Albums : Backstreet Boys : In A World Like This
Albums : Backstreet Boys : In A World Like This
Listen To Backstreet Boys : In A World Like This
After 20 years and more than 130 million records sold, Backstreet’s back, y’all.
The iconic boy band’s ninth studio album, In A World Like This, will be released July 30, and is the first in six years with the entire original lineup, including once-departed member Kevin Richardson. Its title track has already garnered positive reviews from critics, including New York magazine's Jody Rosen, who called it “awfully good” and “a spiritual cousin” of the group's classic tune “I Want It That Way.”
Backstreet Boys members A.J. McLean, 35, Brian Littrell, 38, and Kevin Richardson, 41, stopped by the Newsweek Daily Beast office in New York to discuss their latest album, 20 years as a band, their rivalry with ‘N Sync, current crop of boy bands One Direction and The Wanted, and their cameo in a certain blockbuster comedy movie out this summer (hint: spoiler alert).
It’s been 20 years of the Backstreet Boys. Are you guys surprised to still be together after all this time?
Brian: I think we’d hoped we would. The music business is about careers and longevity; it’s not about the quick dollar. For us, it’s been a long road. We’ve had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but we’ve shared them together. We attribute it to our great fans all over the world and good, quality music. That’s why we’ve reached this 20 years!
You've had so many amazing things happen, whether it’s singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXV or receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. What’s really stood out for you?
A.J.: There’s been so many. Just recently, we kicked off our In A World Like This tour in China, and we got to go to the Panda Research and Breeding Facility, and each of us held and fed a baby panda. It was the most amazing experience.
Kevin: They were about 50 pounds! Singing with Sting, Elton John, Aretha Franklin… we’ve got to do some pretty amazing things. Not a bad gig.
Now, a lot of people are talking about your group’s cameo in the comedy blockbuster This Is the End. How did that come about?
A.J.: It was more Seth [Rogen’s] wife’s idea. They had already wrapped the film and they didn’t really like the way that it ended. It just ended with them in heaven and it was like, “Eh, okay.” But because they literally referenced “Backstreet’s Back” within the first 10 minutes of the film, the thought, Maybe we’ll try to go full circle. Seth asked if we would be interested and I’d already showed the guys the trailer and said, “This is going to be the funniest movie of the freaking year,” so when we got the email from him we said, “Hell yeah, this is going to be awesome!” We came to find out Seth and Jay [Baruchel] are very big fans, coming from Canada—
Kevin: —One of the first places we broke in North America.
A.J.: We had a blast, man. They had to learn the actual choreography to the chorus.
Who’s the best dancer among the This Is the End actors? Rogen? Franco?
A.J.: They got a lot of good shots of Jay, who really gets into it with all the stuff.
What would heaven look like for you guys, and who would you have perform there?
A.J.: I’d probably have The Doors or Elvis.
Brian: I would have to go with Elvis, too, and it’d be just like the movie—we’d be in white and there would be R&B/hip-hop, and then Elvis would walk out.
Kevin: I would have to say Dean Martin.
Was there ever a proper rivalry between The Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync?
A.J.: It was all the media. There was healthy competition because we were both out there at the same time, same label, same management, but there was never any beef. I think the media just wanted to try and stir stuff up.
This year is also the 15th anniversary of MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL), which really helped propel The Backstreet Boys to stardom.
Brian: I think TRL was really created by The Backstreet Boys’ fans from buggin’ them so much. Viacom came in and said, “Let’s create a show where we play what everyone wants to hear,” which spawned The Backstreet Boys with “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” the Spice Girls, and Hanson. It was a pop culture movement, and I can’t believe we’ve outlived TRL.
The Backstreet Boys’ wild fans and groupies really run the gamut, from tweens to adults. What are the craziest run-ins you’ve had?
A.J.: Lately, I’ve had a lot of girls showing up at my house. Recently, I wasn’t home and we were doing promo and the door rang, and my wife answered the door and it was a mother and her daughter from Belgium looking for me and asking for a picture. It’s just weird.
Kevin: We had a stowaway on our tour bus. Somehow, some way, from the hotel in Hamburg, Germany, a girl got in through the back door of the bus and she hid in one of the bunks, behind the curtains. We were an hour into the trip when our manager went to lay down and take a nap and there was a girl there!
Now Kevin, this is the first album in six years with you on board, since 2007’s Unbreakable. Why did you decide to part ways with the group?
Kevin: Being in a group and doing records, if you go into an album cycle it’s a year or two-year process and if the album is successful, you fortunately get to tour all over the world—but that’s a long commitment, and we had been doing it for a long, long time. After our touring 2005’s Never Gone, I just decided I wanted to step away and focus on some desires and interests that I wanted to pursue away from music, and also wanted to start a family. I wasn’t as excited, hungry, and inspired as I should be, so I felt like it wasn’t fair to the guys. Why I came back is I got that desire again, I felt inspired to create, and I felt I had something to give and say as a writer and artist with 20 years coming up.
"I used to wear cross-colors back in the day. I don’t know who I thought I was or what I thought I was. And do-rags."
Speaking of fatherhood, the new album In A World Like This does focus a great deal on where you guys are now, as family men.
A.J.: Going into the record-making process, we all sat down at Kevin’s house and discussed what the vibe and what the tone was going to be. We all said from day one that we wanted to make a personal record and an inspiring record to us, to our old fans, and maybe to new fans who don’t know the Backstreet Boys and might be skeptical. So we went and posted up in three weeks in London with an amazing songwriter and producer, Martin Terefe, and it will be a year next month that it’s taken us to make the record. There are songs that are straight-up pop records, songs that have a lot of depth, some dance, some acoustic. There’s a song that Kevin and I wrote that’s completely inspired by all of our children, called “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of),” and we’re all really proud of this record. In my opinion, I think it’s our best body of work since Millennium.
Brian: That’s a big statement, A.J.!
Over the past 20 years, you guys have had some pretty epic outfits as well. What are the most regrettable outfits you guys have rocked?
A.J.: I used to wear cross-colors back in the day. I don’t know who I thought I was or what I thought I was. And do-rags. And then, it wasn’t Tommy Hilfiger but a knock-off version—these blue-and-red overalls. Really gnarly.
Brian: And everything was too big! Too baggy! We were not a hip-hop group. We thought we were a hip-hop group because of the clothes we wore, but now everything is fresh-cut, European, tailored, which is nice.
I hear there are these Backstreet Boys cruises. What goes down?
Brian: Bring your floaties! [Laughs]
A.J.: It’s fun, man! We do games with the fans and a performance. There’s a different-themed deck party every night. Last year, we did a prom night, an ‘80s night, and a world night.
When’s the next one, and what’s the craziest thing that’s gone down on a BSB cruise?
A.J.: It’s in October. And we did a costume party on this last one where everyone had Halloween costumes, and we were doing a truth-or-dare thing and it got a little crazy with dancing on top of the bar, and singing and doing crazy stuff. For the guys that actually drink, doing crazy shots or whatever.
Boy bands have really seemed to resurface with One Direction and The Wanted. Are you guys fans of theirs?
Everyone: Yeah.
Kevin: We see ourselves in them. We’ve been there. We’re like, “Oh, wow.” Just seeing how it’s all happening, seeing what they’re going through, and seeing how the media responds. It’s very familiar.
A.J.: The music, production, and melodies are very reminiscent of early us.
Brian: Fashion, music, everything is in cycles. Give it 10, 12 years, and everything will come back. But it’s good music, and you can’t deny good music.
One Direction or The Wanted?
Kevin: [Laughs] We’re friends with both parties, so we’re neutral on this.
Besides the new album, the tour, and the cruise, anything else in the pipeline?
A.J.: We have a documentary that we’ve been filming over a year. It was originally going to give you a ‘making of the record’ type of vibe, but we managed to push the envelope and give it a lot more depth. We did hometown trips for each of the guys to where we grew up, because besides [Kevin and Brian], who are cousins, we hadn’t seen where each other came from. It was humbling and there were some tears shed.
Kevin: It comes out next year and it’s going to hit the film festival circuit.
Brian: We’re hoping for a big, theatrical release!
In A World Like This Review
Where does the aging millennial boy band go in the day and age where One Direction rule the roost? Well the Backstreet Boys sorta embrace their maturity without sounding anachronistic and also balancing some modern pop trends. Ultimately the Backstreet Boys’ latest effort In A World Like This will not be hailed the second coming or innovative, but it is a definitely a better album than I would’ve envisioned. No, I’m not changing my opinion of boy bands or nothing like that, but In A World Like This is, um…decent.
“In A World Like This” straddles adult contemporary with some subtle dance cues. One of the reasons this cut works is because it isn’t overproduced and doesn’t force a ‘dance frenzy’ like some modern pop does. The melody is simple but effective while the chorus is catchy yet well penned (“In a world like this where some back down / I, I know we’re gonna make it…”) Balance seems key. “Permanent Stain” keeps the momentum going. Possessing a driving dance-feel, this cut still eschews being overproduced. “Permanent Stain”, like “In A World Like This”, truly percolates towards the end, which is a pro. “No one else can teach me how to love again / cause you left a permanent stain on my heart and I’ve been feeling it…” Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy, but it’s a boy band… cheesy is expected.
“Breathe” suffers a a bit from being ‘middle of the road’ and less exciting than the opening duo. That said, guesting The Love Sponge Strings sound beautiful, not to mention the moments when BSB branch out into those harmonies. “Madeleine” similarly lacks the ‘oomph’ of the title track or “Permanent Stain”, but does show some willingness to take on the singer/songwriter genre. It’s close, but perhaps overreaches. “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)” arrives timely to reinvigorate In A World Like This. “When walls start to close in / your heart is frozen over / just show ‘em what you’re made of / the world will be waiting for you / just show ‘em what your made of”, the boys sing on the anthemic hook. Ultimately, “Show ‘Em” proves to be a welcome contrast to the more understated “Madeleine”.
“Make Believe” incorporates more modern pop with moderate results. Perhaps the biggest rub is the length, which approaches five minutes. “Try” and “Trust Me” are among the album’s most triumphant showings, atoning for previous miscues. The soulful “Try” suits Backstreet Boys’ urban sensibilities and gives the band a ‘different look’. “Trust Me” is also quite soulful, notable for its overall pleasantness as well as an exceptional vocal arrangement on the chorus. The horns on the bridge – magnificent.
As Blood, Sweat & Tears sang on “Spinning Wheel” “What goes up must come down…” That’s exactly what happens after the lofty success of “Try and “Trust Me”. “Love Somebody” overall works well, incorporating some trendy dubstep, though sounds a bit cheap. I also have the question the lyric “And the way you look in those purple jeans / it’s the sexiest thing I ever seen”… Purple (like Barney)? Huh? “One Phone Call” is a bit predictable, but like a number of cuts, is presentable and relatively enjoyable. Both cuts are better than the penultimate “Feels Like Home” (my least favorite) or the somewhat average “Soldier”. “Feels Like Home” feels like a bad trip, with the boys naming every trendy location they can on the album’s corniest number. Geez!
To reiterate, In A World Like This is a better album than expected. Nope it’s not my favorite of 2013 nor will I likely remember it in the future, no offense. It does, however, keep Backstreet Boys recording and somewhat relevant. Their best days are behind them and they can forget trying to compete with One Direction commercially, but albums like In A World Like This still can put some money in their pockets and appease fans who’ve grown up with ‘em.
Contact Backstreet Boys
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Sources : Backstreet Boys Photo | Listen To In A World Like This | Backstreet Boys Article | In A World Like This Review | In a World Like This Video
Purchase : iTunes | Amazon | Target | Walmart
Listen To Backstreet Boys : In A World Like This
After 20 years and more than 130 million records sold, Backstreet’s back, y’all.
The iconic boy band’s ninth studio album, In A World Like This, will be released July 30, and is the first in six years with the entire original lineup, including once-departed member Kevin Richardson. Its title track has already garnered positive reviews from critics, including New York magazine's Jody Rosen, who called it “awfully good” and “a spiritual cousin” of the group's classic tune “I Want It That Way.”
Backstreet Boys members A.J. McLean, 35, Brian Littrell, 38, and Kevin Richardson, 41, stopped by the Newsweek Daily Beast office in New York to discuss their latest album, 20 years as a band, their rivalry with ‘N Sync, current crop of boy bands One Direction and The Wanted, and their cameo in a certain blockbuster comedy movie out this summer (hint: spoiler alert).
It’s been 20 years of the Backstreet Boys. Are you guys surprised to still be together after all this time?
Brian: I think we’d hoped we would. The music business is about careers and longevity; it’s not about the quick dollar. For us, it’s been a long road. We’ve had a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but we’ve shared them together. We attribute it to our great fans all over the world and good, quality music. That’s why we’ve reached this 20 years!
You've had so many amazing things happen, whether it’s singing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXV or receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. What’s really stood out for you?
A.J.: There’s been so many. Just recently, we kicked off our In A World Like This tour in China, and we got to go to the Panda Research and Breeding Facility, and each of us held and fed a baby panda. It was the most amazing experience.
Kevin: They were about 50 pounds! Singing with Sting, Elton John, Aretha Franklin… we’ve got to do some pretty amazing things. Not a bad gig.
Now, a lot of people are talking about your group’s cameo in the comedy blockbuster This Is the End. How did that come about?
A.J.: It was more Seth [Rogen’s] wife’s idea. They had already wrapped the film and they didn’t really like the way that it ended. It just ended with them in heaven and it was like, “Eh, okay.” But because they literally referenced “Backstreet’s Back” within the first 10 minutes of the film, the thought, Maybe we’ll try to go full circle. Seth asked if we would be interested and I’d already showed the guys the trailer and said, “This is going to be the funniest movie of the freaking year,” so when we got the email from him we said, “Hell yeah, this is going to be awesome!” We came to find out Seth and Jay [Baruchel] are very big fans, coming from Canada—
Kevin: —One of the first places we broke in North America.
A.J.: We had a blast, man. They had to learn the actual choreography to the chorus.
Who’s the best dancer among the This Is the End actors? Rogen? Franco?
A.J.: They got a lot of good shots of Jay, who really gets into it with all the stuff.
What would heaven look like for you guys, and who would you have perform there?
A.J.: I’d probably have The Doors or Elvis.
Brian: I would have to go with Elvis, too, and it’d be just like the movie—we’d be in white and there would be R&B/hip-hop, and then Elvis would walk out.
Kevin: I would have to say Dean Martin.
Was there ever a proper rivalry between The Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync?
A.J.: It was all the media. There was healthy competition because we were both out there at the same time, same label, same management, but there was never any beef. I think the media just wanted to try and stir stuff up.
This year is also the 15th anniversary of MTV’s Total Request Live (TRL), which really helped propel The Backstreet Boys to stardom.
Brian: I think TRL was really created by The Backstreet Boys’ fans from buggin’ them so much. Viacom came in and said, “Let’s create a show where we play what everyone wants to hear,” which spawned The Backstreet Boys with “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart),” the Spice Girls, and Hanson. It was a pop culture movement, and I can’t believe we’ve outlived TRL.
The Backstreet Boys’ wild fans and groupies really run the gamut, from tweens to adults. What are the craziest run-ins you’ve had?
A.J.: Lately, I’ve had a lot of girls showing up at my house. Recently, I wasn’t home and we were doing promo and the door rang, and my wife answered the door and it was a mother and her daughter from Belgium looking for me and asking for a picture. It’s just weird.
Kevin: We had a stowaway on our tour bus. Somehow, some way, from the hotel in Hamburg, Germany, a girl got in through the back door of the bus and she hid in one of the bunks, behind the curtains. We were an hour into the trip when our manager went to lay down and take a nap and there was a girl there!
Now Kevin, this is the first album in six years with you on board, since 2007’s Unbreakable. Why did you decide to part ways with the group?
Kevin: Being in a group and doing records, if you go into an album cycle it’s a year or two-year process and if the album is successful, you fortunately get to tour all over the world—but that’s a long commitment, and we had been doing it for a long, long time. After our touring 2005’s Never Gone, I just decided I wanted to step away and focus on some desires and interests that I wanted to pursue away from music, and also wanted to start a family. I wasn’t as excited, hungry, and inspired as I should be, so I felt like it wasn’t fair to the guys. Why I came back is I got that desire again, I felt inspired to create, and I felt I had something to give and say as a writer and artist with 20 years coming up.
"I used to wear cross-colors back in the day. I don’t know who I thought I was or what I thought I was. And do-rags."
Speaking of fatherhood, the new album In A World Like This does focus a great deal on where you guys are now, as family men.
A.J.: Going into the record-making process, we all sat down at Kevin’s house and discussed what the vibe and what the tone was going to be. We all said from day one that we wanted to make a personal record and an inspiring record to us, to our old fans, and maybe to new fans who don’t know the Backstreet Boys and might be skeptical. So we went and posted up in three weeks in London with an amazing songwriter and producer, Martin Terefe, and it will be a year next month that it’s taken us to make the record. There are songs that are straight-up pop records, songs that have a lot of depth, some dance, some acoustic. There’s a song that Kevin and I wrote that’s completely inspired by all of our children, called “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of),” and we’re all really proud of this record. In my opinion, I think it’s our best body of work since Millennium.
Brian: That’s a big statement, A.J.!
Over the past 20 years, you guys have had some pretty epic outfits as well. What are the most regrettable outfits you guys have rocked?
A.J.: I used to wear cross-colors back in the day. I don’t know who I thought I was or what I thought I was. And do-rags. And then, it wasn’t Tommy Hilfiger but a knock-off version—these blue-and-red overalls. Really gnarly.
Brian: And everything was too big! Too baggy! We were not a hip-hop group. We thought we were a hip-hop group because of the clothes we wore, but now everything is fresh-cut, European, tailored, which is nice.
I hear there are these Backstreet Boys cruises. What goes down?
Brian: Bring your floaties! [Laughs]
A.J.: It’s fun, man! We do games with the fans and a performance. There’s a different-themed deck party every night. Last year, we did a prom night, an ‘80s night, and a world night.
When’s the next one, and what’s the craziest thing that’s gone down on a BSB cruise?
A.J.: It’s in October. And we did a costume party on this last one where everyone had Halloween costumes, and we were doing a truth-or-dare thing and it got a little crazy with dancing on top of the bar, and singing and doing crazy stuff. For the guys that actually drink, doing crazy shots or whatever.
Boy bands have really seemed to resurface with One Direction and The Wanted. Are you guys fans of theirs?
Everyone: Yeah.
Kevin: We see ourselves in them. We’ve been there. We’re like, “Oh, wow.” Just seeing how it’s all happening, seeing what they’re going through, and seeing how the media responds. It’s very familiar.
A.J.: The music, production, and melodies are very reminiscent of early us.
Brian: Fashion, music, everything is in cycles. Give it 10, 12 years, and everything will come back. But it’s good music, and you can’t deny good music.
One Direction or The Wanted?
Kevin: [Laughs] We’re friends with both parties, so we’re neutral on this.
Besides the new album, the tour, and the cruise, anything else in the pipeline?
A.J.: We have a documentary that we’ve been filming over a year. It was originally going to give you a ‘making of the record’ type of vibe, but we managed to push the envelope and give it a lot more depth. We did hometown trips for each of the guys to where we grew up, because besides [Kevin and Brian], who are cousins, we hadn’t seen where each other came from. It was humbling and there were some tears shed.
Kevin: It comes out next year and it’s going to hit the film festival circuit.
Brian: We’re hoping for a big, theatrical release!
In A World Like This Review
Where does the aging millennial boy band go in the day and age where One Direction rule the roost? Well the Backstreet Boys sorta embrace their maturity without sounding anachronistic and also balancing some modern pop trends. Ultimately the Backstreet Boys’ latest effort In A World Like This will not be hailed the second coming or innovative, but it is a definitely a better album than I would’ve envisioned. No, I’m not changing my opinion of boy bands or nothing like that, but In A World Like This is, um…decent.
“In A World Like This” straddles adult contemporary with some subtle dance cues. One of the reasons this cut works is because it isn’t overproduced and doesn’t force a ‘dance frenzy’ like some modern pop does. The melody is simple but effective while the chorus is catchy yet well penned (“In a world like this where some back down / I, I know we’re gonna make it…”) Balance seems key. “Permanent Stain” keeps the momentum going. Possessing a driving dance-feel, this cut still eschews being overproduced. “Permanent Stain”, like “In A World Like This”, truly percolates towards the end, which is a pro. “No one else can teach me how to love again / cause you left a permanent stain on my heart and I’ve been feeling it…” Yeah, it’s a bit cheesy, but it’s a boy band… cheesy is expected.
“Breathe” suffers a a bit from being ‘middle of the road’ and less exciting than the opening duo. That said, guesting The Love Sponge Strings sound beautiful, not to mention the moments when BSB branch out into those harmonies. “Madeleine” similarly lacks the ‘oomph’ of the title track or “Permanent Stain”, but does show some willingness to take on the singer/songwriter genre. It’s close, but perhaps overreaches. “Show ‘Em (What You’re Made Of)” arrives timely to reinvigorate In A World Like This. “When walls start to close in / your heart is frozen over / just show ‘em what you’re made of / the world will be waiting for you / just show ‘em what your made of”, the boys sing on the anthemic hook. Ultimately, “Show ‘Em” proves to be a welcome contrast to the more understated “Madeleine”.
“Make Believe” incorporates more modern pop with moderate results. Perhaps the biggest rub is the length, which approaches five minutes. “Try” and “Trust Me” are among the album’s most triumphant showings, atoning for previous miscues. The soulful “Try” suits Backstreet Boys’ urban sensibilities and gives the band a ‘different look’. “Trust Me” is also quite soulful, notable for its overall pleasantness as well as an exceptional vocal arrangement on the chorus. The horns on the bridge – magnificent.
As Blood, Sweat & Tears sang on “Spinning Wheel” “What goes up must come down…” That’s exactly what happens after the lofty success of “Try and “Trust Me”. “Love Somebody” overall works well, incorporating some trendy dubstep, though sounds a bit cheap. I also have the question the lyric “And the way you look in those purple jeans / it’s the sexiest thing I ever seen”… Purple (like Barney)? Huh? “One Phone Call” is a bit predictable, but like a number of cuts, is presentable and relatively enjoyable. Both cuts are better than the penultimate “Feels Like Home” (my least favorite) or the somewhat average “Soldier”. “Feels Like Home” feels like a bad trip, with the boys naming every trendy location they can on the album’s corniest number. Geez!
To reiterate, In A World Like This is a better album than expected. Nope it’s not my favorite of 2013 nor will I likely remember it in the future, no offense. It does, however, keep Backstreet Boys recording and somewhat relevant. Their best days are behind them and they can forget trying to compete with One Direction commercially, but albums like In A World Like This still can put some money in their pockets and appease fans who’ve grown up with ‘em.
Contact Backstreet Boys
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tumblr | Google+ | YouTube | Vevo
Contact The Daily Beast
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Email
Contact Starpulse
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Pinterest
Sources : Backstreet Boys Photo | Listen To In A World Like This | Backstreet Boys Article | In A World Like This Review | In a World Like This Video
Purchase : iTunes | Amazon | Target | Walmart
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