They may be pushing 40, but that won't stop the members of boy band New Kids on the Block [ tickets ] from reuniting for a new album and tour.

Just like the old days, a throng of screaming females (now women) greeted Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, Jordan Knight, Jonathan Knight and Danny Wood and they announced their reunion this morning (4/4) on NBC-TV's "Today" show.

The guys, who haven't appeared together in 14 years, said they have been working on a new album since August and are planning an international tour this fall. They will give their first live performance May 16 on the "Today" show.

After years of blocking any sort of NKOTB reunion, Wahlberg was inspired by a new-artist demo and initiated a collaboration with his New Kids cohorts.

"We've had so many offers from so many people over the years, but I've always protected the asset," Wahlberg said in a statement. "We never sold the New Kids house to anyone."

In the late '80s and early '90s, the teenage New Kids sold more than 70 million records and racked up back-to-back No. 1 albums with 1988's "Hangin' Tough" and 1990's "Step by Step." Their R&B/pop crossover hits included "You Got It (The Right Stuff)," "Cover Girl," "Didn't I (Blow Your Mind This Time)," "Hangin' Tough," "I'll Be Loving You," "Step By Step" and "Tonight." Following the whirlwind of success and the world tours, the group quietly disbanded in 1994.

Despite the curse of cheesiness that often times attaches itself to boy bands, McIntyre said he thinks history has looked fondly upon New Kids on the Block.

"I wouldn't say we were important, but people do now see our place in pop history," he explained in a statement. "We've read that we 'begat the boy bands' like Backstreet Boys and 'NSync. And in a way, those groups have all made us more contemporary. They made us younger in a way by putting us in their generation. But hey, what about New Edition? There would be no New Kids without them. And of course, the Jackson Five begat New Edition. So I guess we were really just the first white boy band."

These days, four of the five Kids have children of their own and they've all got their own careers. Wahlberg has made a name for himself as an actor; McIntyre, Wood and Jordan Knight have released solo albums; and Jonathan Knight became a real estate developer, according to The Associated Press.