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What The Boys Have To Say About Each Song On Millennium!
1)
Larger than life
Howie: An anthem. It's for our fans.
Kevin: We've been through a lot over the past years.The fans are
the ones that make it wortwhile.
2)
I want it that way
Howie: This is the first single. It's written by the same guy
that wrote Everybody and We've got it goin'on. It's a kind of
cross between As long as you loveme and Quit playin' games.
3)
Show me the meaning of being lonely
Kevin: This is a song about loss. It could be aboutlosing a
girlfriend or boyfriend in a relationship, orabout losing a
family member. I love it; it's one of my favourite songs. Howie:
It's got some Spanish-style acoustic guitars in it. It's cool.
4)
It's gotta be you (co-written by Nick and Brian)
Kevin: That's probably going to be a single, and it'llbe a great
one do do live. Nick and Brian did some writing on this track.
5)
I need you tonight
Kevin: Nick's sung this on tour for about six years,and we've
finally got round it to putting it on an album.
6)
Dont' want you back
Howie: We've messed the rhytms up on some songs so they sound
different. This is about falling out of love rather than falling
in love.
7) Don't wanna lose you now (co-written by Nick)
8)
(I'll be) the one (co-written by Brian)
Howie: This is kinda uptempo and it has a lot ofacoustic guitar
in it.
Kevin: This is another of my favourites, it's a good, fun song.
9)
Back to your heart (co-written and co-produced byKevin)
Kevin: I wrote this; I play bass and keyboards and abit of
percussion on it. We recorded it in London.
10) Spanish eyes Howie: This is a very, very pretty song. I really enjoy singing this one and it's good do dance to.
11)
No-one else comes close
Kevin: this is a version of a song by a guy called Joe. It's been
remixed in a Backstreet Boys style.
12)
The perfect fan (written by Brian)
Brian wrote this song for his mother.
From: Israel's Maariv Lanoar Magazine
The countdown begins. In 12 days the Backstreet Boys' new album will be released. Maariv Lanoar got to listen to it long before anyone else got to, only to find out - for you - it was worth waiting for. The touching words, the dancing beats and the final conclusion - they're all here. are you ready?
They made two albums, sold 28 million copies, have gone platinum in 16 different countries (including Israel) and actually defined themselves as the best boy band in the world. But since then Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson, the Backstreet Boys, have disappeared for along time. They fought their manager, got held back at the recording studio and let other boy bands like five and n'sync conquer the market. But the boys don't give up so easily. in 12 days their 3rd album will be released, and as Nick said:"This album will show everyone who is the best boy band in the world". Just like their last two albums, "Millennium" was also taped at "Cherion" studios in Sweden with the help of the winning team Max Martin and Christian Londin (my note: I hope that's the right way to spell their names!).
Maariv Lanoar got to lay it's hands on it long before anyone else, just to find out - for you - if Nick's statement is true. According to the amazing results (even our messengers know each and every note of this album), the guy knew what he was talking about. Are you sitting? Can we start? Then let's not wait any longer.
Dear excited readers, welcome the following historic list. For the first and exclusive time, you have the complete details about all the hits that are going to make this summer hot. Now, more than ever, Backstreet's back!
Track number 1:
title: "larger than life".
about the song: a stormy opening for the album, with a song that combines the hit "Everybody" with a Robbie Williams-style singing (my note: a famous british singer). Later we get a sweeping powerful guitar solo, that wouldn't have embarrassed the Offspring. absolutely smashing.
quote: "can't you see, how your love's affecting our reality".
Track number 2:
title: "I want it that way".
about the song: The first single off the album, will probably turn into a huge summer hit in seconds. Its opening has cute electronic sounds, and the first verse is simply nice, melodic mid-tempo pop. A romantic and moving song, and the proof to that is its bombastic ending with an acoustic piano.
quote: "Now I can see that we're falling apart, from the way that it used to be".
Track number 3:
title: "Show me the meaning".
about the song: A slow quite ballad with a gentle spanish guitar, which is joined towards the end with touching violins. Each verse here is sang by a different boy, which creates an interesting sound, but still a bit disappointing, according to the usual Backstreet standards. We don't see any reason why it can't turn into a big christmas hit, though.
quote: "Tell me why, I can't be there, where you are, there's something missing in my heart".
Track number 4:
title: "It's got to be you".
about the song: A jumpy pop song, just like the classic Backstreet style. The tune is catchy, the rhymes are catchy and it gives you a happy feeling. Our opinion: probably one of the future singles.
quote: "You make me lose my head, a hungry mouth must be fed".
Track number 5:
title: "Need you tonight".
about the song: The romantic words, the classic piano, the broken voice that almost sounds like crying. The perfect song to sing to your ex-girlfriend if you want her back. There's no doubt even the toughest girls will melt when they'll hear this song.
quote:"What we have is so hard, this time".
Track number 6:
title: "Don't want you back".
about the song: Squeaky record effects? A funky-soul beat?? Techno sounds??? Don't want you back???? The boys probably fell on their heads. There's something very weird about this song and its war-declaration intentions. Really not typical.
quote: Don't want you back, 'cause you're no good for me".
Track number 7:
title: "Don't wanna lose you now".
about the song: The second half of the album begins with another ballad, but not just another ballad. This one is really good! A very impressive production, which includes deep flute sounds that gives the song a deep emotional feeling.
quote: My place is always near you, I wish I never would 've lose you".
Track number 8:
title: "The one."
about the song: Until now none of the songs on the album was extremely outstanding for its great qualities. They were all popy, romantic, jumpy or emotional - but none of them really knocked us out. On track number 8 it happens. The one is just a perfect pop song. A fun song. A song you can go to the beach with, get up in the morning with or even study to a test with without getting sick of it. Actually, you feel like dancing and screaming every time you hear it. We think this song will turn out to be the biggest hit of this album.
quote:"I'll be the one, who will make all your sorrows undone".
Track number 9:
title:"Back to your heart".
about the song: Another ballad, only this time it has sort of a winter feeling. This track, written by Kevin, is recommended to listen to when it's raining outside and you need to hide at home under your big blankets. The song has an acoustic guitar in it, which undoubtedly gives it a deeper feeling.
quote: "you may call me crazy, but I'll do everything to make things work."
Track number 10:
title: "Spanish eyes".
about the song: The boys were always attracted to the spanish language, and now it turns out they are also attracted to spanish eyes. The song is another ballad, this time its similar to what Lional Richie sang in the 80's. We think this song will not only turn into a huge hit, but it'll also become the first slow dance for many new couples...
quote:"I love you from a distance, I can't get that far".
Track number 11:
title: "No one else comes close".
about the song: This time the boys do a black-style ballad. The kind of a ballad that Boys II Men would love to sing, and exactly the kind that we would love to get out of the album. We're sorry, but it's really the worse song on the album. It's a good thing they put it near the end.
quote: "You're the special girl for me, and you always will be".
Track number 12:
title: "The perfect fan".
about the song: Girls, this is the song for you. A song that doesn't talk, for a change, about girls that mistreat them and then leave them. A song that is dedicated to the only girl who'll always be faithful to them - the real fan. The last song on the album is a beautiful ballad with violins, and as you can understand from its name, it is dedicated to all the Backstreet Boys Moms. A great ending for the album.
quote:"You showed me everything I needed to see".
The Backstreet Boys want to
"grow" with their fans, lest they go the way of New
Kids on the Block (more on them in a moment).
It's been three years since these five Florida hunks
sparked a pop revolution. That's an eon when you're a teenager.
The difference between 11 and 14 is like day and night - the
difference, say, between Backstreet Boys and Marilyn Manson. Ask
any parent.
In stores Tuesday, this album is the ultimate test. Have
they grown? Yes and no. They're three years older and thus no
longer "boys," but the formula remains the same.
As with the last two releases, Millennium comes in two
flavours: Fizzy dance numbers and syrupy love ballads, perhaps a
little heavier on the syrup this time.
Immaculately produced, as always, this is a perfectly
innocuous pop confection. It's a hormone-charged load of cleverly
written sweet nothings on the subject of - you guessed it - love,
crooned alternately by Kevin, Nick, A.J., Brian or Nick. Pick
your fave!
Music can be found amongst the marketing. The best ballad:
the cloying but undeniably emotional Back to Your Heart. And the
most interesting uptempo track is ironically the darkest: Don't
Want You Back - a passionate break-up-and-good-riddance type of
song. Sample lyric: "I should've known that I would be
another victim of your sexuality." It stands out from the
rest of this romantic fare like a goth kid in Disneyland.
Overall, Millennium is unashamedly contrived, expertly
rendered and calculated to tug the heartstrings of every young
girl in the world. In other words, Backstreet's back - with the
same old song and dance.
Rating: 3/5
Never has the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," been more true. The Backstreet Boys are back (awright!) with a new CD, Millennium, and they haven't changed much. Translation: If you like the old stuff, you're gonna dig this. But if you thought they were cheesier than a plate of nachos, Millenium probably isn't for you. The upbeat tracks, like "Don't Want You Back" and "Larger Than Life," are much hotter than the slow jams, since the Boys excel at shaking those rumps. There are a few exceptions, though. "I Want It That Way," is a cute little ditty about -- you guessed it -- love and all that mushy stuff. You've gotta give props to the Boys for sticking to their guns, knowing full well that everyone who's fed up with the recent onslaught of dreamboat boy bands is poised to get sick of BSB. But Nick, Brian, Kevin, Howie, and A.J. were there first, and they still stand apart from the crowd. That alone makes Millennium worth at least one listen while you're wandering around the record store. Even if you aren't a fan, they might surprise you.
Rating: Take It or Leave It
Over the past few days, MTV's "Total Request Live" e-mail ticker requests for the Backstreet Boys' new hit, "I Want It That Way," have contained some sharp rock criticism. "A.J. has such hot moves," writes Beth (OR). "I have loved BSB since the first time I saw them," opines Traci (TX), while Kathie (MS) weighs in with "I love Kevin the best and they kick 'N Sync's Ass!" But along with this fulsome praise, one vaguely sour note was struck by Carmen (N.J.). "Hi Carson! I love you and your show!," Carmen writes excitedly. "So please play the Backstreet Boys''I Want It That Way!' I love that video and the BBoys didn't disappoint their fans this time!"
"Disappoint their fans?" Has the globally phenomenal quintet reached a developmental stage at which fan disappointment is even conceivable? Maybe. The BSB fan base possesses a neo-classical perspective with a vanishing point that lies somewhere around age 19, and by that yardstick the Boys might be a bit long in the tooth. Indeed, the band seems to be alluding to these intimations of mortality with the epochal title of their new album, and in particular with the back cover photo, which shows all five boyz dressed in fly/ angelic baggy white suits, photographed from behind and walking toward some vague point of light in the distance. Can a "B-Rok is dead" scam and an ill-advised experimental album be far behind?
That would be an unhappy career turn, if it happens. If the Backstreet Boys bring anything to the table of popular music, it's a genetically engineered sense of place, so flawless and uninflected that it makes you wonder what happened to the raw, edgy trailblazing of Menudo. Teen idol musicians tend to be fairly generic and undistinguished, but even in this milieu BSB stands out as more generic and undistinguished than most. That's probably the key to their success.
It's also elemental to the fans, who act out the same devotions their mothers and older sisters once performed for NKOTB or Sean Cassidy. Where do they all learn to be fans, in exactly the same way that other teenyboppers were fans before them? The bands you can explain: They're cobbled together by shrewd managers who can read the popular mind like surfers read the waves. But where do the fans learn their moves? More important, why don't adults appreciate the excitement -- this last vestige of pure pop music love, before they move on to become followers of punk, alt.rock and other self-serious art forms, with all the cliquishness, pretension and contempt for outsiders that such fandom entails.
If the fans are getting a little more attention in this review than the Backstreet Boys themselves, it's because they deserve it. The band is as lazy as its fans are devoted. For a CD that is essentially critic-proof to begin with (a negative review would have roughly as much fiscal impact as a thumb-down for The Phantom Menace), this one still manages to disappoint. Its synth-string surges and bland guitar licks create a room-temperature sameness in which even the intended hits, like "I Want It That Way" and the in-your-face "Larger Than Life," can't be distinguished from the rest of the pack. You'd be hard pressed to keep the sound of any specific song in your head for more than three seconds. It's also worth noting that, even by teen-idol standards of harmlessness, the Backstreet Boys come off as a fairly G-rated bunch. BSB tries to bring a kind of televised grittiness to their image, what with A.J.'s phat tattoos and the group's rough-and-tumble name (for reasons that are not entirely clear, "back streets" have traditionally been considered more urban and real than "front streets"; in any event, the boys are from Orlando). But until the inevitable addiction narratives and date rape scandals come out to herald the decline of their careers, these fellows can't even muster the disembodied faux-riskiness of Ricky Martin or the New Kids. The closing track -- a song called "The Perfect Fan," which sounds like it should be a come-on to budding stalkers -- is actually a paean to strong families. Yeecchhh!
In the vacuum left by such underperforming bandroids, the rabidness of the fans is the only thing you can cling to. These girls deserve a better object for their boundless energies. The Backstreet Boys are no Hanson, and America should be ashamed that it can't give its teenagers something better. Still, the fans do their best, and God bless them for it. Eat 'em up, girls! Someday you'll be embarrassed that you ever listened to the Backstreet Boys. You shouldn't be.
When the Backstreet Boys released their self-titled debut a couple years back, they pretty much had the teenybopper field to themselves. Hanson and the Spice Girls had primed the pump, it seemed, but it took the Backstreets to produce an honest to goodness bubblegum gusher. That debut is now nearly eight times platinum in America and has sold an astonishing 27 million copies worldwide.
That
kind of success breeds imitation, of course, and the Backstreets
can't help but notice that the pop scene is suddenly crowded with
all manner of new kids on the block
Given
that the Backstreets should be bubblegum's grizzled veterans by
the release of their second album, it's surprising to hear how
few chances they take on Millennium.
Instead, the new album revels in exactly the same elements that
made the Backstreet Boys
sizzle with testosterone-fueled dance rhythms and boyish charm.
It's not that there's nothing to like on the new album
The
only real risks taken by the group on Millennium
are behind the scenes. Brian Littrell (the group's Kentucky
cousin) and Kevin Richardson (the one with the eyebrows) co-wrote
several of the album's 11 songs, including the standard-issue
come-back-baby number "Back to Your Heart" and
"The One," a Europop trifle that sounds like an outtake
from their first album. The Littrell-penned "The Perfect
Fan" is hardly the romantic ballad the B-Boys' rabid
followers would have hoped for. It's not about the guys' ultimate
dream date, plucked straight from the front row and whisked
backstage to a waiting limo: It's a song thanking their mothers
for raising them right and being there when they needed them.
It's nice to know the Boys love their moms, but guys
For their hard-core under-18 fans, of course, the Backstreet Boys are all that, and a bag of chips and free soda to boot. Millennium, the follow-up to the quintet's umpteen-million-selling debut, offers more reasons why so many of the rest of us have found a place for them in our hearts. The Boys' ultrapackaged look and up-to-date production underscore the quality of their best tracks; only a churl could deny that "I Want It That Way" is one fine radio-aimed declaration of love, or that "Larger Than Life" makes the most of its Daft Punk sample and double-edged acknowledgment of Backstreet followers' loyalty. And who can resist an album-closer like "The Perfect Fan," Brian Littrell's ode to his mom? --Rickey Wright
Since 'N Sync has raised the bar a notch, the B-Boys have had to polish their act a bit to keep up. Instead of tightly wrapped New Jack Swing, they now offer lovingly manufactured pop balladry. And how do they feel about us? Well, "I Need You Tonight," they say, adding that "No One Else Comes Close" and "It's Gotta Be You." But just in case you think their unabashed romanticism knows no bounds, they can still insist they "Don't Want You Back," sneering as only George Michael imitators can. Ultimately, to critique this stuff is pointless; it comes down to this: "I Want It That Way" and "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" sport hooks that won't leave your head for days, and the closing "The Perfect Fan" is an impressive, choir-backed tribute to mom. In fact, it suggests that the B-Boys have some untapped depth behind their multiplatinum facades.
Cutting up the Orlando magic is like shooting fish in a tiny barrel. So, dear Backstreet Boys' fans, I'll state my bias up front: I don't share your teen-dream fantasy. But I will give the fantastically fit five marks for staying power. On Tuesday, they're releasing another critic-proof album 18 months after the multi-platinum Backstreet's Back. That's notable, considering the boys' template, New Kids On the Block, sputtered a decade ago after just one album.
Anyway, there's nothing here to alienate you diehards - a modest smattering of hipper and harder grooves, especially album opener "Larger Than Life" and the more aggressive, dance-pop of "It's Gotta Be You" co-written by Mr. Shania Twain, Robert John "Mutt" Lange. Elsewhere, it's business as usual. The 12 songs include an abundance of sappy, bland ballads and choruses designed to push all the right buttons. Other points of interest include the Spanish-guitar flavoured "Show Me the Meaning Of Being Lonely and the orchestrated closer, "The Perfect Fan", a love letter to "mom...the perfect fan" (groan). Not my bag, but that won't matter one iota.
Thirteen pages of pictures. Six pages of merchandise. Three-and-a-half pages of production/player credits. Three pages of thank yous and dedications. Two- and-a-half pages of lyrics. That's how the 22 inside pages of Millennium's booklet break down, which, although certainly not surprising, does give you some indication of what you're dealing with here. The Backstreet Boys are a certified hit phenomenon and no amount of critical backpedaling or musical analysis is gonna change that. They are, to put it simply, huge pop stars that few people over the age of 21 know a thing about.
And that's because few people over the age of 21 can intellectually deal with the Backstreet Boys. It's tough for an "adult" mind to fathom that a group can put out a record like Millennium and have it be accepted, much less successful. It's difficult for an "adult" mind to comprehend that a well-crafted album that paints its songs about love and optimism in broad, bold, and extraordinarily simple strokes could possibly be good. But Millennium is good. So good, in fact, that it's very nearly perfect.
From its crystalline production (most of the recording was done in Sweden, which should tell you something about its mechanized grace) to its phenomenally accessible and unforgivably catchy music (although "It's Gotta Be You" sounds just like that "Everybody" song, it will be stuck in your head and you will be smiling) to its syrupy sweet lyrics (the last words on the album are, swear to God, "I love you Mom"... I know, I'm getting choked up too), Millennium is all about giving the people what they want.
And,
apparently, about 1.3 million people wanted it bad enough to
snatch up Millennium the
very day it came out.
That was no accident. Although the dozen songs here show
improvement on the formula, it didn't matter. This record didn't
need to be better. It didn't need word-of-mouth. It didn't need
critical approval. It just needed to be the Backstreet Boys doing
what the Backstreet Boys do best. And what they're best at is
making relentlessly upbeat pop music that people want to listen
to. And if you don't understand, well, too bad for you. It's
obvious you're just too old.
-- Jason Ferguson
I admit it: I was afraid to review the new Backstreet Boys CD. I mean, what if it wasn't good? How would I deal with the scads of hate mail I'd be sure to get if I criticized the beloved BSB? Well thank my lucky stars, I was worrying for nothing. Millennium is flat-out one of the best CD's released in 1999. From the amazing first single "I Want It That Way" (on which we get to hear each of the five Backstreeters' distinctive voices) to the truly heartbreaking "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" (co-written by Brian!), a musical thank-you note to BSB's fans--and a perfect song to use as background music on your answering machine, trust me. There's a funky "Don't Want You Back," where the boys say goodbye to a backstabbing girlfriend. (Hey! What kind of skank would cheat on a Backstreet Boy?) And there's the romantically riveting "Don't Wanna Lose You Now." Yowza! I could go on and on (and on), but chances are, you already own this disc, so you know how darn good it is. So if you don't mind, I'm gonna end my review here and get back to my CD player for another listen to Millennium!
--Michael Slezak
From: Entertainment Weekly (A Parent's Guide)
Album: Millennium
Artist: Backstreet Boys
Who: Role models for N Sync and 98*
Musical Style: Bubblegum Pop
Think: An ethnically mixed Osmonds
Recurrent Themes: The heartbreak of love
Typical Lyric: "Give me one more chance to give my love to you/ 'cause no one on this earth loves you like I do"
Sex/Violence: None
Language: Squeaky-clean
What's good about it: The Boys' success proves it's okay for males to show their softer side
What's not so good: The bland, innocent vision of romance may set up unrealistic expectations for your daughters