Although the Backstreet Boys will deliver their Black & Blue in time for holidays, the group won't hit the road in support of it until January, when the quintet will kick off a world tour.

Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean said that the group will launch its world tour January 23 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The date will mark the start of an eight-week North American run.

The group will then take a two-week break before hitting Asia and Australia. The Backstreet Boys also plan to play Europe and South America before returning to the States for another six-week run. McLean said the entire tour is likely to run through November or December.

"It's finally going to be a true world tour," McLean said. "We've been saying we were going to do a world tour for the last two years, but we end up hitting the U.S., Canada and Europe, and that's about it as far as we go. This time we're taking this tour the whole way around the world."

Black & Blue is scheduled to hit stores November 21. The group has already given fans a taste of the album with the ballad Shape of My Heart, and McLean promises that more up-tempo material awaits on the new LP.