EXCLUSIVE98 Degrees Admit Re-Recording Their Old Hits Was 'Challenging' — But Still 'Exciting': 'It's Been a Cool Journey'
98 Degrees exclusively tells OK! about how 'challenging' it was to re-record some of their old hits.
Jan. 29 2025, Published 4:57 p.m. ET
98 Degrees is back and better than ever.
The foursome — Jeff Timmons, Nick Lachey, Justin Jeffre and Drew Lachey — re-recorded some of their old hits for their new album, Full Circle, which was a fun challenge for them.
"We were instructed by everybody that if you want to replace the old versions, we are trying to stay true to the exact versions we did in the beginning," Jeff, 51, exclusively tells OK!. "We've been singing these songs for 25 years, so what happens when you don't sing it like the record anymore, you start to develop patterns of singing it live and put these cool little twists and adjustments when you do it live — but you can't do that when you re-record! You have to go back. Our voices have changed, and hopefully we've gotten better at singing throughout the years, but it was challenging yet exciting to do it."
The band's new album will release in May.
"As you're going through it, you reflect on the memories of recording all of those hits and what happened in the studio and the excitement of when those songs came out, so it's been a really cool journey for us putting that together. We tried to stay true to form. The mixes are a lot cleaner and nicer, but we try to kept it almost exactly like the original records," he continues. "They're pretty close!"
As for if their stances on the songs changed they re-recorded, Justin says, "I think I already loved all the hits — that's what made us us, and it's the reason why we're still able to do this."
For Drew, when he went back and listened to "The Hardest Thing," he "started re-listening to the story."
"Now it's 25 years later, you're realizing this mistake that you made and you're trying to not make the same mistake," he notes. "It's not necessarily falling in love with the same song again, but it's hearing it in a new way and appreciating it in a different way."
The boys spoke to OK! about what re-recording some of their hit singles was like.
However, it wasn't all rainbows and butterflies.
"It's actually a lot more challenging to recreate something that was done 25 years than it is to create something new — the keyboards sounds that were around back then don't exist anymore and getting the right sounds and getting our voices to sound kind of like they did because our voices have changed and grown and matured. It's just different," Drew says. "You would think, 'Oh, you've been doing those songs for nearly three decades, so it would be easy,' but it's honestly more challenging that I ever thought it was going to be."
"It's still a really awesome moment when we first hear those backgrounds blended together and mixed together," he says of being in the studio together. "It's why we do this. That is the sound we have grown so accustomed to making — and you never know how it's going to sound until you do it! And then our voices get on it, and that's why we're making another record."
On top of the new album — which features some of their old songs, including "The Hardest Thing," "Because of You" and "I Do (Cherish You)" — the men recently released their latest single, "Got U," on Friday, January 17, which Nick, 51, wrote with three other people "years and years ago."
"From the minute I wrote it, I said, 'That's not a song fr me, that's a 98 Degrees song,'" Nick says. "It just sounded like one of our songs. It was perfect for us. Years later, here we are, and we finally had the chance to record it. We now finally have the chance to put it out, so we're super excited about it. I've always loved this song for us. It felt like the right one to lead off on this great project."
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The band formed in 1996.
The band, which formed in 1996, have been on tour the past few years, where they've gotten to perform their hits for their loyal fans.
"It was a lot of fun," Nick says of being back in the studio again. "We re-recorded five of our hits, which was nice to re-do songs that we've had the chance to live with. A lot of times when you first record a song, you're kind of learning it on the spot, and now we've performed it all these years. It was cool, and we also added some new songs into the mix, too. It was a real throwback to our original sound and vibe and all the harmonies and everything. It's a nice full circle moment where we're revisiting our hits from the past — but also venturing into new territory."
"I definitely felt like this was record was meant for this group, and I did send it to the guys way back and they totally ignored me," Nick quips. "Better late than never! But no, we're proud of the entire album. There's five incredible original songs on there. We now go with what feels right. It feels like us. We've returned home, which is a nice feeling."
When in the studio, the musical artists think about how their fans will feel when they hear the new tunes. "A lot of it comes from what they say in meet and greets and what appeals to them and how they talk about how a certain song affected them and what song changed their lives or really touched them," Drew says. "We try to capture lighting in a bottle again. We're like, 'This is what really resonated with them in the past, so let me try and find out a new way to make it resonate with them again.'"
The stars are ready for this next chapter in their career.
The foursome are excited for this new chapter — and to perform the new songs in front of an audience. "Our fans have been incredibly loyal and passionate for the better part of 30 years now," Nick states. "We're not going anywhere. We love what we do, so we're going to continue to give them new music that they're excited about. We'll continue this for decades to come. Who knows when this thing ends, but our fans have made this possible for us to keep going all these years later. To give music back to them that they're excited about is what it's all about. We're loving it, they're loving, and that's what's it is all about."
"We love what we do — more than we ever have, and we're having more fun than ever!" he continues. "I don't see any reason to stop doing this. If you like it, keep doing it."
"Got U" is now streaming.
