Welcome to the musical tale of two cities... cities which could no longer contain the soulful, harmonizing hip-hop talents of five of their most gifted sons. Ladies and gentlemen, Backstreet Boys are about to define 1997.

City number one, Lexington, Kentucky, home of cousins Kevin Richardson and Brian Littrell. From musical families, Kevin and Brian were heavily involved in all state and regional church choirs as well as the local entertainment scene. During family visits they harmonized classic doowop hits, traditional Barber Shop Quartet tunes and the contemporary hits of their biggest influences, Boyz II Men, Shai, and Jodeci. By the time they reached their teens, the boys knew they had something going on.

City number two, Orlando, Florida. A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Nick Carter saw each other at auditions all the time. They were solo performers with solid credentials in musical theater, commercials, television and film, and as they sat around waiting to audition for new projects, they'd find themselves harmonizing an old Temptations hit, or somebody they'd just heard on the radio. After awhile, the a cappella singing took on a life of its own.

Back in Lexington, disillusioned by his work with a local Top 40 cover band, Kevin decided to go down to Orlando on a whim. He left for Florida that very day, had a job as a tour guide in Disney World the following week, and devoted the bulk of his time to becoming a professional singer-songwriter.

Kevin heard about "those guys who harmonize all the time" from a co-worker who arranged for an introduction. He was riveted by the a cappella harmonies he heard the night he met Nick, Howie and A.J., and was impressed by their dance floor maneuvers. Why not team up? they all thought at once. The die was cast, and all they needed now was one more member to fill out the sound. First thing in the morning, Kevin phoned his cousin Brian in Lexington, had him called out of class, and told him about the three singers he'd met the night before. Next day, Brian hopped a plane headed for Florida, moved in with Kevin and helped the boys name themselves after Orlando's landmark, Backstreet Market.

People were amazed at the a cappella harmonies Backstreet Boys could create at the drop of a hat. No musical instruments or engineering wizardry were required for this group to create vocal magic and moods.

Honesty, energy and heart-wrenching harmonies characterize Backstreet Boys self-titled debut album. The hook-laden urban pop tracks are a romantic's delight. "I'll Never Break Your Heart," "Anywhere For You" and "Every Time I Close My Eyes" are powerful ballards that speak straight to the yearning heart. "We've Got It Going On," "Boys Will Be Boys" and "Don't Leave Me" are rockin', uptempo gems that opine a force that is always with us, especially in matters of love. "Tell Me That I'm Dreamin'" offers a taste of Backstreet Boys' outrageous live harmonies and "Tender Love" in which A.J. McLean shares the contents of a letter he's written with his Backstreet Boys' brothers is a believable slice of life. Your heartstrings will hip-hop, rock, swing and ache from total involvement in the Backstreet Boys experience.