They no longer literally explode on stage but the big boy band of the 1990s will rock the Shanghai Grand Stage to its rafters next week, writes Michelle Qiao.

The Backstreet Boys of yesterday are now five mature men in their late 20s and early 30s and they're coming back to Shanghai to stage a concert at the Shanghai Grand Stage next Wednesday.

The band has done tours of the United States and Europe following the June release of their first album together in five years — the pop-rocker, "Never Gone."

Shanghai is one stop out of 12 on the Boys' "Never Gone" tour around the Pacific Rim. They will be giving 14 concerts across China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Australia.

It's been a decade since the group's debut when they were the world's favorite boy bands of the 1990s. In the ever-changing world of pop, they've also had to change and they've simplified their show. They no longer blow up everything on stage.

"I think now we've gotten older and the music doesn't really lend itself to the big acrobatics and pyrotechnics," says A. J. McLean in an e-mail interview. "It's all about going back to basics again, just going back to good, quality music and having fun on stage. There are a couple of songs, like 'Poster Girl' and 'My Beautiful Woman,' where we do some choreography."

Wu Liangyu from the local concert organizer says the Boys will sing songs from their "Chapter One" album as well as from last June's "Never Gone."

"I think we can stay as a boy band for so long as we, too, grow with our music," says Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson. "Our fans from our younger days are growing. However, I believe the fans would still love our music from old days."

Maybe in the entertainment industry, it's always about what's new, what's next and what's going on. But it's also nice to relive something old and familiar, going back to the days of the cool boys.

Two days before their Shanghai concert, the Boys will be rocking Beijing.