Mmmm, with their 1997 self-titled CD the Backstreet Boys have given you plenty of delish treats to munch on every time you get a craving for tasty, terrific tunes. But we're totally tuned in to your tummy if it started to growl for more goodies--it has been nearly two years since BSB's feastly first album!

And if you think you were getting antsy, these songsters were starving to get into the studio to lay down their new material. "We were so ready to go," cutie Nick Carter, 19, exclaims. "Yeah," 27-year-old Kevin Richardson adds, "I don't think we could have waited any longer."

After all, these dedicated darlings did start out way back in 1995, when they released their first European single, "We've Got It Goin' On." Then a year later, they released their self-titled debut CD in Europe. That's almost four years of working on the same ole (well, to them at least) stuff!

You can see why the guys were exploding with ideas when they finally jetted to a studio in Stockholm, Sweden (where they completed half of their album) to record their latest mouth-watering creation, Millennium, which hit stores last week! "I think it's taken us to the next level," 25-year-old Howie Dorough declares about their scrumptious new CD, which includes their debut single, "I Want It That Way."

Best of all, beams Brian Littrell, 24, comparing this album to their last one, "This time I think we were a lot more focused on what we wanted to achieve. It's the first that all five of us are taking the same steps in the right direction."

In other words, the experienced entertainers totally pulled together to make the most of their musical masterminds, recording six songs in only eight days! And, believe it or not, they consider that a break! "The studio is a relaxing environment," Brian shrugs. "You don't have people bothering you, so you can focus better. Besides, we've sung so many songs and we've been on so many tours that everything comes a little easier these days."

With their creative juices overflowing, 21-year-old A.J. McLean tells BB that the fine fivesome were itchin' to take their new CD "as far as you can go without changing our sound, where people would think it's way too different."

The results, Nick describes, are rockin' rhythms that are "a little bit different. The lyrics are a bit more mature." Exactly, Kevin adds, "We're growing, and our music is naturally evolving."

Wait a minute! "More mature," "naturally evolving"--are these still the same Backstreet Boys you've come to know and love, as in the same guys who made your heart melt when they offered "All I Have To Give," the same guys who brought a tear to your eye when they promised "I'll Never Break Your Heart"?

You betcha, Kev says, and even more so! Because this time the tunesters co-wrote four songs on the album--so you know the tummy-turning tunes are coming straight from their hearts! In addition, cousins Kevin and Brian even got to include songs they wrote themselves: Kevin's "Back To Your Heart" and B-Rok's "The Perfect Fan."

Besides, knowing the most important people in the world to please are their diehard fans who stuck by their side through thick and thin from the very beginning, Howie assures us, "Our sound will always be our sound." Nodding his head, Nick agrees, "We want to grow with our audience, not away from them."

But being the super-perceptive peeps you are, you've probably noticed that their new melodies are a lot more mellow! "There's still happy songs as usual, but there's really not that many up-tempos on the album," Nick concedes, referring to bouncy BSB beats like "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" from their first CD.

Guess what? The Backstreet Boys were just as surprised as you to discover that fact right after they added the finishing touches to their album! As a matter of fact, that was the same time they realized that there seemed to be a theme to their songs. "A lot of the songs are about loss," Kevin relates with a frown. "I don't know whether it's ironic that it happened that way or whether it's just coming out like that."

You see, all you have to do is give a CD a spin and you can usually tell what space an artist was in when they sat down to scribble the lyrics and record their songs. One of the most famous examples is No Doubt's 1995 chart-topping Tragic Kingdom, on which ND's Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal turned a pretty bitter breakup into a ballad-filled bonanza! There was no doubt what was going through Gwen's mind when she hammered out "Happy Now?"!

The same goes for the Backstreet Boys, who went through seom pretty sad times in 1998. "We lost our good friend [and producer and songwriter] Dennis Pop last year," Kev tells us. "Howie lost his sister, Caroline, and me and Brian lost our grandfather."

Without them even really realizing it, a little bit of their sorrowful mood showed up on their CD. Imagine if you or your best friend experienced something like that. It would definitely be way too hard to hide!

Luckily, the full-on friends not only had each other to turn to when they were bummed, but they had a musical outlet for all the feelings they had stored inside. "I'll never forget that experience," A.J. says.

Not only that, Boppers, but Nick, Brian, Kev, A.J. and Howie know they have you to turn to, too! It adds an extra smile to their already-perky style knowing that they make you happy with their music. That's why these hard-working hotties are looking forward to heading out on tour soon. "We're brainstorming and coming up with all kinds of crazy ideas," teases Kev, who tells us they should hit the United States in August or September. Nick announces, "It's definitely going to be cool and exciting."

Well, guys, we're glad we don't have to wait until the next millennium to see ya!

BB writer Kristin did lunch with the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, Florida and discovered that this 21-year-old, fierce-looking fella is really a soft-hearted sweetie.

I'll bet you expect me to start off by saying that my heart fluttered with excitement when A.J. McLean first swept into the Hard Rock Cafe that sunny afternoon. And you probably think I'm going to confess that I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. After all, this tall, dark and handsome guy making his way across the crowded room was (yes!) my lunch date!

But that's not what happened. The truth is that when I spotted A.J. strolling toward the table where I sat, the only thing I felt was panic. In real life, that daring, funky look that he has going on in Backstreet Boys pinups can be majorly intimidating. I took in the fierce tattoos on his arms, the goatee sculpted in a menacing samurai-style on his face and the tank top that showed off the huge muscles in his arms and shoulders and thought, "Oh, no."

I clutched my napkin like a security blanket when he got to our table and peered at me, frowning behind a hip pair of sunglasses. Gulping and twisting the napkin nervously, I introduced myself to him. "Hello," he replied politely. "I'm A.J."

A.J. shooked my hand and plunked down beside me, his frowing face breaking into a friendly grin. Cautiously letting go of my napkin, I asked him what he'd been up to before he came to lunch. Instantly, his entire face lit up. "I was at home with my dogs," he smiled. A.J. recently adopted two Shih Tzu puppies--Bear and Panda--and he'd been crawling around on the floor playing puppy games with them. (Talk about cuteness!)

It's obvious that these two barking bundles of joy have totally melted A.J.'s heart. When nighttime rolls around, Bear snuggles up beside the songster in bed. And during the day, both pups turn this mature, career-minded cutie into mush. "Man, if you heard the puppy talk I do, it would be embarassing," he confessed.

But not nearly as embarassing as the way I'd misjudged A.J. Sure, he looks fierce at first, but as the age-old adage goes, you should never judge a book by it's cover. That was definitely true in this case. By the time our lunch arrived, I felt so comfy around this cheery, good-natured guy that we were chatting and chuckling like old pals. While I crunched on salad and A.J. munched on French fries and a grilled-cheese sandwich with bacon, he shared his plans to renovate his beloved house in the Orlando area. "Right now, I'm putting in hardwood maple floors," he explained between bites. "But I'm still trying to decide what to do next. I just want the house to be modern, you know?"

A.J. and I also dished our secrets to making relationships work ("There has to be respect," he told me) and gossiped about movies and TV. It turns out that he loves South Park, the Comedy Central series. "It's a ritual for me every Wednesday," he raved.

We kept talking long after we finished our food. We finally stood up to say goodbye when A.J. had to take off for a photo session. I moved to shake his hand, but instead this smiley sweetie came over and gave me a big bear hug. (Now it was my turn to melt!) I waved to him as he walked out of the restaurant and felt like the luckiest girl in the world.