Aaron Carter doesn’t want your nostalgia anymore. At age 26, over a decade removed from teenybopper fame thanks to songs like “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq,” Carter is trying to buoy himself into modern pop relevance. “I’m not going to be touring stuff from 10 years ago for the next 10 years,” he says. “I need to reinvent myself, release new music, focus on being in the game now.” He’ll test out this new mentality with two area shows this week.
You came to D.C. in March 2013 for your “After Party” tour. What can we expect from you this time?
It’s a lot different. [That] was more of a throwback concert. The shows this year are promoting my new album and all my new music.
What’s your new music like?
It’s pretty upbeat and fun. It’s got a lot of good pop elements to it. It’s just me, you know? [But] grown up.
Do you have any upcoming releases planned?
We definitely do. It’s just, politically, we’re [waiting] for a bigger record deal to coincide with all the music we’ve released. We’ve got a lot of record companies paying attention now to what I’m doing because they see that I’m a touring act.
How would you describe the majority of your fan base at this point?
It’s kind of crazy to be honest with you. My demographic is 13 years old to, like, 40.
How do you tailor the show so that it connects with both age groups?
I’m not taking it overboard and doing things that are too crazy, but the show has some provocative elements.
What exactly do you mean by “provocative?”
The dances, the moves that we do. Some of the lyrics to the new songs. Stuff like that. “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” came out in 2000.
What’s it like to perform it in 2014?
It’s crazy. People lose their minds. It’s just cool to show them that I’m that guy still.
For me, “Aaron’s Party” is more playful and happy-go-lucky than most teen pop today, which sometimes tries too hard to be precociously romantic and serious. Do you agree?
Absolutely. That song is timeless, that’s why it can still be performed so many years later. It’s been a staple [of] people’s childhood. It’s going to be memories for them, too, 10 years from now when they’re not in college. These girls pre-game to “Aaron’s Party” and get drunk to it. It’s crazy how long the song has lived on.
Do you ever get nostalgic for the year 2000 or the Aaron character in “Aaron’s Party”?
No, I just live in the now. I did so much work as a kid that it’s kind of a blur to me.
Do you think fans are keen on embracing 2014 you?
Sometimes they are and sometimes they’re not. If they’re not, that’s fine. You don’t need to come to my show. You don’t need to be there. [People] come to the show to try and live out [their] nostalgic, selfish feeling and I’m the vehicle to do that. But I’m not making myself that vehicle anymore.
Rams Head On Stage, 33 West St., Annapolis; Sun., 1 p.m., $25.
Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. E, Vienna; Mon., 7:30 p.m., $22-$30.
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