New Kids on the Block announced their first album of new material in 11 years on Tuesday morning (March 5), Still Kids, which will be released through BMG on May 17.
The 14-track album was previewed via the mid-tempo single “Kids,” which was co-written and co-produced by David Stewart (BTS, Jack Harlow) and Luke Batt (Katie Melua); the song’s video, directed by Marissa Velez, will premiere on YouTube at 1:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday and the live premiere will take place on The Kelly Clarkson Show on Friday (March 8) during an NKOTB episode takeover.
A release announcing the follow-up to the band’s 2013 studio album 10 promises that the eight full-length from Jonathan Knight, Jordan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood is “full of pop anthems, dance tracks, love songs and grooves that will become fast favorites for the Blockheads.”
The bouncy “Kids” single features a look-back chorus from the long-running boy band — who are all in their early 50s — on which they sing, “And we’re still just kids from a nobody town/ Still just kids that are messing around/ Making the most of the things that we found.”
“It’s the most mature album we’ve ever made,” said the project’s creative director Wahlberg in a statement; the singer co-wrote seven of the tracks on the album with longtime collaborator Lars Halvor Jensen. “Yet it’s the most fun and most comfortable album we’ve ever made… This album, more than any other, is bringing the New Kids and the fans full circle. It’s about hope and possibilities and being ourselves.” The collection has features from DJ Jazzy Jeff on “Get Down” and Taylor Dayne on “Old School Love.”
McIntyre — who co-wrote six of the tracks with songwriter/producer Sean Thomas — added, “It says a lot about any band to make a record that has energy and passion and lightness and fun and depth – after almost 40 years together? It’s crazy.”
Listen to “Kids” below and check out the album tracklist and NKOTB Magic Summer 2024 tour dates.
Still Kids track list:
“Magic”
“Summer Love”
“Long Time Coming”
“Kids”
“A Love Like This”
“Dance With You”
“Come Back”
“In the Night”
“Runaway”
“Pop”
“Get Down” (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff)
“Old School Love” (feat. Taylor Dayne)
“Better Days”
“Stay”
Magic Summer 2024 North American tour dates (with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Taylor Dayne):
June 14 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
June 15 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
June 18 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
June 19 — Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
June 21 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
June 22 — Maryland Heights, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 23 — Prior Lake, MN @ Mystic Lake Amphitheatre
June 25 — Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater
June 26 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
June 28 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
June 29 — Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheatre
July 2 — Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre
July 3 — Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
July 5 — Ivine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre
July 7 — Chula Vista, CA @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 9 — Phoenix, AZ @ Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
July 10 — Albuqureque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
July 12 — Del Valle, TX @ Germania Insurance Amphitheater
July 13 — The Woodlands, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
July 14 — Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion
July 16 — Franklin, TN @ FirstBank Amphitheatre
July 19 — Tampa, FL @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
July 20 — West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
July 21 — Jacksonville, FL @ Dailey Amphitheater
July 25 — Charleston, SC @ CreditOne Stadium
July 26 — Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
July 27 — Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion
July 28 — Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
August 1 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
August 2 — Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
August 3 — Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium
August 4 — Wantagh, NY @ Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
August 8 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Art Center
August 9 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
August 10 — Mansfield, MA @ Xfinity Center
August 11 — Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 15 — Philadelphia, PA @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts
August 16 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 17 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
August 22 — Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
August 23 — Columbus, OH @ Nationwide Arena
August 24 — Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
August 25 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center