“I care about this more than maybe anything else on the planet: we are bringing back boy bands,” declared James Corden on Tuesday’s episode of his Late Late Show.

To that end, Corden brought out the Backstreet Boys to perform their 1997 international hit Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).

Never backwards at coming forwards, Corden joined in the performance, delivering a memorable rendition of Nick Carter’s immortal line: “Am I sexual?” The seasoned hoofer also coped ably with the choreography.

“I’m aware that boy bands haven’t gone away, right?” Corden said before introducing Backstreet Boys. “But now, they just stand onstage wearing skinny jeans and Vans sneakers – and some of them even have the audacity to pick up instruments. That is not what I want in a boy band. I want matching outfits, synchronized dancing and way-over-budget music videos.”

The Backstreet Boys’ appearance was promoting the recent announcement of the group’s upcoming 18-date trial residency at the AXIX at the Planet Hollywood resort and casino, which starts in March.

Britney Spears’ popular ongoing show, Piece of Me, plays at the same venue, as does Jennifer Lopez’s All I Have tour. The Backstreet Boys’ show is called Larger Than Life, after their 1999 hit of the same name. The Backstreet Boys have sold over 130m records worldwide since forming in 1993.

Corden recently announced that he was making the Drop the Mic section of The Late Late Show, in which celebrities perform rap battles, into its own show. This follows his sale of an other show based on Carpool Karaoke, which sees Corden sing with celebrities while driving, to Apple Music.

Corden’s executive producer Ben Winston, a fellow Brit, recently told the Edinburgh TV festival that the comic’s success on American TV had been founded on YouTube views rather than ratings. His latest Carpool Karaoke segment, which featured Spears as the guest, has so far racked up over 24m YouTube views.