Jive Records 2007
A lot of names are thrown out there, worldwide, in regards to who the “original” boy band was: New Edition, New Kids on the Block, Take That, and Boyzone. Hopefully, with their seventh studio album (worldwide) the BackStreet Boys can finally show who the real pioneers are.
A lot of other groups have reunited for hyped-marketed tours and merchandise, and outside of Take That’s success (two #1 albums in the UK since their breakup in the mid-nineties), no other has really achieved what they had done before nor stamped pop culture as BSB has. The funny thing about this whole reunion business is that these boys haven’t stopped since they got together back in 1993.
Back then there were five of them: cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson, bad-boy AJ McLean, half-Boricua Howie Dorough, and youngster Nick Carter. Lou Pearlman, the creator of ‘NSYNC and O-Town, came up with a marketable idea to milk teen money, and 90s history is…history.
The boys are to date the best selling boy-band of all time with an estimated 200 million albums sold worldwide. Even though ‘NSYNC has the record for the most CDs sold in one week with 2.4 million for No Strings Attached, BSB sits behind them (for a boy band) with 1.6 million in one week for 2000’s Black & Blue, and hold a record for most shipments in one year with 11 million in 1999 alone for Millennium; the album also sold 2.2 million internationally in one week, and went on to sell over 40 million worldwide.
That was a decade ago, and things have changed. ‘NSYNC is no longer, Take That, Boyzone and New Kids on the Block have all reunited to different levels of success, but BSB has blown under the radar to become the most consistent, most successful and longest running boy band, to which point, they resemble anything but. The four remaining members (Richardson decided to take some time apart from the band in 2006, thus not participating in 2007’s Unbreakable, or the new release) are all in their last year of twenties (Carter) and in their mid-thirties (Littrell, McLean, Dorough) and have fortified their sound by evolving as a live band more so than a “choreographed”-chest bearing-bubblegum-band, as they once did at the beginning of their career.
With the new album This Is Us coming out on October 6th the band takes on the progress made with Unbreakable and keep on experimenting with their sound.
The new album has them collaborating with Ryan Tedder, Ne-Yo, T-Pain, Lil’ Wayne, Akon and longtime pop force Max Martin (behind hits like “So What”, “I Kissed a Girl”, “My Life Would Suck Without You”, “…Baby One More Time” and BSB’s “I Want it That Way”).
Many think that the sound is more R&B oriented, and maybe it is, but if the last album is to shed some light on their projection, the music is more up-tempo and electronic than it is anything else. The first single “Straight Through My Heart (Soldier Down)” went out to radio today and will see a club-oriented audience. Like the best BSB dance track, “Soldier Down” is to set them as a multi-layered band once again, instead of the ballad kings they have been known for so long. Since Millennium the boys have released first singles with ballads: “I Want it that Way” (1999), “Shape of My Heart” (2000), “Drowning” (2001), “Incomplete” (2005) and “Inconsolable (2007).
Unbreakable, their last effort, was a hidden gem two years ago. For a music lover, lyrics or arrangement, the album is a must. The boys, now men, tackle new subject matters with the same agility and stamina as ever before. Their voices, one of if not the best of their tools, are flawless with complementing each other and not trying to overcompensate over the musicality. The new electro-pop sound, mixed in with their gravitation for heart-wrenching ballads, is the dream of a pop follower.
The BackStreet Boys have managed to maintain their celebrity (Unbreakable debuted in the top 10 in the US and stayed at #1 in Japan for two weeks, where their last two albums have done so, and has sold 1.7 million copies worldwide) without being paparazzi-TMZ targets.
Now, working back with Max Martin and obviously having a different strategy with the up-tempo lead single, the boys may have something up their sleeves.
The great thing about this band is that it is not about being #1 all the time. They obviously had a taste of that in the past, and nobody will take that away (or get close to their success as far as trailing bands are concerned: there are none). The boys obviously enjoy exploring and making the music, and if you get to see them live, it is highly recommended. The public may remember them as dancing machines from the 90s, but the boys put on a show, a show that is not teen-oriented, but music-oriented. At some time or another, they play the instruments themselves and are both subdued and energetic throughout.
The band has dates for international tours but they have yet to confirmed a follow-up to their successful 2008-US-unbreakable Tour.
Check out a fuller review of the new album here.
Check out the BSB site or Ticketmaster for more information.
For Katy Perry articles click: here; here; here; here.
For another Kelly Clarkson article click here.
For P!nk articles click: here; here; here; here.
For Britney Spears related article click here.
Comments
Great article, very accurate and I'm glad someone actually gives them props for all their contribution to music. The part where you say they never broke up actually surprised me because people tend to think they did break up, wich never happened. Congrats!
Wow, this is one of the best BSB reviews I've read in a long time.
thanks for posting.Love Guys.
Thanks for posting,finally an Article that gives the boys credit for what they've done in the music industry,they have been putting out Quality music for 16 years,they are a great singing group,One of the best Reviews on BSB i have read.
Everything you posted is dead on, and it's nice to see the boys get the credibility they deserve. They have overcome many obstacles, and they make music to make people happy and to show that they really do have the vocal chops over many others. They are the nicest, most successful, and in my opinion the most talented of any of the boybands, and I hope they are remembered for those things and all their other accomplishments. I'm excited to hear this new album as well, they always manage to change their sound, but it's still uniquely them, it keeps it exciting. Great article.
Finally an article that gives BSB the props they really deserve. Being a fan for almost 13 years now, I've read a lot of reviews and articles, and this is probably the best one I've read.
Thank you!
Finally someone who really checks facts before putting an article online! It's nice to have read this piece!
G R E A T article!
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the true words... they deserve it!
Thanks so much!!I'm so happy that finally someone writes all these good things about the Backstreet boys!They deserve it!
Thanks again!
Valentina
I love the Backstreet Boys. I can't wait to hear their new cd!
Finally someone who truly knows the BSB and has the correct info. Our Boys get so much hate sometimes I'm surprised they haven't given up but then they wouldn't be The Backstreet Boy we know and love. "As long as there will be music we'll be coming back again" (Everybody) and when they do we'll be here waiting for them. Oct. seems too far away. Love the music Boy, thanks.
Mr. Lora, thank you very much for a well written article. I'm 38-years-old, and I've been a fan of the boys since 1997. Thank you for writing an article that that finally gives the Boys the respect they deserve.
Wow. Best Backstreet Boys article I've read in a long time. They DO deserve the best and they are AWESOME singers. Their music is amazing.
Finally an article that treats this band with enough respect, and willingly gives them their due. The single, though in my opinion nowhere near their classics, is really cute and will hopefully get my boys back into the limelight...
Peachie Keen, doin my best to KTBSPA. peace
I could not agree with you more, Mr. Samuel Lora! Great and true review!
It's about time someone else saw all these things....thanks. KTBSPA
Thank you for being objective and giving BSB the credit they deserve and for telling the world that they NEVER broke up. They are great singers and deserve all the credit in the world for giving us great music. Everyone needs to catch them live in concert. My daughter and I went to six shows last year and we can't wait to do it again next year!!!
Finally, thank goodness a REAL writter. Sam, you are my hero. No stupid "backstreets back" title that everyone else uses and FACTS not opinions. THANK YOU FOR THIS BRILLIANT ARTICLE, its the best I have read in years.
Mr. Lora, the BSB fans would like to thank you for writing something poistive about the Backstreet Boys. The boys have worked too hard for prople out there to just trash talk them. so thanks again. we can't wait til October 6th to roll by so we can all buy the album "This Is Us"!!!!
Finally someone that can see over the "boyband" stereotype and show the public what the Backstreet Boys are and what they're ever been!
Thank you
New Edition is the original boy band. Period!That is a fact.
Lou Pearlman wasn't the one who saw the ability to milk teenage money with boy band fame. Maurice Star did that with New Kids on the Block. Lou Pearlmen just saw how successful Maurice was and followed suit. Perhaps you should do a little more research.
Le teaser vidéo pour l'album THIS IS US on YouTube (check it et let's share !)
The French Backstreet Team
I could not agree with you more. It's about time someone gave these guys some credit. They're music has touched my heart for over a decade now and I will always be a fan. Thank you for recognizing good music when you hear it!
Bravo to the writer of this article Thank you for looking out of the box and seeing the boys for what they are true singers (no lip singing) and performers They really care about their fans and give back Everyone Please show your love to them they deserve it.
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