"It's monumental, man."

Such is Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean's assessment of his band's globetrotting promotional stunt that will carry them around the world to six different continents in just 100 hours.

Aside from racking up frequent-flyer miles, the harmonious quintet's voyage has another purpose: to hype their forthcoming album, Black & Blue.

"We figured it would be cool to do something that no one has ever done before," Backstreeter Kevin Richardson tells Reuters. "I look back at old footage of the Beatles getting off the planes at the airport and having all the fans there. That is cool to me, that is a cool vision in my head."

The Fab Five--McLean, Richardson, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell--officially kick off their ambitious itinerary Friday morning, when they leave Sweden (they're performing there at the MTV Europe Awards Thursday night) and head out on a 26,000-mile trek that will include such far-flung pit stops as Tokyo, Sydney, Cape Town, Rio De Janeiro and New York. They'll spend a total of 55 hours in the air and 45 hours on the ground.

While the logistics sound daunting, the jet-setting fivesome are primed to start hyping the new album and adding to their 55 million album sales worldwide.

"We are going to have to pace ourselves. It is definitely a first for us or anybody in the business," adds McLean.

At each location, the boys will meet fans, attend news conferences and sing their new hit single, "Shape of My Heart," a capella.

Meanwhile, BSB devotees unable to catch the band at the local airport can check them out at the local Wal-Mart, instead. The popsters have struck a deal with the retail chain to beam via satellite a live performance into the home-entertainment departments of 2,000 stores in the U.S.

And Netizens who don't have a local Wal-Mart (or a driver's license), can catch the performance online at www.WalMart.com on November 21 at 8 p.m. ET. The site will feature a unique behind-the-scenes peek at the group, as well as exclusive interviews and performances.

The Backstreeters will also be performing a bonus track called "What Makes You Different, Makes You Beautiful" during their Wall-Mart broadcast. Coincidentally, the song can only be found on copies of Black & Blue purchased at the store and on its Web site. (Ain't synergy grand?)

And for those teenyboppers who still can't get enough BSB exposure, Wal-Mart is joining forces with eBay to auction an original suit worn by (ooooh! ahhhh!) Carter during the Backstreet Boys' recent Millennium tour and signed by all the band members. Proceeds will go to Dorough's charity, the Caroline Dorough-Cochran Lupus Memorial Foundation.

Black & Blue hits record stores next Tuesday.