98 degrees reflect the 25th anniversary and the “timeless” love songs

International pop sensation 98 degrees ended their “98 Days Of Summer” campaign with a splash with a Las Vegas performance at Mandalay Bay on Thursday, September 16th.

Before going on stage, the group spoke exclusively with OKAY! about their incredible 25th anniversary as a band, the struggles of the pandemic, and how timeless themes of love in music are.

It was an eventful day for the four pop stars – Nick lachey, Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin jeffre – as they prepare for their last performance of the summer, but everyone has a good attitude about the hustle and bustle of Sin City.

Drew, 45, isn’t shy about joking, “Well, it’s Vegas. It should never be boring.”

Boring is certainly not the word for this group who all flew out from different parts of the United States to kick off the iHeartRadio festival, and after a year and a half in lockdown due to the COVID-19, they were more than ready to start doing what they love again.

“We were really looking forward to making new music and coming back in front of our fans and playing again.” Jeffre, 48, said, noting the role the pandemic has played in giving them time to reflect on their next steps as a group. “Being away from it all for 18 months really made us want to jump in and get right to the point.”

Nick, 47, adds: “You really enjoy things even more when you aren’t able to do it, and that’s what we’ve been through with the pandemic. So it’s great that you can be back. ”

The interpreter of “What’s Left Of Me” goes on to describe the unique atmosphere of her audience which has evolved after such a long absence. “There’s just a real celebration of life going on now,” he says. “I mean going to a live audience to feel the energy.”

“We feel blessed and lucky to do it, but it’s great to see the excitement and the energy of the crowd, so it’s better than ever,” adds Timmons, 48. “I mean, really, I mean we’re so lucky so many years later.”

The award-winning pop group released their self-titled debut album in 1997, and released 3 more before their hiatus between 2003 and 2012.

Young brother Lachey was happy to open up to OKAY! of their journey from their very first tour until today, and the biggest thing the 45-year-old singer claims to have learned over the years is appreciation.

“Just to appreciate the time we spent together making music and playing,” he responds bluntly. “You know at first we took it very, very seriously, which is great because you know it’s a work ethic. You put it all in there, but there are probably times we would have. could slow down a bit, smell the roses a bit and I enjoyed the ride a little more. “

“It’s been 25 years since the circle came full circle,” Drew continues, explaining that coming back after so many years makes everything new. He also mentions that they are “wiser” now, to which Timmons jokes that they are “in the twilight” of their lives.

Countless changes are happening in 25 years, but one thing that has never wavered since 98 Degrees is the theme of their music.

The group jokes that they probably won’t write bops about ‘politics’ or ‘stacks on stacks’, but sending love messages through music is something they won’t stop. do so soon.

“I think for us the theme of most of our songs has always reverted to love songs, you know? That’s kind of where we had the most impact.” Drew elaborates. “It will always be our favorite sound and scenario in a way. […]
And these are kind of timeless songs that we connect with and enjoy. “

The successful pop group kicked off their tour at the Great New York State Fair on August 21 and will continue throughout the year in Southern California, Georgia, Arizona, Ohio and more.