clarifies that it's ultimately about a couple in love working through their issues of distance and lies in their relationship and that the singer wants to hear his significant other say that they want the same thing in their relationship, rather than the heartache and mistakes. Interestingly, "I Want It That Way" was rewritten and redone to make more sense, but the group ultimately decided to go with the more confusing version as it simply sounded better. Martin has written many hit songs, including star Britney Spears' ".Baby One More Time," The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face," and Backstreet Boys' other big hit, "Everybody." Those songs, however, weren't hits because of the lyrics, so much as the beats and voices behind them. The amusing reason is that it was written by Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who barely spoke English at the time. The lyrics have been analyzed multiple times and the Backstreet Boys themselves have confided that the song doesn't make much sense. The actual meaning of "I Want It That Way " has always been a source of confusion, however, even in the United States. Adelstein relents, shaking his head, but accepting that there's no convincing them otherwise. Later, Ansel Elgort's Adelstein asks his Japanese newspaper friends what they think the song is about, and they believe the same thing as Sato. While driving back from a meeting with a Yakuza oyabun, Sato (Kasamatsu) starts singing along to "I Want It That Way " by the Backstreet Boys, saying that no other band would have "the guts to do a song about a man and a woman doing that." Sato emphasizes the "that" of the song, implying that it's about sex, to which Adelstein laughs, saying that the song isn't about that. In the latest episode of Tokyo Vice season 1, episode 4, "I Want It That Way, " the show highlights more of the cultural differences, including the interpretation of a famous Backstreet Boys song. Related: Tokyo Vice Yakuza Explained: History, Rituals & Real-Life Comparison Along with that, it explores multiple Tokyo Vice expat characters trying to fit into the Japanese way of life, including Elgort's Adelstein and Keller's Samantha Porter, who are both striving and struggling to live and work there as Americans. The show addresses the various societal archetypes as well, including the subservient roles forced upon women and the issue of suicide. Tokyo Vice digs deep into the cultural differences between Adelstein and his Japanese colleagues, taking place at a time and era before smartphones or social media and when the Yakuza's influence and reach were much deeper than it is today.
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