The Backstreet Boys and why we like them that way

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Feb 19, 2000 Source: The Depot.com Submitted By: Ivy C I feel safe in saying there is no bigger fan of the Backstreet Boys than I. I can't imagine anyone being more excited to see them in person, even if it is in a place as big as the Greensboro Coliseum. I am Julia Greer, a student at Kiser Middle School. I love the Backstreet Boys. But I am not alone in my love for the hottest band in music today. The group will appear Sunday at the Coliseum, and I am not surprised the show took only 78 minutes to sell out. Everyone wants to see them perform. For me it will be my third concert and I can't wait! Everyone knows about the Backstreet Boys - they have been together for at least six years. They have toured in the United States and Europe and have become international stars. They have recently won many awards, proving their popularity and abilities. But why do kids from 3 to 33 love them? What draws us to them? Is it luck or hard work that has brought them fame and fortune? Or is it cute faces and angelic voices? I would like to tell you why I love them and why my friends do. First, I like the Backstreet Boys because they are the best group in the music world. Their songs have such a great beat that you can't help but dance along. And, hey, you can understand the lyrics so you can sing along, too. It does not hurt that they are great to look at even when they are standing still. My room is plastered with posters, pictures and clippings about the group. Following the Backstreet Boys is like a hobby for my friends and me. "The Backstreet Boys are a group that comes along once in a lifetime," says my friend Carrie Pratt of Climax. "No matter what kind of music you listen to, there is one Backstreet Boys' song that you like. That proves they have a sound that nobody can compete with." Carrie's favorite Backstreet Boy is Brian, but my best friend, Jenna Baker, says, "I think A.J. is the hottest Backstreet Boy of all because he sings wonderfully and he is very cute." It is good that there are five Backstreet boys so we don't all have to have the same favorite. Even my mom likes Kevin because he, at 29, is not so "obnoxiously young." Let's face it: Getting your parents to like a group you like is essential if they are going to let you listen to the group's music. Nobody's mom is going to drive around listening to what they think is "racket." My mom actually likes the Backstreet Boys' music. I have come home from school and caught her cleaning away to "Millennium." She says, "Cute, clean-cut guys singing perky songs - what's not to like?" I think my mom and her friends don't mind how they look, either. They think the older Boys are "hotties" like Ricky Martin and Enrique Iglesias. My dad likes them too, and I'm not ashamed to have him read the lyrics. "The Backstreet Boys I can trust," he says. "Julie can buy their CDs, listen to them and attend a concert, and I don't have to worry about explicit lyrics or cursing." I wouldn't be going to the concert if my parents didn't approve. I pay for my own tickets, but they would not allow me to spend my own money on things they don't approve of. I have listened to their music for three years after being a fan of Hanson. Many of my friends followed Hanson as they now follow the Backstreet Boys. But Hanson didn't mature with us. They still look like little boys to us now. Their music lacked variety. They didn't sing about relationships and growing older. While the Backstreet Boys are the hottest boy band out there today they are not the only one. N-Sync, LFO, and 98 Degrees are modeled after Lou Pearlman's creation. Pearlman put the Backstreet Boys on the map and had great success. He followed the formula with N-Sync and they, too, have been a success. But the difference between the Backstreet Boys and these other boy bands for me is that they are individually very talented and that talent makes for a better performance. Their choreography on stage and in their videos is unmatched. They work very hard to put on a good show. The Backstreet Boys are also nice guys. They feel it is important to share their success, so they give money from concerts to charities and organizations such as the American Cancer Society and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. They also have tickets auctioned at Tickets.com where all the proceeds go to their foundation. I bought tickets there for their appearance in Charlotte tonight. I like being able to follow the Backstreet Boys on the Internet. The best site is the official www.backstreetboys.com. There are sites from fans all around the world and just in the past week a new site about the Backstreet Boys comics has started at www.backstreetproject.com. Like a lot of kids, I am eagerly awaiting this Sunday's concert. We listen to the Backstreet Boys' CDs all of the time, but seeing and hearing them in person is the best. I saw them in September when they started this tour in Charlotte and can hardly wait for them to come to my hometown. They put on a very good show - lots of special effects and costume changes make it very exciting. It wasn't easy to get concert tickets. When a local radio station had a contest at Halloween, I dressed my dog, Nugget, as a ballerina and entered her. Then we all tried to win "Who Wants to See the Backstreet Boys" by calling in every morning. I don't know if it would have done any good to be in one contest -- my dad loves me, but I don't think he would eat worms for me! When it was announced that they were coming to Greensboro I just had to be there. Everyone in the family got involved. Even my baby brother waited in the cold. At the same time, my dad went home and tried the Internet. I was thrilled when he called and said he had been lucky. So my friends and I will be there Sunday when the Boys come to our hometown. I did not get the best seats but I'm in the building and will enjoy every minute of Concert No. 3. It is going to be great! Julia Greer is a sixth-grader at Kiser Middle School. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: matzcrorkz iVXqd1 Very neat blog.Really thank you! Much obliged. Submitted by: matzcrorkz iTifS7 Very good blog article.Thanks Again. Will read on... Submitted by: crorkservice YiMKR1 I really like and appreciate your blog article.Much thanks again. Really Cool. Comment on this item. Next Item: Top Ten Do's and Don'ts for Singles Prev Item: Backstreet.net's open forum on the engagements: Good, Bad or Both?