“I was like, no, they’ve been around since I was, like, your age,” the country singer-songwriter tells PEOPLE
Credit: Maren Morris/Instagram; David Tonge/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Maren Morris told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that her 6-year-old son, Hayes Hurd, is “obsessed” with the Backstreet Boys
- The Grammy winner also discussed what she’ll teach “Hayesie” about music
- Morris shares Hayes with ex-husband Ryan Hurd
Everybody wants to rock their body to music from the Backstreet Boys — including Maren Morris’ growing boy.
The country star, 36, told PEOPLE in an exclusive interview that her 6-year-old son, Hayes Hurd, is “obsessed” with the boy band composed of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson.
“Backstreet Boys, well, he thinks they’re brand new. But I was like, no, they’ve been around since I was, like, your age," Morris said at the 2026 Music Will Benefit in New York City on May 7.
"But no, he’s obsessed,” she added.
Credit: Maren Morris/Instagram (2)
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The “I Want It That Way” quintet catapulted into superstardom with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1996, which included the hit song “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart).”
Some other major Backstreet Boys hits include "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," "As Long as You Love Me" and "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely," among many others.
At the Music Will event, where Morris was honored with the Creative Dreamers Award, the “My Church” singer’s best friend, Karina Argow, seconded Hayes’ love of the Backstreet Boys.
“He’s starting to learn about Backstreet Boys, which is a huge deal,” said Argow, who co-authored Morris’ 2024 picture book, Addie Ant Goes on an Adventure. She added that Hayes is also learning some of the boy band's dances.
Credit: ERWIN SCHERIAU / APA / AFP via Getty
Speaking about what she’s looking forward to teaching her son about making music, Morris said, “That it’s hard work, it’s fun, but it’s a lot of egos."
"But no, he’s very sweet, and he loves being on the road with me," the Grammy winner added.
When Hayes turned 6 in March, his mother posted an Instagram photo of them together, with his face blocked out with a white heart emoji.
Morris captioned her post with a Harry Potter reference: “Happy 6th birthday, baby Hayesie. He got sorted into Ravenclaw because the quiz asked ‘do you want people to praise you, trust you, fear you or mimic you?’ his answer was “I want them to trust me.‘ 💕."
Morris shares Hayes with her ex-husband, Ryan Hurd.
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