THE STORY
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Since the release of their 1997 debut album, the Backstreet Boys have been redefining the meaning of pop music success. Presently recognized as the biggest pop music group in the world, they've dominated the charts both in the U.S.--Backstreet Boys has been lodged in the Billboard album chart's Top Twenty for nearly two years now--and internationally, where the album has received gold and platinum awards in 45 countries with more than 28 million albums sold worldwide. They've scored 5 Top Ten singles; released a multi-platinum full length video, All Access; and performed on scores of major television programs including their own pay-per-view concert special in 1999. They were nominated for a "Best New Artist" Grammy Award and named among Entertainment Weekly's "Best Entertainers of 1998." They were also among People magazine's 1998 "Men We Love," and "25 Most Intriguing People Of The Year." In May 1999, they landed on the cover of Rolling Stone.
Now with the release Millennium--the follow-up to their self-titled U.S. debut album and the group's third international release--the Backstreet Boys are reinventing pop music stardom once again. Millennium entered the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at #1 the week of June 5, having sold 1,134,000 copies in its first week of release and shattering the previous SoundScan record held by Garth Brooks for single-week record sales (his was a double album released during the Christmas buying season). According to SoundScan, "In addition to having the biggest sales week in the SoundScan era, 'Millennium' has now rung the most sales for an album's second and third weeks." The Los Angeles Times described this phenomenal success as "Millennium mania," further noting that the album is "positioned to be the sound of summer 1999." Outside the U.S., Millennium also dominates the worldwide charts, landing at the #1 spot in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. By mid-June '99, the album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide which includes five times platinum status in the U.S.
The recording features songs for the first time co-written by the BACKSTREET BOYS themselves, with tracks produced by Max Martin, Robert "Mutt" Lange and Steve Lipson. On Millennium, the Backstreet boys--Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, AJ McLean and Kevin Richardson--display new depth and expanding artistry. "The Backstreet Boys have earned some major main-street credibility with their new release Millennium," Dan Aquilante observed in his New York Post review. He went on to rave that the guys are, "...red-hot, with some of the tightest vocal harmonies in music," while Newsweek took note of "their impassioned harmonies."
While the Backstreet Boys (gratefully) acknowledge their debut success to millions of teenage and young adult fans, their goal is to grow along with their audience. "We're a vocal harmony group," BRIAN explains. "On our last album we wanted to bring back singing as the focus and hopefully with Millennium we'll break down a few more doors. The album has a lot of personal influences. The lyrical content is a little bit more mature. Wherever this album takes us we want to keep our fan base, but expand it to all ages, older and younger, boys and girls, all nationalities."
One of the lyrical themes the Backstreet Boys explore on Millennium is their appreciation for their fans in songs such as "Larger Than Life," "Spanish Eyes" and "Perfect Fan," a song written by Brian about his mother. They also reveal a harder, edgier sound on "Don't Want You Back." The album showcases just how much these five extraordinarily gifted vocalists have grown--both individually and harmonically--since the group began six years ago. On Millennium, each of the five Backstreet Boys unique musical contributions emerge, catapulting their trademark harmonies to even more passionate heights.
The Backstreet Boys' incredible journey began in Orlando, Florida in 1993. It was there that then-high school students AJ McLean, Howie Dorough and junior high school student Nick Carter began to encounter each other at local acting auditions. The three young men became friends and, inspired by Boyz ll Men and Color Me Badd, formed a singing group. The trio then decided to expand, by two. They were introduced by a mutual friend to Kevin Richardson, whom at the time was performing at Disneyworld. Then after unsuccessfully scouring Orlando for a fifth member, Kevin recruited his Kentucky-based cousin Brian Littrell. Brian relocated and the Backstreet Boys were ready to begin chapter one of their amazing story.
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[[ This Group Bio was found at the Official BsB Site. ]]
