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| The Backstreet Boys from left, Howie Dorough,
rear, Nick Carter, front left, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Kevin
Richardson are photographed at J Records recording studio in New York on May 23,
2005. (AP) |
If nothing else, the Backstreet Boys are
realistic. Reunited after four years, they don't have any illusions that
they'll be able to dominate the pop scene as they did when boy bands ruled
the world — and they were the kings.
"We know that we're gonna have to pay our dues again
and we know that we're going to have to start
from scratch
because everything has changed," said A.J. McLean, the
heavily tattooed, shades-wearing member of the group. "We're not looking
to be the group that we were in '99 and 2000."
Just a few years ago, the Backstreet Boys burst out of Orlando, Fla. to
become a pop phenomenon. Their three albums sold a total of more than 35
million copies and ushered in a new teen music craze, buoyed by their
soulful harmonies, synchronized dance steps, clean-cut good looks and
teen-fanzine charm.
But then, "Behind The Music"-style troubles
plagued the quintet — McLean's substance
abuse problems led him to rehab, and infighting,
management changes and other problems beset the group. Meanwhile, hip-hop
supplanted
teen pop from atop the charts, and boy bands became as uncool
as New Kids on the Block.
So in 2001, the disillusioned fivesome went their separate ways.
"We lost perspective pretty much," said Kevin Richardson, the eldest of
the "boys" at 33. "If we hadn't walked away from the business and each
other, we might have self-destructed because we needed some time away from
each other."
Now, fully recharged, the Backstreet Boys have returned this week to
release "Never Gone," their first full studio album since the 8
million-selling "Black & Blue" in 2000. While they're not expecting an
automatic ride to the top of the charts, they think they still have a shot
at reaching the No. 1 spot with a more adult, edgier sound that tilts more
toward rock than pop.
"We feel as strongly about this record as we did when `Millennium' came
out," Brian Littrell, 30, said of their blockbuster 1999 album that went
on to sell more than 13 million copies.
"We know where we're at, and we know where we
fit," said Nick Carter, the youngest of the group at 25. "And I love the
fact that we're underdogs
again."
And acting like underdogs, the Backstreet Boys have left nothing to
chance in mounting a comeback. Earlier this year, the group tested the
waters for their new material by embarking on a club tour — a marked
departure for a group that on their last tour played stadium dates.
They've also visited radio stations to push their new record. So far, the formula has worked — their first single, "Incomplete,"
reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it has slipped in recent
weeks.
(www.backstreetboys.com) |
Updated: 2005-06-15 13:54
