Jakarta (ANTARA) - Lagu "I Want It That Way" oleh grup vokal asal Amerika Serikat Backstreet Boys dirilis sebagai singel pada 12 April 1999.

Lima personel Backstreet Boys yaitu Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Alexander James McLean, Kevin Richardson dan sepupu Kevin, Brian Littrell menyanyikan lagu "I Want It That Way" ciptaan produser rekaman asal Swedia Andreas Carlsson dan Max Martin.

Sedangkan produser rekaman untuk lagu "I Want It That Way" ialah Max Martin dan Kristian Lundin, produksinya dikerjakan ketika grup vokal tersebut telah berada di bawah naungan label rekaman Jive Records.

Adapun lokasi pengambilan video musik "I Want It That Way" yang diarahkan oleh sutradara film dan video musik Wayne Isham adalah di Bandara Internasional Los Angeles, California.

Baca juga: AJ McLean Backstreet Boys bercerai setelah 12 tahun menikah

Baca juga: "I Want It That Way" Backstreet Boys masuk "klub 1 miliar" di YouTube

Lagu itu mendongkrak penjualan album ketiga mereka "Millennium" yang telah disertifikasi platinum hingga 13 kali.

Album "Millennium" dan lagu "I Want It That Way" membuat Backstreet Boys masuk nominasi untuk lima kategori penghargaan bergengsi di ajang penghargaan tahunan Grammy ke-42 di antaranya "Album of The Year", Record of The Year", "Song of The Year", "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal", dan "Best Pop Album".

Arti dari lagu Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way" terbuka untuk ditafsirkan, dan dapat memiliki arti yang berbeda-beda bagi setiap orang yang mendengarkan.

Sejumlah sumber melaporkan, penjelasan tentang lirik lagu "I Want It That Way" memiliki makna yang samar adalah karena penulis lagunya, Max Martin dan Andreas Carlsson, belum fasih berbahasa Inggris saat itu.

Lirik lagu "I Want It That Way" sebagai berikut:

You are my fire The one desire

Believe when I say

I want it that way


But we are two worlds
Apart can't reach to
Your heart when you say
That I want it that way


Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never want to hear you say

I want it that way


Am I your fire?
Your one desire

Yes I know it's too late

But I want it that way


​​​​​​​Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never want to hear you say

I want it that way


​​​​​​​Now I can see that we've fallen apart
From the way that it used to be Yeah

No matter the distance

I want you to know

That deep down inside of me


​​​​​​​You are my fire
The one desire

You are (you are you are you are)

Don't want to hear you say

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

(Don't want to hear you say)

I never want to hear you say

I want it that way


​​​​​​​Tell me why
Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never want to hear you say

I want it that way

Tell me why

Ain't nothin' but a heartache

Ain't nothin' but a mistake

Tell me why

I never want to hear you say

(Never want to hear you say it)

I want it that way