(Toronto Star, date unknown)
After conquering most of the rest of the world, filling arenas and selling millions of albums, the Backstreet Boys are back home in America, 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 Canada and in Europe, where there is a long tradition of 'boy bands' singing pop.
As they became multiplatinum artists in Canada and 15 other countries (and gold in seven more), the Boys were still virtually unknown in the U.S.. In Canada, they're close to selling 2 million coppies of their two albums and have been selling out concerts in progressively large venues for more than a year.
At first, the group's obscurity in the U.S. was a luxury.
"It was kind of nice to leave an airport in Europe somehwere 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 in stuff," says Richardson.
"Then you come to the U.S., get your luggage, and go home and chill."
With songs such as Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart) and As Long As You Love Me becoming hits in the U.S., 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 Jan. 28--know that even if they do become the new teenage sensations in the U.S., it still may be a long time before they gain 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 their downfalls," 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 we're young. We still have a long time to prove ourselves."
And the proof, Dorough concludes, is their singing.
"When they hear us sing something a cappella it really eliminates their doubts of whether we're really singing or not singing. And, you know, people at that time I think will really respect us.
"We want our music to be respected by everybody...not just teenagers but adults--you know, familes, other musicians, people in the music industry."
But there's a lot o 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 it takes a little bit longer to prove yourselves. And we think that, within time, people will get to know us and know that we're for real."
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