AJ McLean's life has "flipped" in a good way as he finds a "balance" amid his sobriety.

The Backstreet Boys member, who has been open about his years-long struggles with addiction in the past, recently spoke to People about his sobriety journey and how feels he is in "the best head space I've ever been in my life."

"Towards the end of the DNA tour, I got sober again for the last time," he said, referring to the 2019 BSB tour that officially wrapped up in 2024. "I'm sticking this one out all the way. It's a daily thing. But I have finally done what has been suggested amongst the sober community, and my life has flipped in a positive way."

Not only does he take care of his physical body by eating "clean" and going to the gym six days a week, but he is finding a "healthy balance between family and work" while also prioritizing his mental health as he continues to grow as his own person.

"I took a little trip down to Scottsdale, Arizona two summers ago for a little departure for mental health," he said. "I'm a huge advocate for the mental health community, and I wanted to go dig a little deeper into my own existence and really get to the root of why I did the things I did to hurt myself and the ones I loved."

McLean noted that he has learned how to set boundaries and exactly who he is outside of his Backstreet Boys "persona."

"I've discovered new verbiage, such as boundaries, never really had those. Now I have those, which is a blessing. AJ is a member of a group. He is a persona, but he doesn't define me as an individual. Alexander James is who I am," he said, adding, "And now I'm still learning, still growing, but if you don't like me, that's your loss, because I'm a really good person. I really got to bring that to [his new show Building the Band] as well. I got to be my true self."

The musician, who is hosting the new Netflix competition series, recently revealed how he learned of his co-star Liam Payne's tragic death after spending a lot of time with the One Direction alum in the months prior to his passing in October 2024.

Denise Plante