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Submitted by Erin from Pittsburgh PA USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 11:07:08 2002
HELLO PEOPLE!
there not broken up, i am so sick of hearin this rumor over and over again. i was checkin the site out and i saw it and i can't believe it. i work with the boys and they are sick of the rumor as much as i am. they are working on their new cd and its coming along great. nick just wanted to fulfill a life long dream. they are not going anywhere.
sincerely,
erin c.
Submitted by Sarah from New Jersey USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 11:06:49 2002
Hey, i agree with wut Tarra said cuz shes thinkin like almost exactly like me!! I luv The Backstreet Boys 2!! I have been a huge fan of them 4 longer than I can remember! I am also a huge Nick Carter fan! I am like obssessed with Him and the rest of the group!!Ok as for Lou Pearlman, I dont think that he shoulda pushed the Backstreet Boys into doin more than they could..cuz they would end up loosin more in the end and plus that could put people on the verge of quittin..which they didnt thank God!! I think it was rele mean 2 bring in Nsync just to force BSB 2 do more than they could...he was treatin them like trash, not as people...after all that money they had gotten in 4 him and everything they had done...thats how they shouldve been treated? I dont think so!! I think they did have the right 2 sue Lou Pearlman...ok i dont think that everything was the Firm's fault, but there was a lot that was. I luv Nick sooo much but i also think that he made some wrong decisions 2...ok if this was rele somethin he wanted 2 do..he coulda at least stayed with The Backstreet Boys new management to create less of a "controversy" (couldnt think of anotha word sorry). Also, since Nick is doin a solo album, it leads people 2 think that The Backstreet Boys r over. I know they r not, but it kinda relates 2 somethin i did. my sister is a Nsync fan and the first time she told me that Justins doin a solo album, the first thought that came to my mind was, YES!! they r breakin up!...i dont think that they r..but wuteva i think they r on a "extended break" LoL. SO i can see where people get that from. But i think that they shoulda gone ahead with the next album to patch up some stuff and then that woulda been the time 4 NIck to do it...i think im not an expert on this stuff LoL!!! I CANT WAIT 4 BOTH ALBUMS THO!!!! WOO HOO!! LoL Also, I think releasin the Hits ALbum...BIG MISTAKE!! That caused lotza problems!! That rele threw people off. They shoulda waited til 2003 4 there 10 year anniversary...and maybe another name thatn "the hits" cuz thats kinda sayin like these r the hits from when WE were famous/good LoL.. i mean i no that they arent over but 2 the average person...wut could they think? Ok i think theres a limit on this thing LoL so im gonna stop rite here or i can go on 4 a while..hope some of u agree!! And To The New York Times, thank u soo much 4 this information..us fans rele appreciate wut u did and at least we no wuts rele goin on! We wwanna no the ups and downs and ur the ones who helped! Thank you soo much!!!!!!!! I LUV THE BACKSTREET BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ~~**LOVE SARAH**~~
Submitted by Rachel from Branford CT USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 11:04:17 2002
Wow. The New York Times said good stuff about our boys and that definitly makes me happy. However, Nick, Nick, Nick. LOL. I am very proud of Nick for doing this solo album, but I definitly think he needs 2 get back with the other guys and do the group stuff. the Backstreet Boys aren't the Backstreet Boys w/out Nick, and honestly if they replaced him, i dont care that AJ is my favorite i would stop listening to them. And i've always said I'd be a fan forever, but how can I be a fan if one of the guys isn't there!? Im sorry, but they would do WORSE without Nick, whether he is your favorite or not. Oh btw...I hate Nsync!!!
Submitted by Caroline n' Eve from PARIS, FRANCE FRANCE France
Date: Mon Aug 19 11:00:56 2002
HelloWe're Two FRENCH FANS faithful to them since 1996,We're very sad bout' this news and we hope they'll work together again but after 10 years in this business we could understand , that the lads wanna take free time and think of their solo stuff as nick for example.....
personaly we support nick coz his solo lp is fab but we support much more bsb , we've grown up wiv them , it's because of them that the life is more easy , and , we need us !
plus, they didn't make any tour in europe since 1999 it's too long , when u r fan since their beginning. OK , that's all we can say for the mo' just hope it's an untruth news and the lads r going to do a new fab lp
bye bye
Caro and eve from FRANCE xxxxx
Submitted by Emma-Jo from Falkirk Scotland United Kingdom
Date: Mon Aug 19 11:00:37 2002
I'm shocked at like what goes on and what they had to endure, but at the same time I'm really proud 'cause it shows that the BSB's really wanted to continue to make music and make us all happy as they could have gave it all up at the first hurdle and went back to their ordinary lives. They didn't have to keep going, but they did even when the critics panned them and said it was over and they wouldnt sell another album. They also kept going after 2 got married and AJ hd his problems even though everyone said they had lost the fans cause we didnt want to listen to men that were married and had apparently "lost their sex appeal." To the so called music guru's and fat cats at the record companies, MTV and all the other places that said it was over for Backstreet, well you aint seen nothing yet and it's only just begining!!!
Submitted by Christina from ON Canada
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:48:55 2002
What do i think about that article, well, i have mixed feelings about it, i was happy because it was truthful, it showed all the crap that they've had to endure in the last 10 years, and showed that fans are still willing to stick with them. NOW why i hate it, well to start off, Lou Pearlman is a POMPUS ASS!! always has been, always will me. i hate that guy, he screws every person he works with over, he's screwed over BSB, nsync, otown, and now isn't he battling stuff with aaron, nicks brother. anyway, BSb were the ones making the money, so they are the ones that deserve it.
i know that BSB aren't as big as they used to be, but it doesn't mean theres an end to the group. Why is it the second a pop band stops selling MILLIONS of cds, stop making it onto the covers of magazines, etc, that people automatically think they are done, there are many musical acts out there, not necessarily POP, that aren't well known, but are still successful. you don't need to sell out places like the SKYDOME to be popular.As for Nicks solo cd, its great that he wants to do it, i love him, and i am honestly excited about it, but i do agree with everyone in here that says it was just bad timing. he should be with the other 4 guys, working on the new BSB album. instead he is off doing all this solo stuff, making solo apperances, when he could be putting more of himself in the group. now don't get me wrong, i love Nick with all my heart, he's my fav, but he has bad timing when it comes to stuff like that.
Submitted by Tarra from North Carolina USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:40:55 2002
Ok...i have been a BSB fan since the begining. I have supporting everything they did, went to every show that came here, bought every cd, bought every video, and like everything else a fan can do. But its sad to say that i think this article just kinda confirms what i along with alot of other fans im sure didn't wanna believe which is that BSB isn't doing too good. I believe there were wrong decisions made which hurt the career of BSB. I think groups of any kind should have a say so in what happens with their career.....i think the decisions made by the former management were selfish and uncaring.
And i think that BSB were treating wrong when it came to Nsync....they should have not had Nsync thrown in their faces when someone at the management company got mad or something. I do think releasing the greatest hits album did kinda put the thought in alot of peoples head that that cd was the end of BSB. Becuz i believe a greatest hits cd should not be released until the band is through. And thats why i think that cd was a bad idea at this point in their careers to release. I am a huge Nick Carter fan and always have been but i do have to agree him doing a solo album right now is not a good idea. Especially when it is causing problems with the group. And i think that if ANY of them were not in the group weather it be Nick, Brian, AJ, Howie, Or Kevin that the group would just not be the same. So i think Nick should have thought about what he was doing to his career as well as the career of the other 4 guys...and i don't really think he did. And i don't think that was right. BSB can't get any work done when Nicks not there. Which makes us have to wait longer for the new BSB cd. I can't wait for the new BSB cd and i will buy Nicks cd too. And no matter if they come back or not i will ALWAYS be a fan. And i will support all 5 guys in whatever they decide to do. And i wish them all the best and hope everything works out.
Submitted by Natalie from Maryland USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:39:28 2002
I think the article just voices all of the struggles they have had. At first, i was afraid to read it. I didn't want someone's criticsm or judgment to dissect their every move. Now that i have read it, I see that maybe from now on they will not have as many struggles and are prepared for what lies ahead. While not everything there was necessarliy true, I think it opened my eyes to how hard it has been for them, and how much i hadn't realized it. i feel as though this has made me gain even more respect for them, even after everything else they have been through that was barely even touched on.
I don't see where the importance of always comparing nsync to the Backstreet Boys is. Aren't they just another group?? Why don't people worry about the similarities of ja rule and nelly?? or limp bizkt and korn?? aren't they in the same genre?? also, i don't think that just because they are not selling the most records out of everyone that they are fading. does it matter who's records they beat?? their sales have shown a line of increase. and even if they didn't, it's not like they would be a failure as a group. obviuosly, you want to do well and sell a lot of albums, but what about everyone else who doesn't sell up to 1 million in their first week?? maybe these are things i will never understand.
so my view is that without some of the things mentioned in the article holding them back, i think thy still have it in them to do what they do best. And i think they know it too.
Submitted by LaQuana from NJ USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:35:08 2002
First off...WOW. That article was extremely real and a bit heartwrenching to read. Most of the stuff in it about the money matters and record company disputes I knew about. However I only knew bits and pieces since neither BSB or the companies would ever say much. I'd like to first commend the article's writer for giving fans what we have always wanted, the truth about our boys. Thank you New York Times.Now lets move on to the actual article. I don't know how many other fans out there noticed this but I noticed since Day One that when Brian and Leighanne announced their engagement there would be trouble between Brian and BSB. I knew she would present a problem. And no, I'm not one of those "I LOVE YOU BRIAN MARRY ME INSTEAD" type fans. Howie's my fav BSB. Anyway, Brian seems like the type to give his heart away to the woman he loves. This is exactly what he did. I understand you should put family first and all this stuff before your career but when you're in the kind of career Backstreet is sometimes you just have to balance things out. Letting Leighanne heavily influence his relationship with The Firm and the other guys was dumb on Brian's part. He needs to trust his own values. Honestly, who's made the most money in their lives in their profession? SO how can Leighanne offer advice on a business she knows nothing about and isnt even in herself? As far as Nick goes, I kinda figured he was the one holding BSB back when the lawsuit thing happened against Lou Pearlman and Lou stated that one of the guys wasn't suing him and shouldnt have reason to since he'd helped pay mortgage on their home. I knew it was Nick. I understand that Nick is getting older and wants to try his own things. However, in my honest opinion Nick is not that great of a singer. I mean, he's alright but the other 4 guys are way better than him. If you don't think so that's fine but have you noticed that as BSB got more popular over here in the U.S Nick was doing mostly background vocals and very few leads?
Anyway, I say if it aint broke don't fix it. Nick needs to just stay with BSB until the very end and deal with their album and helping them get back on top where they belong. His other projects are not only delaying their album but causing us, the fans, to wait even longer also. Of course, as a fan I'm going to buy Nick's album to support him but I definitely think he should have waited longer to bring it out. So don't be surprized if Justin's album soars Nick's into the ground. Even though I hope it doesnt cuz I can't stand Justin. Lastly, BSB did what most musical acts can only dream as far as this business goes. They are the pioneers of the new age boys bands and always will be. No matter what those record execs or other false bands (NSUCK, OTOWN etc) try to do they can never replace the fact that Backstreet was FIRST. If it wasnt for BSB these Pop Icon people coming out today wouldnt even exist. We'd all be rap and rock freaks. There would be no pop. Instead of record execs stealing from BSB and other people trying to hold them down and push them in the wrong direction they should be thanking BSB for giving 10 years of their lives to this business and working as hard as they have. They have made a lot of people a lot of money and brought a lot of happiness into a lot of peoples' lives. The least those slimeballs who hurt and criticize them could do is return their happiness. To BSB: I say the day this business is giving you more stress than happiness and you feel you just need out. Then say goodbye. Of course I'd be hurt and cry but I'd rather our boys be happy and put out good music then be miserable and put out crap just to please others. Wouldn't you?
Thanks to those who read this. Thanks to Backstreet.net for giving us the opportunity to voice our opinions. If any of you fans out there would like to talk more about this or anything BSB feel free to email me. KTBSPA!!!
Submitted by shelly from USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:30:27 2002
Me personally I think the Boys got screwed over by Pearlman and the record company. He didn't tell them alot of things that they needed to know. NSYNC was put on the label by Pearlman and then the guys find out they have stiff competition. The guys have worked so hard that they deserve the money they get from the album sales and from the tour. I know NSYNC is competition but they are a good group and I listen to them as well as BSB. I'm not gonna say I hate them just because they are competition. They were thrown in BSB faces after they have worked so hard and now they have to compete against each other for fans and for sales of albums and concerts. We have seen that there is no tension between them before and we know that Chris and Howie went to college together in Florida so everyone should see that they get along and shouldn't worry about the competition.That's all I have to say and I think they did the right thing by leaving Pearlman. They're better off where they are.
Submitted by Rina from Rockville Maryland USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:26:57 2002
I have quite mixed feelings about this article. On the one hand, I have been a loyal Backstreet Boys' fan since their glory days in Europe and refuse to be let down by some article which shows the Boys from a strictly business point of view; a different side to the idols we admire. On the other hand, it is a big dose of reality, which honestly, is hitting me and I am sure many other fans very hard. Yes, they have made some mistakes, mostly managerial mistakes. But what band doesn't? No band is perfect from that perspective and the music business can and does get ugly. They have also made some career mistakes. Though Nick Carter is my favorite Boy, I don't feel it is the right time for him to come out with a solo album and I also do not feel his decision to stay with The Firm is the right way to go. Also, the release of "Chapter One" is seen as a signal of their "inevitable" split. And even though their fan-base dwindles down, the memories are what keeps many fans Backstreet pride alive. The article has no lies, no hearsay whatsoever. But no matter what happens to the group or what light they are portrayed in, there is no doubting that these five men have touched the lives of many fans around the world. And even though pop music is now taking a different direction, no big-shot writer can take away the influence they have had on us fans. If this is the end, so be it. If they stay together for a few more years, all the better. But absolutely nothing can erase the love that many feel and hopefully still will feel for them in years to come. They have become a part of our lives and no article can take that away.
Submitted by Me from London, United Kingdom
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:25:14 2002
I found the article..depressing. I have mixed feelings about Nick's solo album; although the songs I've heard sound great, and despite the band reassuring us they're not splitting up, etc, etc, a solo career from one of the members of any pop band 95% of the time leads to a break-up, or loss of the band's popularity while that solo individual is doing well. I've been hiding from the truth in my sad little world (laugh all you want ~_^) but the article was hard-hitting, I guess.
And Karkaroff, or whatever the new manager is called; I can tell he hasn't had much experience with pop bands. It's fine if a heavy rock band change members, because normally it's just a drummer or something who leaves - easy enough to replace. But with a pop band (I won't mention the dreaded boyb... word), there is no way a member can leave, particularly one of the most popular members, Nick.. anyways, there's no way a member can leave without causing huge problems for the rest of the group. Especially when the band in question has been together close to a decade, a replacement member wouldn't be able to fit in. The Backstreet Boys would not be the Backstreet Boys without Nick, just as they wouldn't be without Kevin, Brian, AJ, or Howie.Now, I think Nick should postpone his album release and take time to work things out with the Boys, and actually try and get somewhere with the new group album. I support him with the solo career, but I still don't think it's quite the right time yet. Parts of the article would have been true, but I console myself with the fact that the writer is a complete pessimissist ^_^. Whatever happens..
Submitted by Jessica from Philadelphia PA USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:24:27 2002
I agree that this article is so totally true.The management didn't care about them,they only wanted money.The guys wanna sing,they want money.That seems to be all some people care about is money.The baseball players want more money.The managers,who aren't the ones doing 2-hour shows every night and being stalked by crazy nutcases(no offense)want more money.It's not about money but they don't seem to get it.Like these hockey players that won't sign a contract because they want more.I LOVE hockey but I'll definitely admit this is true. Like Roman Cechmanek.He's getting paid $9 million a year to throw temper tantrums.Now I'm off the subject but you get my drift.
Also,I thought the guys said they would do solo AFTER the band retires or whatever,not in the middle of their careers.What is going through Nick's mind right now.I just hope this isn't what gets them.They've been through so much,they coulda quit when Brian had heart surgery,when AJ went into re-hab,when the management gave them crap.But they didn't.I just don't get it.
Submitted by Jennifer from South Carolina USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:15:19 2002
First off, what Jennifer from Maryland said pretty much sums up my thoughts as well. I love Nick and I know that he's very proud of what he's doing, but I don't think the timing is right. I know we are all just fans and we don't really know what's going on inside their group, but I would probably be mad too if a member of my group decided to do something on his own against our better judgement. I read somewhere that maybe Nick is running scared these days. Let's face it people...BSB is not number one on the pop charts these days. They may be number one in our hearts, but the media doesn't see that. The entertainment industry is the only thing Nick knows. He thought the group was going down and he didn't want to go down with them. Yes, that's selfish, but what else is he going to do? He's never gone to college, this is his only way of survival. I guess he did what he thought he had to do. I don't agree with it. As ocean-minded as he is, I'm sure he's heard of the saying...the captain always goes down with his ship.
Submitted by Jennifer from Maryland USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 10:02:18 2002
I think this article was truthful and real; painful but real. I have been a Backstreet Boys fan for almost six years now and I love all 5 of the guys with all my heart. This article made me realize that the music buisness is just that, a buisiness, and they don't give a shit about you unless you can make them big cash. Both BSB's management and their record company have made a lot of bad moves with BSB's career since after Millenium came out, and I hope that their new management will lead them and guide them in the right direction; help them through this tough spot. I hope they will not only be their buiness associates but their friends,and not try to screw them over like people in the past. Like I said before I love ALL 5 of the guys but recently Nick has started to really disapoint me. I think he is being extremely selfish and spoiled about his solo album. Now is really not the time for any of the guys to try and go it alone. For as long as I can remember the guys have always said that they are like brothers and that they love each other as such, but now Nick is starting to stab the other guys in the back. First he decides to stick with The Firm after the other 4 guys decide they want to leave(that is a time when they should be presenting a strong, united front), then he starts with this solo album stuff, which is delaying the production of the new BSB album and obviously causing friction in the group. I think that Nick should start thinking about what's best for the group right now instead of what's best for him. If he loves them so much he would put the group first. He has his whole life to release a solo album, but if Nick is not careful when he's finished with his album there may not be a group to come back to. Don't think that I don't like Nick 'cause I do, in fact he is my 2nd favorite member, and I will be the first line in my neighborhood to buy his album, I am just disapointed in some of his decisions lately, and I want him to work out things with the guys. I hope that all the tension, all the fighting, all the money problems get worked out, so the Backstreet Boys (all five of them) can get back to what's most important, and that's the music. I hope that this new upcoming album will not be their last one, but based on everything that's been happening lately, it seems like it might be. No matter what happens I will FOREVER be a Backstreet Boys fan, and I will support whatever they decide to do. Thanks for listening guys, Peace and KTBSPA! -If you want to talk to me about anything I said you can e-mail me.
Submitted by Emily from OH USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 09:39:21 2002
Since the BEGINNING, the Backstreet Boys ALWAYS claimed that they would in time (that would be now I guess!) that they would go out and maybe do individual projects. I know Nick didn't really pick the right time to do this. I think it would have been better if it was done like right after a BSB tour or something and not when a new album was in the works, but they always said that no matter what, there would always be a Backstreet Boys. Maybe I'm just being naive, but I have FAITH in the boys. They are going through a rocky point, but what group doesn't? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so just keep hoping this doesn't kill them and I don't think it will. Hopefully it will just make them stronger as a group. And if it doesn't (God forbid!) then i guess we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. I love the boys and I support Nick's solo career just as I would if AJ, Howie, Brian, or Kevin would do it! I'm actually hoping the boys will read the article. Maybe then they'll say something, which is pretty much all i care about anyway.
Submitted by Poppy from Seaford, United Kingdom
Date: Mon Aug 19 09:05:04 2002
I am angry that these people say stuff like that about the boys. Black and Blue may not have sold as much as millennium but who cares it was still a massive seller and a brillient album. I can't believe lou Pearlman said them things about the boys, he says he is a friend and always will be there if they need anything, so how was he a friend when he didnt give them there fair share of the money they made or when Brian had to have heart surgery, all he cared about was finishing the tour for christs sake when he could of died! It must be so dame annoying when the boys here a nother brake up rumour cos thats all the media talk about, they never seem to praise them anymore for being the band that started the real pop craze or the band that are still her after almost 10 years of being together unlike other bands which come and go. I am so proud to be a backstreet fan. I will love them probably for the rest of my life. The Backstreet boys are true artists and they dont come very often, they will show all the people who dont like them, that there here to stay. KTBSPA XX P.S Nick can't wait for the album (Rock &Roll baby, hell yeah!!)
Submitted by Nat from montreal quebec Canada
Date: Mon Aug 19 09:03:50 2002
I love the backstreet boys very much I hope things will work out for them I hate what happend to them I know it's been a hard year for them with aj being in rehab and also the loss of daniell lee on september 11th. We need to be strong and continue to support bsb no matter what we love them very much and also Iam happy that kev and kris and bri and leighann want to start a familly. Iam sure bsb can get through this with our help and our support bsb will be fine from Nat
Submitted by Deborah from Orlando Florida USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 08:51:56 2002
After reading the article, I couldn't help but smile at the fact that it was honest. For the longest time, I had followed the Boys' tremendous rise to fame and consequently their downfall. I knew when Chapter 1 was released that it was a feeble attempt by a record company to gain some much needed attention for the group. But what's sad is that the Boys are not a group anymore. Look at them. When they're on stage I see 5 individuals who are thinking 5 different things and are not seeing eye to eye. Their problems were evident a while ago. This isn't recent. As much as I hate to admit it, the Backstreet Boys are over and Nick's solo album will not be the success he wants it to be despite the fact that it's going to sell a lot of copies. It's sad that a band with so much potential and talent can unravel before your eyes in, by industry standards, a matter of seconds. If you're gone in this industry for more than a few weeks, your career is on life support. The Boys? Were they ever really back with Drowning? Drowning was another copy of SOMH which was an attempt to bring back the success of IWITW. As harsh as it may seem, it's true. It's sad that the unravelling of a group such as Backstreet, who has always claimed honesty with their fans, can be blamed on lawyers and managers and somehow deviated from the problem itself: Kevin, Brian, Nick, Howie, and AJ. Interesting how the Boys end up looking like the poor, lost, industry victims when it was stated that the Boys were sometimes difficult to work with. Interesting, also, is the fact that Kevin was the only one to comment throughout the article. Who knows? The Boys could very well prove me wrong and knock out another Millennium. But if that happens, ask yourself who was really responsible for it: the Boys or their lawyers.
Submitted by Autumn Stapleton-McLean from Youngstown OH USA
Date: Mon Aug 19 08:50:23 2002
To whom it may concern:
I'm an 18 year old Backstreet Boys fan who has been following the group since 1995. I feel that the article written by Neil Strauss is a worthless piece of crap. The Backstreet Boys paved the way for pop music, and if it wasn't for them, the music industry would never have known the success it has received in the past five years. A.J., Brian, Nick, Kevin, and Howie have been together for ten years, and they weren't "manufactured" by Lou Pearlman-they put themselves together. Mr. Pearlman doesn't deserve one tenth of the money he's received over the years from the boys' success. Just because the Backstreet Boys wanted to take a little time off doesn't mean that they're finished. Did you ever think that maybe Kevin and Kristin or Brian and Leighanne want to start a family? Did you consider the fact that A.J. is making wedding plans? No. All you're concerned with is the money that they're making. It's never been about that. It's always been about the music, and the TRUE Backstreet Boys fans know that.
Sincerely,
Autumn Stapleton
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