Welcome Home

These days, the word "crossover" is hardly a novel thing in the Christian music industry. Only, there aren't many artists who are "crossing over" from the world of mainstream international stardom (and record sales of more than 78 million) into the far humbler world of Christian bookstores and radio. And if they are, it usually seems to be somewhat of a quick nod to fans who share their faith—a momentary diversion meant to round out a discography with a "gospel" album. But to Brian Littrell -- one of the five members of the world-renowned pop group, Backstreet Boys -- it's a longtime dream come true.

Believe it or not, celebrity status definitely wasn't part of the 31-year-old Kentucky native's original plan. Before being asked by his cousin to join a newly-formed group back in 1993, Littrell had planned to enroll in Bible college after high school and go into either youth or music ministry. So, why didn't he? "It's not my timing," Brian says. "It's His." Littrell believes God gave him a mission different from the plans he had as a teenager—to be "salt" in the challenging world of the music industry. Throughout his early Backstreet Boys career, Littrell was the only professing Christian in the group. His strong stand for his beliefs proved to be an anchor and often kept the group from compromising in high-profile situations for the sake of attention or greater popularity. He's always been known for being honest about who he is: "It's no secret. What you see is what you get," Littrell says.

Skeptics might suggest Littrell's entrance into Christian music is merely because the Backstreet Boys' heyday is over. But that's far from the truth. Even after a five-year hiatus, the group's sixth album debuted last year at #3 and enjoyed tremendous international success. Littrell is still busy with the group, but feels his solo debut, Welcome Home (which hit stores on May 2), is the most significant—albeit risky—album of his career. For that reason, he's pouring all he can into the project and upcoming tour. "I really feel like God has led me on a path for the past twelve years to prepare me for this project, to prepare me for things like this," he says. During the Backstreet Boys' long sabbatical, Littrell says each individual dealt with a shift of priorities. For him, becoming a father in 2002 reaffirmed that his music career was hardly the most important part of his life.

Littrell's desire is simply to share his heart in an authentic way that's not condescending. He wants to "change the way people feel about God" by communicating that following Christ is about choosing to live with "love and compassion" and allowing Him to show you the world through His eyes. "I want people to be drawn to what they hear, and that goes for nonbelievers as well as believers," he says. Littrell knows he has an enormous platform. Fans all over the world, who might never walk into a Christian bookstore (which are few and far between in countries such as Japan) to purchase a "worship" CD, are enthusiastically supporting the launch of Welcome Home. They know what to expect. The album follows on the heels of his first solo single, "In Christ Alone," a song Littrell first sang in church fifteen years ago. In this sense, he feels Welcome Home comes full circle for him as it speaks definitively of that which is closest to his heart: his relationship with Jesus Christ. "This is who I am," he says.

The title track of Welcome Home makes it clear Littrell knows who he is and where he belongs. Home, he tells us, isn't fully found so much in the finite elements of life—whether in a place, a career, or even other people. Home is in the presence and the will of your Creator who's always saying:

I will be where you are
And when you come to Me
I will open my arms
Welcome home