I can’t help but think the background feature of 5e is a wonderful boon - especially for newer players, or those who don’t yet have a firm idea of their character as they start.
You may argue that classes already more-or-less do so - but by doing backgrounds separately, it decouples some of the obvious character backstory from a class. It also gives the DM some basic plot hooks to dangle for characters’ personal quests/side-quests.
And that doesn’t even get onto the best part!
What is the best part, you may ask?
Seemingly incongruous background and class combinations!
Barbarians with the courtier background? Fantastic opportunities for backstory and for NPCs who knew them before - would they be surprised or unsurprised by how they now act?
The effect could be much the same with a noble background.
A druid with a sailor background? Perhaps they found commune with a reef their ship was caught on? Or perhaps they were stranded on an island after they supported the wrong side in a mutiny, and discovered a connect with nature through necessity.
Would a paladin with an entertainer background use a travelling show to mask the vigilante justice they dole out? Or would they be open about their faith and abilities - but simply believe that putting on a good show where they go is an important part of the oath they swore?
Would a warlock with the noble background be using a pact to seek advancement (familial or just plain self-advancement) through the labyrinthine dynastic struggles of the kingdom they’re a part of?
Would said pact be a long-running family tradition (perhaps taken to worrying extremes by the player character), or something entirely new?
Would a sorcerer with the charlatan background have always been hiding their magic in plain sight? Or would the tricks they pull be entirely unrelated to their magical nature?
A cleric with a solder background? Would they have always been something of a field medic, in whatever wars they’ve been a part of?
Did they come to faith later in life, feeling guilt over the carnage they’ve been involved in?
Perhaps a bard with the cloistered scholar background spent all their life in an isolated musical college - learning about the rest of the world only through poetry and songs. How much of their knowledge would be entirely up to date?!
Perhaps this music college was in the faewild, or similar. While they did have a life before joining it as a young adult, time passed much faster in the prime material plane - their old friends are now old friends, and many things have changed while they were gone…
A barbarian with a city watch background could be interesting. Did they always feel such fury in combat? What (if anything) made them lose faith in the rule of law?
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