Backstreet Boy Howie D Recorded His First Song in Spanish to Honor His Puerto Rican Roots and His 92-Year-Old Mother

Howie Dorough has spent over three decades as a member of one of the best-selling pop groups in history, but the most personal project of his career has nothing to do with stadium tours or choreography. The Backstreet Boys singer, known to fans as Howie D, released “Coquí” last weekend, his first song written and performed entirely in Spanish, a deeply personal tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and to the mother who gave it to him.

Dorough, 52, spoke about the project in an interview with USA TODAY, explaining that the inspiration came from a desire to honor his mother Paula, who is 92 years old, and to pass something meaningful down to his own children. He said he had been wanting to do this for a long time, not only for her but for his kids, because he wants to transmit the culture to them and have them embrace their Latin roots.

The Sound That Started It All

The song takes its name from the coquí, the small frog native to Puerto Rico whose distinctive nocturnal call has become one of the most recognizable sounds associated with the island. Dorough said the sound stayed with him long after he returned to the United States following visits to Puerto Rico, living in his memory in a way that eventually made it the obvious name for the song. The music video was filmed in San Juan, grounding the project in the physical landscape of the culture it celebrates.

The coquí is one of Puerto Rico’s most beloved cultural symbols, a creature so associated with island identity that Puerto Ricans living abroad often describe its call as the sound of home. Dorough’s decision to center the song around that image reflects a genuine connection to the island rather than a surface-level nod to his background, and the San Juan shoot reinforces that the project was built with intention and care.

The Moment His Mother Heard the Song

The launch of “Coquí” produced a moment that Dorough described as one of the most meaningful of his life. He played the song and other Spanish-language recordings for his mother, and she broke down in tears upon hearing them. He said he realized in that moment that he had done something that would stay with him forever, even after she is gone. He added that holding onto the memory of having made her proud is something every child would wish for from their relationship with their mother.

The Backstreet Boys are currently in the middle of a residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas, one of the most technologically advanced performance venues ever built, but “Coquí” represents a different kind of ambition entirely. It is a 52-year-old man sitting down with his heritage, doing something his mother could hear and feel proud of and making sure his children grow up knowing where part of their family comes from. The scale is smaller than The Sphere and the audience is more intimate, but the intention behind it is something that neither a residency nor a reunion tour could have produced.