The Backstreet Boys had an on-stage visitor at their show in Toronto, Canada on Saturday night. Rapper Drake joined the boy band during their performance of “I Want It That Way.” It was the second of two shows the group performed in Drake’s hometown as part of their DNA World Tour.
Before launching into the iconic song, People magazine, crediting online footage, reported that Drake shared a personal story about why the Backstreet Boys hit is significant to him.
“At 13 years old, I had a bar mitzvah, and at my bar mitzvah, for the first time in my life, this girl I was in love with came up to me while one of the greatest songs in the world was playing, and she asked me if I would dance with her,” he said, according to the magazine. “It was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and it was the first time I ever felt like, you know, I had a shot at being cool.”
According to a video posted on the band’s social media, Drake contributed his vocals to a few harmonies, but mostly danced, hyped the enthusiastic crowd and enjoyed the performance from the best seat in the house.
He also took a final bow with the band.
You could say Drake wanted it that way.
The Backstreet Boys’ tour runs through November, with upcoming stops across the US and Canada and then legs in Spain and Germany.
