Back in the '90s, plenty of us dreamed of the opportunity to star in a Backstreet Boys video. While Devon Daniels wasn't necessarily the lead, she did have a memorable role in their video for their hit "I Want It That Way."
Sure, it may be a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. But for Devon, being on set was an experience all by itself. Now a mom of four, she chose to tell TikTok all about her experiences. And, fans of the band were definitely willing to listen.
Devon is now 39 and living in Maryland. As she told Buzzfeed News, she's living a "very suburban mom lifestyle." But, that will never take away from the past.
"I've tried to explain to [my kids] over the years, and they have not cared," she told the outlet. "I've shown them the video, and they're like, 'Cool, mom, cool,'" But, she chose not to let their reaction silence her. "To be in that video was totally life-changing. They’re just now starting to get it."
She made a video that contained a ton of behind-the-scenes photos of the shoot. She made the video even more memorable by setting it to "Never Forget You" by Noisettes. Sure, she may have been in the video for just a second, but the day looked like a lot of fun.
The video connected Devon to someone very interesting — a girl who told her that she technically parodied her in the Blink-182 video for "All The Small Things," which artistically played on many many popular music videos at the time. It proves that we really do live in a small world.
So how did the big moment happen? It seems as if Devon won a sweepstakes through a Los Angeles radio station that helped her land the gig. While the Backstreet Boys were popular, this was the hit that really propelled them into superstardom.
She reports that the shooting took place at a vacant airplane hangar near LAX. Surprisingly, she was familiar with the band's music up to that point, but not the band members themselves. "They were popular but … it was just before the true explosion, so I wasn’t even super familiar who the Backstreet Boys were," she said. "I knew the songs, but I didn't necessarily know the band members."
So she might not have realized that she'd one day be part of Backstreet Boys history. She said altogether, the shoot lasted around eight to 10 hours. It was an experience that she shared with her friend, whom she was allowed to bring with her. While they weren't professional actors, some of the extras in the scene were.
Despite the long hours, she had nothing but good memories on set. She said the crowd felt comfortable interacting with the group during takes, and they were even kind in regards to photos. "They were so nice, and we were able to go up to them and ask if they would take a picture," she said.
When the video premiered, it was also a big deal for Devon's community. "My face was in this video multiple times; that’s the coolest part," she said. "At the time it premiered, everyone knew about [the music video]. It was like being a celebrity and having 15 minutes of fame. We even put the video on in class."
Devon didn't realize that her TikTok would explode — and eventually get Nick Carter's attention. So she's chosen to give the audience what they want. Her next TikTok videos were filled with more stories about the encounter and the big day. It's especially funny, as these may have been stories she's been trying to tell her kids for years. Now, they might register as being "cool" in their eyes.
She spared no detail, mentioning that the directions were a little mysterious at the time in order to get to the location. That, in itself, must have added extra excitement in regards to the opportunity. All of the props given to the crowd were created ahead of time by those making the video. As far as filming went, Devon had shown up to the location empty handed.
She also admitted that it was the first time she and the others were able to hear the song "I Want It That Way." Aside from being in the music video, it must have also been an honor to know that you're one of the first people to hear a song that'd be such a big hit. As Devon said, the video was featured on TRL for weeks.
While Devon might not have been a huge fan before filming the video, surely she learned a lot more about the Backstreet Boys after her exciting day. It's just good to know that her story is finally getting the audience it deserves. Devon will always be part of pop culture history, and it's incredible to hear that the experience meant so much.
