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Featured era: 2005
Back Dorm Boys
“Two roommates, one webcam, and the Backstreet Boys.”
- Featured era
- 2005
- Peak era
- 2005-2006
- Company
- Wei Wei and Huang Yixin
- Category
- Viral Videos
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On Video
The Back Dorm Boys' "I Want It That Way"
Plays from YouTube when you press play. Views, length and date from YouTube, October 2026.
About This Video
- From:
- BackDormBoys
- Added:
- June 22, 2006
- Length:
- 4:55
More Videos4 videos
What Was It?
The Back Dorm Boys were Wei Wei and Huang Yixin, two sculpture students at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in southern China, who lip-synced to Backstreet Boys songs in front of a low-quality webcam in their dorm room. Wei wore goggle-like sunglasses and did robot moves, Huang grinned, and their roommate Xiao Jing could often be seen in the background.
They made their first video in March 2005 and shared it on their college network, where fellow students spread it further. Their Chinese name, Hou She Nan Sheng, was a tribute to the Backstreet Boys, and their take on "I Want It That Way" became a hit on YouTube.
Fame came fast. While still students they became Motorola spokespeople in China and signed with the portal Sina.com, then with the Beijing company Taihe Rye.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Wei's goggle-like sunglasses and blue headband
- Matching basketball jerseys
- The roommate sitting quietly in the background
- Huang holding his hands like a rabbit
The Story
- 2005 Wei Wei and Huang Yixin finished their first lip-sync video in March.
- 2006 They signed a five-year contract with Taihe Rye Music in February.
- 2006 Sina.com gave them its Best Podcaster Award.
Its Legacy
Their "I Want It That Way" video is still on YouTube. It remains a snapshot of the early webcam era, when two students in a dorm room could be watched across China and around the world.
Memories
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