Amid mass hysteria, the fab five
launch their new CD
Source: Edmonton Sun
By MIKE ROSS -- If there's any doubt the Backstreet Boys are an international phenomenon, it's being banished with glowing dispatches from around the globe.
To wit: They're not big. They're huge! To promote their latest album, Black & Blue, hitting stores today, the fab five are on a whirlwind promotional tour of the entire planet, hitting six continents in 100 hours on a private jet.
They've already met a tame cheetah in Africa and caused a near riot in Japan. Ten teenage girls were injured in a crush surrounding the boys' bus as it drove from the airport. Japanese girls had staked out the group for hours, brandishing signs printed with the name of their favourite member and shouting,"Ai shiteiru!" ("I love you").
During a press conference, Boy Brian Littrell pulled a George W. Bush for TV cameras, reportedly saying (though something may have been lost in translation), "We appreciate the fan support because if it wasn't for the fans we wouldn't have these countries to go to."
That's right: without its fans, the world wouldn't exist.
Other stops on the 42,000-km journey include Stockholm, Sydney and Rio de Janeiro.
The group, in New York today announcing tour dates, is accompanied by hype that makes the Subway Series look like a Little League tournament. MTV devoted an entire day to following the boys around. Wal-Mart stores across America are gearing up huge sales.
The record label has reportedly shipped seven million copies to U.S. stores, 500,000 to Canada.
The Backstreet Boys - A.J., Brian, Howie D., Kevin and Nick - are banking heavily on Black & Blue, a more mature album that some observers predict will open a new chapter in the ongoing boy-band war. There's no sign of a burnout yet. They've already sold more than 55 million records worldwide and, while the all-time record for first week sales falls to 'N Sync (2.41 million for No Strings Attached last spring), the last two Backstreet Boys CDs have sold more overall.
As A.J. boasted to Teen People magazine, "I bet we can break their record and our record combined the first week out."
-- With files from Sun Media, CP