Whether you love or loathe them, teen idols are a crucial force in pop culture. They exist as a foundation to express one's deepest adolescent desires. Yet, behind the posters on the wall, some flesh-and-blood humans have to navigate the experience of being the biggest things on the planet.
Arguably the cutest of the New Kids on the Block, Boston native Joey McIntyre faced this role in the mid-'80s at the tender age of 12 when he was recruited for the nascent supergroup. What followed was hordes of screaming fans and hit songs like "You've Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Hangin' Tough" and "Step by Step," which still drive up the blood pressure of Gen X-ers and millennials.
The New Kids are still thriving (the band is gearing up for a The Right Stuff residency in Las Vegas at Park MGM starting June 20), yet that's just a tiny part of McIntyre's CV. The singer/songwriter has starred on Broadway, booked multiple film and sitcom roles and released seven solo albums, the most recent of which, Freedom, dropped in January.
For McIntyre, freedom isn't just a good album title; it's an ethos of staying true to oneself no matter what the rest of the world wants you to be.
"Obviously, freedom is a big word," he says. "I've certainly had the experience in my life where I think I didn't have choices, and I gave my power and my freedom to other people, places and things. It can feel like turning the Titanic sometimes to do very simple things. I've been with this band for 40 years. They're a huge part of my life, but it's important for me and always has been to carve out my own autonomy. Even in abundance, I think it's important to carve that time out for yourself. For me, it was putting the time into the album and getting honest about what I was writing about."
Indeed, Freedom comes across as an incredibly personal record for the artist, from soulful songs like “Other Things” and “Is Anybody Out There?” that seem to recall a failed relationship to the banger of a title track, which pointedly references the steps of "Step by Step.” But instead of "Step one, we can have lots of fun," McIntyre sings, "Step one, this isn't any fun." He believes the themes he touches on will be universal.
"I think it's often said the more personal you get, the more universal you get, the more people can relate with it; that's the irony," he says. "I feel it's all whatever the audience says at the end of the day. I've seen people comment about things, and they don't quite get [what I'm saying], and they don't even want to get it. They might just want Joey McIntyre to sing fun songs, and they get this from that album. The idea is to get as deep as you want, but keep it moving, have them feeling in their gut regardless of what I'm talking about."
Nothing illustrates this quite like the video for the title track. The clip, which is filmed in the West Hollywood club The Abbey, features McIntyre in a surprisingly intimate state. He is prepping for a performance by shading his chest muscles with makeup and rehearsing dance moves in the mirror, a masculine take on body positivity.
"It's fun, but it's vulnerable," he says of the clip. "The owner of [the Abbey] is a producer of a show I did off-Broadway called DRAG: The Musical, so I asked if we could have a favor. It's kind of like a dancing with myself kind of vibe, but when you make something, you jump in, and the universe helps you creatively. It was a more conventional woman's experience. I basically have a girdle on, and then I put on this makeup, and then I look great! I love my wife plain and simple, but I know she's not going to go out that way, and it was fun to live in that experience."
Never afraid to poke fun at himself, McIntyre has mastered the trick of being self-confident and down-to-earth. Having navigated the slings and arrows of worldwide fame for all of his adult life, he's managed to avoid the traps that have felled other boy band stars, most recently One Direction's Liam Payne, who died last fall after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires.
"We were blessed in a lot of ways," he says. "Our parents were working class, up-by-your bootstraps [types] — like have a good attitude, get a job, go get 'em,” he recalls. “We came from such hard-scrabble stock. There was a lot of unknowing and ignorance when we started. We didn't know what it was going to be. The first [New Kids] album was a flop, so it was all about us performing, doing the next show and trying to tell the world we were worth it. Our family kept us in check; we kept each other in check, and the city of Boston kept us in check. There were tough, tough times when you'd go from the biggest group in the world to [being] nobody. ... It wasn't easy, but we somehow hung in there."
As performance was the driving force behind McIntyre's life, the 52-year-old is now facing a leveling-up. Admitting he may have spread himself too thin in his 20s and 30s acting in film, doing theatre and creating music, he's now secure with what he can create and is entirely comfortable with his talent. Whether it's going solo, performing with the New Kids, or prepping for a sequel for his fan-favorite 2024 Christmas movie, Jingle Bell Love, McIntyre knows what he's got to offer, and he's secure that both longtime fans and people just discovering him are going to love it.
"My dad said that 50 was his favorite year when I was 30, and I was like, "What?" but now it makes total sense," he says. "Jerry Bruckheimer isn't knocking down my door, but whatever that leveling up is, is different for everybody. For me, it happens to look like a solo album and solo tour. I'm about to film the sequel to the Christmas movie; then, I'm going to Vegas to start the residency with New Kids. It does feel rich. It feels like I'm a journeyman now. I bring a lot to the table, and that's the leveling up—we know what we bring to the table."
Joey McIntyre brings the Freedom: Phase One Tour to The Studio at the Factory, 2727 Canton St., on April 5 at 7 p.m.
