'MILLENNIUM' WAS FILLED WITH SAD STORIES

World of pop music is said to be exploding soon. It's not even a month the Backstreet Boys' debut album, 'Millennium' was released, 1.3 million units has already been sold, according to Reuters/Variety website.

'Millennium' may follow the steps of the success from their first album but the making of this album is filled with sadness.

According to Kevin Richardson, 27, most of the songs in 'Millennium' is about lost. "We faced a lot of lost last year. Howie lost his sister (because of Lupus). Myself and Brian (cousin) lost our grandfather. We lost Denniz. It is a painful time, both mentally and physically. Many people didn't realise that."

However, Howie D or Howard Dorough, 25, said that whatever tragedies that they faced has made them more mature and a better entertainer. "When you're singing, you are expressing something and the feeling is open," he said in Rollin' Stone Magazine.

His opinion is supported by Max Martin who said that 'Millennium' is an album which has made him happy so far.

In the mean time, Max, a song writer from Sweden, said that 'Millennium' has to face with the fans' opinion of the album. "The last album was so hot that all the new songs in the first place has to be a hit. That's difficult. The pressure is there and you can't hold it. You can't say anything about it as it will cause the Backstreet Boys to be more nervous. He said in Teen People Magazine.

'Millennium', their third album, took them a year to make and is recorded in New York, Orlando, Stockholm and London. It is considered as a follow-up to the success of 'Backstreet's Back' in 1997.

Different from the previous albums, this time, Max also has to carry out the project without his friend, Denniz Pop, who died at the age of 35 because of cancer.

But, he had the chance to listen to the last song written by Denniz before his death which is 'Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely'.

"Although the song is written before Denniz died, if you really look into the lyrics, you can imagine Max Martin's feelings because of the lost of his best friend. I myself was touched," said Nick Carter, 19.

Although there is no particular theme in 'Millennium', some of the songs in the album touch on popularity, both good and bad. Brian Littrell, 24, contribute the song 'The Perfect Fan', a song for his mum, and the song 'Larger Than Life' and 'The One'. Kevin wrote the song 'Back To Your Heart'.

These guys from Orlando, Florida, is known for their songs such as 'Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)' and 'I'll Never Break Your Heart'.

So far, their albums have reached the sales of 30 million units. Millions of fans have seen their acts.

With continuous success, surely a lot of people think that all 5 of them do not have to think about money anymore..

Yes, it's true that the success of the Backstreet Boys, the group which used to be considered as the chief of the rising pop music world of today, can be said as well-off.

But, according to the reports of Rollin' Stone Magazine, it is far from our thoughts. According to Nick Carter, "Actually, we do not have a lot of money."

In May last year, the group fined their ex-producer, Lou Pearlman and his crew in the management, Pearlman and Co. The guys admit that Pearlman and Co. keep an amount of US$10 million. It is the money from recordings and concerts since 1993.

The amount that the guys receive as a group is only US$300,000.

The sad thing was the involvement of lawyers and judges in the debating case of the collection of money. A group of 20 lawyers and judges from 3 different cities is involved in the case.

In the middle of all that, Brian has to undergo a heart operation. Brian's cousin, Kevin, said, "1998 was to most successful year of our careers..." he pauses. "It was also the hardest year of my life"