Will You Belieb?
I just watched this segment from Kapuso Mo Jessica Soho, covering the “Bieber Fever” that happened recently in Manila. She interviewed some kids who were overly head over heels for the Canadian teen pop sensation, including one emo boy (good lord, save him) and this androgynous girl. This androgynous girl swore eternal love and fealty for Justin Bieber until the end of time—well specifically, until his songs become classics. I can’t really imagine that.
But while watching that young girl, I can’t help but think, awww how innocent. Other memories came back to me vividly. Like, there was this time I collected newspaper clippings of Spice Girls. And slept over one friend’s house to listen to the Spiceworld album.
And then there was this time I bought all those All Saints tapes and rapped Never Ever (God, why am I admitting this?) over and over. I was really good with words, I think because I memorized the Apostle’s Creed along with the Boyzone song “Words” (I was maybe 8 or 9). I thought Stephen Gately had the cutest face of them all.
But before I wrote off my dad and brother’s old school rock albums to develop my pop tastes, before Celine Dion, before I even learned the multiplication table up to times 12, and before I worshiped anyone else… there was the MTV for Quit Playing Games with My Heart. Ah, the Backstreet Boys. It is better to put in Tagalog what I feel about them: sila ang nagmulat ng aking kamalayan.
The classic raining scene in that music video will remain forever etched in my memory. Even if I cringe at it now, my love for Brian will remain. Back then, I was aware that Nick Carter was relegated at the back of the video during the rain scene, and his shirt was visibly unbuttoned. The years taught me he would look sickly beside his macho, gyrating bandmates under the artificial rain (I appreciated the gyrating years later, though).
And then there was also that ultimate fantasy… I think I prayed for it every night after watching “Quit Playing Games…” on MTV: “Oh my god, sana magpunta sa Pilipinas ang Backstreet Boys! At masiraan yung kotse nila sa tapat ng bahay natin! Ay sana mag-tao po si Brian!” *faint* (yes, I am one of the rare species in the 90’s who happen to know that there were other BSB members aside from Nick Carter).
Ah, childhood. Ten years from now when you discover his face in your time capsule, you will audibly exclaim, what was I thinking? You didn’t think. You just felt.
My Ultimate Childhood Crush. Hah!
