AJ McLean Talks Sobriety Journey Ahead of 2 Year Sober Anniversary: ‘It Never Gets Easier’ (Exclusive)

AJ McLean is about to celebrate a significant anniversary: ​​two years of sobriety.

On Saturday, the Backstreet Boys singer, 45, spoke exclusively to PEOPLE at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas, saying that while life is “magnificent,” his sobriety journey is an ongoing process.

“This Tuesday I will be two years sober, so life is great right now,” he tells PEOPLE.

“It never gets easier, but it just becomes a working part of the mind,” says McLean. “You have to literally make it a daily thing whether you make it to the meeting or not.”

“I talk to my sponsor every day. I talk to people in the program every day,” he adds. After the Backstreet Boys DNA world tour ended in May, McLean says he even took some time off to go to an intensive outpatient mental health program in Arizona, where he spent 10 weeks. “I knew I had a little time, so I said, ‘You know what? I have some inner work to do. Sobriety is good. I have to go back and do some digging.’ Ten weeks to go, I’m super grateful for that,” he tells PEOPLE. “It was totally worth it.”

McLean — who, along with his Backstreet Boys co-stars Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell — had a 2017-2019 residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, said that while the city “wasn’t good” for him during those years, he would now “love” the group to do another residency.

AJ McLean attends as DJ Khaled hosts the inaugural We The Best Foundation Classic at Miami Beach Golf Club on July 20, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Kevin Mazur/Getty for We The Best Foundation

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“It’s not even about geography. Addiction occurs everywhere you go, so I can’t blame the city. Yes, it’s Sin City, but it’s some BS,” he says. “I was [drinking] in podunk wherever. But again, I’m playing the recording now. That’s my whole theory. I’m playing the recording.” He adds, “I know how it’s going to end if I take a drink. Now, with the fentanyl crisis, I’ve lost 12 friends in the last two years. It’s terrifying. It’s scary out there. You don’t know what’s out there. So just don’t go through the door, just stay on this side of the door.”

Besides his sobriety, McLean has other things to celebrate. He has already launched a beauty line called Ava Dean which is inspired by his daughters; launching a clothing line soon; and is ready to release his debut solo project.

“It’s a little bit of everything I’m a fan of,” he says of the new album. “It’s funk, it’s R&B, it’s pop, it’s soul. There’s a kind of ’80s flare. It’s got some Silk Sonic vibes. It’s really good stuff.”

“There’s probably going to be about 18 songs on the album, so I’ll probably split the album into two parts. Hopefully January will be the first part and probably the second part at the end of April. I’ve got about two more songs to finish and then it’ll be done” , he adds.

The singer previously spoke to PEOPLE last month about his recovery and holding 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at his home.

AJ McLean Wants To ‘Keep Growing With His Wife And Kids’ Amid Sobriety Journey (Exclusive)

“I’m trying to stand firm in the program,” McLean said at the time. “I’ve struggled with self-esteem issues all my life and I’ve learned a lot. My sobriety is the strongest in my life.”

“I’m in the best shape of my life, mentally, physically and spiritually. I’m actually very happy and I love it, and I don’t want to lose it. I want to keep growing, growing with my wife and my children and me,” added the singer.

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The singer also admitted that his fame and substance abuse sometimes took a toll on his personal life. Earlier this year, he and wife Rochelle, 41 – who share daughters Lyric, six, and Elliot, 10 – revealed they had split. Speaking to PEOPLE last month, the singer (born Alexander James McLean) said he’s now focused on who he “really” is as well as his role in his family amid his health journey.

“AJ is a persona,” he explained, “Alex is who I really am. I need to know that when I’m done with AJ’s stuff, I’m a husband, I’m a father, I’m a friend. If I know how to turn it off, it’s a healthy lifestyle.”

And besides a solo album, the singer has big plans on the horizon with the Backstreet Boys. Next year, he is set to join his bandmates at the Palace of the Moon in Cancún, Mexico to perform a comprehensive concert vacation from April 18-21, 2024.

He told PEOPLE he would attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings there “whenever I have a break.”

“It only takes two for a meeting,” he added.

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Source: HIS Education