All I Have to Give

Alongside working with Max Martin for their second album, Backstreet's Back, the Backstreet Boys began collaborating with Full Force in late 1996 as a way to differentiate themselves from the pop and R&B genre.^[1] In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Howie Dorough discussed how the song was particularly significant to him:^[1]

My sound wasn't exactly the lead-person sound for the group with these songs. "All I Have To Give" was me finally getting a chance to step to the plate and show the world who I am as a singer. I'll always be thankful for producers from the group Full Force for saying, "Dude, why don't you sing more on the leads?"

Chuck Taylor of Billboard noted that "All I Have to Give" contained "plush harmonies, a melody that seems altogether natural and familiar on the first listen, and clever production props", describing it as a "no-brainer ballad" that would treat the Backstreet Boys more seriously as men.^[3] Scottish Daily Record described the song as a "classic slice of teen-pop", stating that the Backstreet Boys were "eclipsing Boyzone".^[4] Music Week gave it three out of five, stating that the boy band "who currently cannot put a foot wrong are set for a third big hit" with the "radio-friendly Full Force-penned ballad which features all five members sharing lead vocals."^[5] People magazine described "All I Have to Give" as a "peppy" ballad, stating that while the song contained "a tinge of melancholy in the group's harmonies, one can't help smiling".^[6] Bob Waliszewski of Plugged In found that the song expresses a "willingness to do whatever it takes to forge a strong relationship".^[7]

"All I Have to Give" charted in the top ten in several countries, including a debut at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart, number three in Canada, number four in Australia, and number eight in Germany in 1998. It reached number one in Spain and on the UK Indie Chart. In the US, the song reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 6, 1999. It has since been certified Platinum in the US and Australia, Gold in New Zealand and Sweden, and Silver in the UK.

The music video for "All I Have to Give" was directed by British director Nigel Dick and released in 1998. It uses the song's radio edit, omitting the latter half of the song's bridge.^{[citation needed]} As of April 2021, the video has over 51 million views on YouTube.^[8]

The Backstreet Boys perform in various interior locations throughout the music video while wearing different outfits. These include a circular wall, a brown stage, a bar in front of a steel structure, and a blue-lit room. During the verse, every band member is seen singing in front of a microphone while wearing urban clothing; Nick Carter and Brian Littrell sing the first two verses while Howie Dorough and AJ McLean perform the following two verses. During the chorus, they simultaneously perform a "hat dance" while wearing a fedora and multicolored-collar suits throughout the choreography.