(11/9/00, 5 p.m. ET) - The Backstreet Boys are planning an unprecedented around-the-world promotional trip in support of their new album, Black & Blue, which will take the group to six continents and six cities in a mind-boggling two days. The world tour kicks off November 18 and will take the supergroup to press conferences, autograph signing sessions, and various other promotional activities. The tour schedule includes: Stockholm, Sweden (November 17-18); Toyko, Japan (November 18); Sydney, Australia (November 19); Capetown, South Africa (November 20); Rio De Janeiro, Brazil (November 20-21), and a full day in New York City (November 21).
LAUNCH asked singer Brian Littrell if the Backstreet Boys are ready for this exhausting, international, time-zone-shattering promotional jaunt. "Pretty much," he said. "We're pretty full, schedule-wise, I think, starting next week, with the promotion and stuff for the new release, Black & Blue. We're planning a worldwide trip on a plane starting in Tokyo and hitting Sydney and hitting Madrid and Frankfurt, Germany, and just all kinds of places. It's going to be welcome to the millennium all over again with Black & Blue."
The Backstreet Boys were in London today (November 9) for an autograph signing at the local Virgin Megastore, and they head to Germany tomorrow (November 11) and Spain on Monday (November 13).
The quintet was in New York City on Tuesday (November 7) to tape performances on both CBS's The Early Show and The Rosie O'Donnell Show. The group's Rosie O'Donnell appearance airs November 20, while The Early Show live concert performance is set to air on November 21, the day Black & Blue arrives in stores.
In other Backstreet Boys news, this week the group debuted its redesigned website (backstreetboys.com), where fans can now preview tracks from Black & Blue. The tracks currently available for preview include "Get Another Boyfriend," "I Promise You (With Everything I Am)," and "Time." The new "multimedia showcase" also allows for fans to download the entire track "The Call."
-- Jason Gelman, New York, and Neal Weiss