Millennium Review: The Toronto Sun

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: May 26, 2099 Source: The Toronto Sun (Posted at JAM! Music Online) Submitted By: a href Millennium big for Boys By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun What will likely be one of the year's biggest albums -- at least among the pre-teen and teen set -- hit stores this week. And with sales of over 30 million albums worldwide, this Orlando-based supergroup hasn't even bothered to mix up the songwriting formula on their third album. Brimming with half-decent dance anthems and smooth, leaning-toward-schmaltzy pop ballads with titles like Show Me The Meaning Of Lonely and No One Else Comes Close, the Boys are practically guaranteed another steady stream of hits over the next couple of years. While they are working for the first time with uberproducer-songwriter Mutt Lange (Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, Def Leppard), it's just for one song, the uptempo It's Gotta Be You. And, frankly, it sounds like it's been given the major overhaul by co-writer-producer Max Martin. He's the author of some of the Boys' greatest hits including Quit Playing Games (With My Heart), As Long As You Love Me, Everybody (Backstreet's Back). In fact, Martin writes eight of the 12 tracks here. Meanwhile, Backstreet Boy Brian "B-Rok" Littrell gets credit on three songs, including the album-ending, gospel-tinged ballad, The Perfect Fan. The song was inspired by his mother and uses a 45-voice choir comprised of some past and present students of his Kentucky high school. The other Backstreet Boy doing some writing is Kevin Richardson, who gets credit on the less-effective ballad, Back To Your Heart. Songs worth a listen include the uptempo album-opener Larger Than Life, supposedly a love letter to fans as the Boys sing: "All you people can't you see, can't you see, How your love's affecting our reality, every time we're down, you can make it right." Also good is the first single, I Want It That Way, and the equally infectious The One. The Backstreet Boys -- who appeared on Saturday Night Live last weekend and held a press conference here last Friday -- won't be touring until the fall with a Toronto date expected. Click here to hear full press conference in Real Audio. Click here to view the Backstreet Boys Toronto Press Conference Photo Gallery. Comment on this item. Next Item: Millennium Review: Billboard Prev Item: Millennium Review: Sol@^KaOs^ (Backstreet.net reader)