From the outside, everything seems to be going according to plan in the lives of the Orlando, Florida-based Backstreet Boys. Their 1997 self-titled debut CD and hip-happy hits such as "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" are on top of music charts worldwide; they're recognized by fans wherever they go; and even their music-making competitors revere them these days. So what could this extremely fortunate fivesome possibly want to change? Not much, it seems. (Why mess with perfection, right?)

However, there are a few things about the Backstreet Boys that these lyrical lads wouldn't mind modifying. Here Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean and Nick Carter share their secret wish lists for a better Backstreet Boys with you.

Believe it or not, 25-year-old Howie feels like ever since the Backstreet Boys gave the music scene a go in 1995, he and the rest of the gang haven't had much time to just hang out and be "guys". "Sometimes we just don't have enough time to just get out," he tells BOP. "Like in the beginning, we were fortunate. We had so much time on our hands. We used to all get together at our manager's house and stay together overnight, just hang out there, watch movies and stuff like that. That was really a lot of fun for me. Now it's all work. I mean, it's one of the sacrifices that we knew we'd have to make."

By no means does Howie regret any of BSB's sweet success, he just feels that on occasion, it's important to be able to take a time-out. "You know, you work so hard, you need to play hard to enjoy the work sometimes," he explains.

Getting more free time isn't so much a concern for A.J. as is changing the group's musical style. According to the tattooed 20-year-old, the pop-type songs that they're known for don't fully represent the music they want to make. "Truthfully, we are more [into] R&B than people really know," A.J. confesses. "Our personal influences and our group influences are everything from gospel to old Baptist church singing to New Edition...all that stuff is what we believe in and what we were raised to listen to."

But don't think that A.J.'s not happy with the music the Backstreet Boys have been enthusiastically performing and promoting 'round the world. Not at all. It's just that given the opportunity to make a change, he'd like to see their songs reflect more of their personal tastes--and it seems his wish may have already come true! "The next album is a little bit more R&B," A.J. smiles. "I mean, we are slowly but surely growing into it. We will be there eventually, but as of right now, we are still gradually going through the pop thing."

In case you're beginning to wonder if all of the Backstreet Boys are pushing for change, brace yourself. According to baby of the bunch, Nick, 18, he couldn't be more content with where he and his groupmates are right now. "Nothing," the blond-coifed cutie responds when asked what he'd like to change about the Backstreet Boys. "Let me think. Not to be conceited or anything, but I think that we're all happy."

So, too, is 23-year-old Brian, who claims that change is not a topic he's ever thought about--or, thankfully, had to. "Well, I mean, we're not perfect, but...I can't really think of anything," he ponders. "I think all together, we gel in a way that I don't think anybody else does. We're like brothers and we have respect [for one another] and we argue, but at the same time we get along. We complement each other." You couldn't ask for more than that.

And neither could Kevin, although he does admit that he wouldn't mind reworking the manner in which the group promotes themselves. "I'm glad that our success happened overseas first because I think it helped prepare us mentally for the way the industry is, the way that it works, the way we do promotion," the 27-year-old reasons. "We've done lots of interviews on camera on and off. We've done lots of photo sessions and now we're doing it here in the U.S. But sometimes I wish, because of the schedule's sake, that [instead] we were doing real grassroots stuff, digging our roots in deep, starting from the ground level and building up. It's hard because that takes time. So, it's kind of like we're jumping back and forth."

Whatever Kevin and the rest of his music-making brothers have done so far, it's certainly worked! So our advice on what to change about the Backstreet Boys: absolutely nothing.