“Just Want You to Know” was first released by the Backstreet Boys in 2005, and is the second single off the album Never Gone. Known for its straight-up rock sound, this track features vocal ad-libs and features an official music video that recreates the ’80s to a T. The melody is simple, earwormish, backed up by a steady underlying eighth-note rhythm and sturdy, catchy beat.
Downcast of Bristol, England, took this nostalgic song and ran with it. They’ve made it sonically tailored for all those ’90s and early 2000s kids out there. Now, “Just Want You to Know” is a love song that has been imbued with a touch of angst. While the basic shell of the song is the same, these artists have now added harmonies, vocal distortion, and a deeper, richer, and more prominent bassline.
The music video alternates between a studio session in a stark white room and scenes of the ’80s (à la the original music video). This cover is a piece that honors the original while taking the genre and twisting it into Downcast’s wheelhouse. As the song comes to a close, the group jeers and high-fives as the video blurs out and fades away…
Member Ben Lucas recently posted: “Turns out BACKSTREET BOYS were one of the greatest pop-punk bands of the early 2000s, and we only just found out. This is our version of the greatest BACKSTREET BOYS song. As much fun as it was to record the song and add enough vocal ad-libs to make the boys proud, the best part was the music video. A whole evening in white outfits, dancing around the studio, really helped us get into the boyband mindset.”
Below is their lighthearted music video and rockin’ cover. Be sure to also check out the group’s original EP, WTF Happened? next.
And for more great Backstreet Boys covers, check out this link! https://www.covermesongs.com/tag/backstreet-boys
