"As Long as You Love Me" is a song by American boy band Backstreet Boys, from the group's eponymous debut studio album in the United States, Backstreet Boys (1997), and their second studio album worldwide, Backstreet's Back (1997). The song was written by Max Martin, who produced it with Kristian Lundin, and lyrically describes the reciprocity of a relationship. It was released to radio by Jive Records as the second single from both albums in the United Kingdom on September 29, 1997, and in the United States on October 7, 1997.
"As Long as You Love Me" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the production. It topped the charts in Lithuania, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Romania and peaked at number two in Australia and Austria, number three in Canada and the United Kingdom, number four in Switzerland and Sweden, and number five in the Netherlands and Norway. The accompanying music video was directed by Nigel Dick and depicts the Backstreet Boys performing an audition for six women.
Background In an interview with Billboard, AJ McLean noted that he was initially meant to sing the song's bridge, while Brian Littrell and Nick Carter would both sing the verses. However, he had been infected with strep throat and was replaced with Littrell, whose vocals were featured on the album and single. The song was a last-minute addition to the album Backstreet Boys released in the United States and Backstreet's Back released internationally, as Clive Calder, then-chairman of Zomba, heard the song and called Jive Records president Barry Weiss, who then contacted the band's manager, Johnny Wright.Interview with Backstreet Boys, management, and others from Entertainment Weekly 10th Anniversary Issue.
Critical reception Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic stated that "As Long as You Love Me" "would have sounded perfect in any era". He also praised the song's slick production, which he described "as irresistible as teen pop can be". John Dingwall from Daily Record stated that the song reminded him of "the 90s New Kids On The Block". A reviewer from Music Week gave it a score of four out of five, writing, "This bears many similarities to Boyzone's trademark mid-tempo ballad sound and will be another big step in the US fivesome's bid to match their Irish counterparts in the boy band big league." Chuck Arnold from People Magazine named it their "sumptuous signature song", noting that it "is about leaving your life in the hands of that special someone — on just the one condition that they love you back. Sounds like a deal."
Commercial performance "As Long as You Love Me" was not released as a physical single in the U.S. but was shipped to radio and became an MTV staple. It spent 56 weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart, peaking at number 4. The single has sold over 530,000 copies in the United Kingdom.
Music video Background
The music video for "As Long as You Love Me" was directed by British director Nigel Dick and filmed on June 15, 1997, in Pasadena, California. AJ McLean learned the lyrics of the song on the day of the shoot, as he was initially meant to sing the song's bridge. Six women were chosen for the video, with the number chosen to ensure that they would not appear to be matched up with the band members.Backstreet Boys: All Access. One of the women, Donna, was played by Leighanne Wallace, whom Littrell ultimately married in 2000.
Synopsis The music video begins with the Backstreet Boys auditioning before six women. The women named Donna, Jana, Linda, Fatima, Gina, and Nina videotape the performances and take notes. The band members primarily sing and dance, each performing in a short "screen test" vignette in which they dress up in costumes and perform various unusual activities. During the bridge, they switch places with the women and have them perform screen tests. The positions reverse again towards the end of the song. The choreography uses folding chairs. Special effects are utilized in the video, most notably morphing sequences, where the face of one member morphs into another's. There are also quick dissolves or straight cuts between footage of the members, each doing the chair routine in the same position of the set. The cuts cause a working fan in the background to appear to stutter in its spin.
Cover versions The Netherlands retro rock band The Kik recorded a live version in Dutch ("Als jij maar van mij houdt") in the 3FM studio, using only Casio keyboards. Radio DJ Giel Beelen subsequently asked the band to release their version as a single.
In 2019, the duo La Folie and singer Jordi Ninus recorded a version in Catalan of this song, under the title "Si em dius que m'estimes" ("If you say you love me"), for the CD edited by La Marató de TV3, a telethon devoted to raising funds for the research of incurable diseases.
Track listings UK 7-inch single A. "As Long as You Love Me" B. "Every Time I Close My Eyes"
UK and European CD1 "As Long as You Love Me" (radio version) – 3:32 "Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)" (E-SMOOVE vocal mix) – 6:48 "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" (Funked Up mix) – 7:13 "Every Time I Close My Eyes" – 3:55 UK and European CD2 "As Long as You Love Me" (radio version) – 3:32 "As Long as You Love Me" (unplugged version) – 3:32 "As Long as You Love Me" (instrumental) – 3:30
Charts
Weekly charts + Chart (1997–1998) Peakposition Airplay (Music & Media) 1Canada (Nielsen SoundScan) 2Denmark (IFPI) 2Estonia (Eesti Top 20) 1Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 4Europe (European Hit Radio) 1Finland Airplay (Radiosoittolista) 3France Airplay (SNEP) 42 Airplay (Music & Media) 1Honduras (El Siglo de Torreón) 5Hungary (Mahasz) 3Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) 18Italy (FIMI)6Italy (Musica e dischi) 20Italy Airplay (Music & Media) 1Latvia (Latvijas Top 20) 1Lithuania (M-1) 1Romania (Romanian Top 100) 1 Airplay (Music & Media) 1Spain (AFYVE) 3Spain Airplay (Top 40 Radio) 1UK Airplay (Music Week) 3 Zimbabwe (ZIMA)* Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000 1
+ Chart (20232024) Peak positionIceland (Tónlistinn) 25Kazakhstan Airplay (TopHit) 74
Year-end charts + Chart (1997) PositionAustralia (ARIA) 40Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 35Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 29Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) 36Canada Top Singles (RPM) 97Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 27Europe (European Hit Radio) 30Germany (Media Control) 34Italy (Musica e dischi) 90Latvia (Latvijas Top 50) 7Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 24Netherlands (Single Top 100) 19Norway (VG-lista) 20Romania (Romanian Top 100) 8Sweden (Topplistan) 12Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)1997 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved April 20, 2010) 42UK Singles (OCC) 25UK Airplay (Music Week) 30
+ Chart (1998) PositionAustralia (ARIA) 28Brazil (Crowley) 25Canada Top Singles (RPM) 26Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 16Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) 97Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 78Latvia (Latvijas Top 50) 10New Zealand (RIANZ) 33US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 6US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 39US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 7US Rhythmic Top 40 (Billboard) 35
Certifications
Release history +RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United KingdomSeptember 29, 1997JiveUnited StatesOctober 7, 1997Contemporary hit radioJapanOctober 22, 1997CD
References