With the unfortunate death of Aaron Carter, let’s talk about his career and how he affected millennials. Additionally, how he was a cornerstone in some of our childhoods, including mine and a lot of my friends.
Music Career:
Aaron Carter was best known for his music career, and being the little brother of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. Following in his big brother’s shoes, he came out with five albums: Aaron Carter, Aaron’s Party (Come Get it), Oh Aaron, Another Earthquake, and Love.
Aaron started his career at 10 in 1997 with the single “Crush on You”. From there, he would have his first album and then tour Europe. He received fame in the United States after Aaron’s Party (Come Get it) in 2000.
Aaron would sing and rap, which many people found different. His very clean-cut appeal had teenagers really interested in him. It didn’t hurt that while he was rising to fame, the Backstreet Boys were too.
Aaron’s Party (Come Get it), would include a collaboration with Shaquille O’Neal, an appearance on Lizzie McGuire on Disney Channel, and the ability to be an opening act for Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears. The album would also turn into a VHS home video of the music videos and a concert DVD.
Aaron would also appear on the Jimmy Neutron Movie Soundtrack and come out with his next album, Oh Aaron, in 2001. This would include collaborations with Nick Carter and No Secret. This would also include a DVD release of his concert.
After, he would put our Another Earthquake, which had less success in 2002. In 2018, he would come out with one last album, Love.
Impact:
Aaron had a major impact on younger millennials. As someone who is considered a younger millennial, with younger millennial friends, I can tell you that there were so many people that reached out to me and had conversations around Aaron’s death. My Facebook page was flooded with people that I know around my age, all talking about this, and it made me realize I wasn’t alone in my love for him as a child.
I remember vividly getting my first Aaron Carter cd, Aaron’s Party (Come Get it). I played it to death. So much so, that my dad won me an Aaron Carter picture from the state fair. It was a framed photo. That photo stayed up in my room for too long, through a lot of different phases of my life. I had the Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) VHS tape and learned all the choreography to all of those songs. My collection included, Oh Aaron, and listened to that until I wore it out. I was an Aaron Carter fan. Of course, we all grow up and move on with our lives.
My friend and I on our cross-country road trip reminisced and listened to some songs from those albums and it brought back so many memories. We talked about the Lindsay Lohan, and Hilary Duff drama, his appearances on 7th Heaven and Lizzie McGuire, and just about how much he was a part of our childhood. It’s crazy to think about.
There should be a much bigger conversation about child singers and actors and the impact on their lives, but for now, I am just sad and hope for the best for his family. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Check out:
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As always, Creating Nostalgia Millennial Style!
I never really got into Aaron Carter, I think he was targeted at people slightly younger than myself. I am a huge Backstreet Boys fan though, I did listen to a few of his songs. He was quite talented. Rest in peace, Aaron.