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#Showbiz: Backstreet Boys takes 44 million WeChat users on nostalgic trip with streamed concert  

KUALA LUMPUR: Iconic 1990s US boy band Backstreet Boys entertained over 44 million WeChat users in China during a recent live stream concert.

According to AsiaOne, the two-hour concert which was streamed on WeChat Channels on June 24 also saw Irish boy band Westlife collaborating with the American group on a couple of songs.

Popular in the 1990s and 2000s, Backstreet Boys took its Chinese fans down memory lane where the 44.2 million users reacted positively by sending about 25.5 million "cheers" via WeChat's interactive function during the concert.

Apparently, Backstreet Boys' hit single from 1997, As Long As You Love Me began trending on Weibo a day after the show.

The online sphere was a flutter with discussion where Netizens recalled their memories of the catchy tune.

One fan wrote, "I almost cried when the music started, it brought me back to my days of youth", while others shared that it was the first English song they had learnt.

The concert is believed to be part of WeChat developer Tencent Holdings efforts to promote the app's video function, dubbed WeChat Channels.

It has already presented several pop concerts that evoke millennial nostalgia including a live show by Westlife which was streamed last December.

Other concerts featuring artistes popular with the Chinese audience were Taiwanese Mandopop stars Jay Chou and Lo Ta-yu, as well as China's "rock'n'roll Godfather" Cui Jian.

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