The Backstreet Boys seek stardom at home.

After conquering most of the rest of the world, filling arenas and selling millions of albums, the Backstreet Boys are back home in the United States, out on a much more modest tour-in theatres.

"it's kind of good for us, I think," says the quintet's Kevin Richardson, 25. "Because it's almost like starting all over. And it's very humbling. It just makes you want to work even that much (harder), especially in your home country."

Up to now, the career of the Backstreet Boys has been a strange one. Their good looks, youth and singing ability made them a quick hit in Europe, where there is a long tradition of "boy bands" singing pop. As they became multi-platinum artistes in 16 countries (and gold in seven more), the group still was virtually unknown in the United States.

At first, the group's obscurity here was kind of a luxury. "It was kind of nice to leave an airport in Europe somewhere and there would be a couple hundred fans at the airport, and you'd have to, you know, like, run in and out of vans and go through back doors and stuff," Richardson says in a news teleconference.

"Then you come toUS," he adds, "get your luggage and go home and chill."

With hits such as Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) and As Long As You Love Me becoming hits here, that might change. Richardson and the rest of the Boys - A.J. McLean, 20; Howie Dorough,24; Brian Littrell,22; and Nick Carter, who turned 18 last Wednesday - know that even if they do become the new teenage sensations in the US, it still may be a long time before they gain a critical respect, in part because of the flimsy teen idols of the past.

"You're always looked upon as to the last person's success or downfall," says Dorough, also known as Howie-D. "Unfortunately, there's been some groups before us that have come out that haven't left, you know, so great a taste in everybody's eyes about groups like ours." "But," he adds. "We're young. We still have a long time to prove ourselves."

And the proof, Dorough concludes, is in their singing. "When they hear us sing someting a cappella ie really eliminates the doubts of wether we're really singing or not singing. And, you know, people at that time I think will really respect us."

And such respect is important, he says. "We want our music to be respected by everybody, you know, not just teenaagers but adults, you know, families, other musicians, people in the music industry. That's why we're trying to put out good quality music."

But there's lots of time to get that respect, Dorough says. "We're not really trying to rush things especially here in the States. Because, you know, it's one of those kinds of places the it takes a ittle bit longer to prove yourselves. And we think that within time that people will, you know, get to know us and know that we're for real." - LAT-WP (The Star).