Millennium Reviews

Millennium Review by Space Ghost (Cartoon Network)

Source: The Cartoon Network http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/spaceghost/

I know superheroes when I see them, citizens. And with or without capes, theses fine young men have the "right stuff". AJ, with his power of extremely complicated facial hair, is my favorite vocalist. Nick, meanwhile, can summon a storm of flashbulbs with a single glance. Brian has the amazing ability to meet your parents, while Howie's superpowers have something to do with real estate- if what his agent tells me is true. Kevin, I believe, is a gardener who tagged along by accident. His superpower may be linked to hair gel. Not many people know this, but all five can combine to form a giant chip clip. Regardless, I have grown to be "down" with the Backstreeters. Their new album is a soaring achievement, from "I Want It That Way", a song about wanting something in a specific manner, to "The Perfect Fan", an ode to a cooling device. Let's hear it for the Boys!

Rating: Superbo!

Teen Celebrity

I admit it: I was afraid to review the new Backstreet Boys CD. I mean, what if it wasn't good? How would I deal with the scads of hate mail I'd be sure to get if I criticized the beloved BSB? Well thank my lucky stars, I was worrying for nothing. Millennium is flat-out one of the best CD's released in 1999. From the amazing first single "I Want It That Way" (on which we get to hear each of the five Backstreeters' distinctive voices) to the truly heartbreaking "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely" (co-written by Brian!), a musical thank-you note to BSB's fans--and a perfect song to use as background music on your answering machine, trust me. There's a funky "Don't Want You Back," where the boys say goodbye to a backstabbing girlfriend. (Hey! What kind of skank would cheat on a Backstreet Boy?) And there's the romantically riveting "Don't Wanna Lose You Now." Yowza! I could go on and on (and on), but chances are, you already own this disc, so you know how darn good it is. So if you don't mind, I'm gonna end my review here and get back to my CD player for another listen to Millennium!

by: Michael Slezak

Source: MTV http://www.mtv.com

MTV Millennium Review

Thirteen pages of pictures. Six pages of merchandise. Three-and-a-half pages of production/player credits. Three pages of thank yous and dedications. Two- and-a-half pages of lyrics. That's how the 22 inside pages of Millennium's booklet break down, which, although certainly not surprising, does give you some indication of what you're dealing with here. The Backstreet Boys are a certified hit phenomenon and no amount of critical backpedaling or musical analysis is gonna change that. They are, to put it simply, huge pop stars that few people over the age of 21 know a thing about.

And that's because few people over the age of 21 can intellectually deal with the Backstreet Boys. It's tough for an "adult" mind to fathom that a group can put out a record like Millennium and have it be accepted, much less successful. It's difficult for an "adult" mind to comprehend that a well-crafted album that paints its songs about love and optimism in broad, bold, and extraordinarily simple strokes could possibly be good. But Millennium is good. So good, in fact, that it's very nearly perfect.

From its crystalline production (most of the recording was done in Sweden, which should tell you something about its mechanized grace) to its phenomenally accessible and unforgivably catchy music (although "It's Gotta Be You" sounds just like that "Everybody" song, it will be stuck in your head and you will be smiling) to its syrupy sweet lyrics (the last words on the album are, swear to God, "I love you Mom"... I know, I'm getting choked up too), Millennium is all about giving the people what they want.

And, apparently, about 1.3 million people wanted it bad enough to snatch up Millennium the very day it came out. That was no accident. Although the dozen songs here show improvement on the formula, it didn't matter. This record didn't need to be better. It didn't need word-of-mouth. It didn't need critical approval. It just needed to be the Backstreet Boys doing what the Backstreet Boys do best. And what they're best at is making relentlessly upbeat pop music that people want to listen to. And if you don't understand, well, too bad for you. It's obvious you're just too old.

-- Jason Ferguson

Billboard Review

Source: Billboard http://www.billboard.com

The second U.S. release from leading boy band Backstreet Boys might as well be deemed a smash, even before its release. First single ``I Want It That Way'' is already No. 17 on The Billboard Hot 100 (no single is available) and No. 1 in seven countries, while MTV drew its largest street crowd ever May 16, when the quintet made a two-hour live appearance at the network's Times Square studio. And that's just the beginning. This album is as deep as the ocean blue, with richly produced singles that extend the vocal prowess of each of the group's members _ all together now: Nick, A.J., Howie D., Brian, and Kevin _ while maintaining the essential BSB sound that will send fans swooning into a vaporous faint all over again. As is key in the effort to further the shelf life of the historically ephemeral teen-group phenomenon, the team behind ``Millennium'' strives here to fatten Backstreet's appeal to an adult audience, particularly via the sumptuous and universal future No. 1 ballad ``Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely'' and the lovelorn swayers ``I Need You Tonight'' and ``Don't Want To Lose You Now.'' The guys are also still intent on tearing up the dancefloor, as heard on the obvious singles ``Larger Than Life'' and ``It's Gotta Be You,'' which both capitalize on the driving beat of 1998's ``Everybody (Backstreet's Back).'' Two of the members earn songwriting props, with three co-writer credits for Brian Littrell and one for Kevin Richardson. The title of this soon-to-be-a-blockbuster album is more than indicative of a bright future-at least through the duration of this album. It also embodies the very essence of mega-pop purity that now defines the top 40 airwaves.

Rolling Stone Review

Prefabricated, too pretty, suspiciously well choreographed -- such objections to the Backstreet Boys wither in the face of singles like the undeniable "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" and the sweet soar of "I'll Never Break Your Heart". The Boys follow up their tenfold-platinum debut with an album filled with examples of their forte: New Jack doo-wop and lyrically trivial,rhythmically insistent funk lite. Nick Carter's voice strains on "I Need You Tonight", and the blandishments of "The Perfect Fan" evaporate as the song unfolds, but prepare to pay dance-floor obeisance to "It's Gotta Be You", a blatant "Everybody" rework with the same menacing bass line and disco-funky "whoo-whoo" breaks. The ballad "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" digs its melodic claws into your skull on the first listen -- it's the swooniest blending of the five vocalists' timbres to date, and mighty pretty besides.

RS gave Millennium 3 out of 5 stars, meaning "good".

Review written by Arion Berger

Amazon.com Review

Source: Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com

Also from Vibe Magazine.

For their hard-core under-18 fans, of course, the Backstreet Boys are all that, and a bag of chips and free soda to boot. Millennium, the follow-up to the quintet's umpteen-million-selling debut, offers more reasons why so many of the rest of us have found a place for them in our hearts. The Boys' ultrapackaged look and up-to-date production underscore the quality of their best tracks; only a churl could deny that "I Want It That Way" is one fine radio-aimed declaration of love, or that "Larger Than Life" makes the most of its Daft Punk sample and double-edged acknowledgment of Backstreet followers' loyalty. And who can resist an album-closer like "The Perfect Fan," Brian Littrell's ode to his mom?

--Rickey Wright

ABC Music Review

When the Backstreet Boys released their self-titled debut a couple years back, they pretty much had the teenybopper field to themselves. Hanson and the Spice Girls had primed the pump, it seemed, but it took the Backstreets to produce an honest to goodness bubblegum gusher. That debut is now nearly eight times platinum in America and has sold an astonishing 27 million copies worldwide.

That kind of success breeds imitation, of course, and the Backstreets can't help but notice that the pop scene is suddenly crowded with all manner of new kids on the block — quite literally, in the case of recently hatched solo artists Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight, plus 'N Sync, Boyzone, 98 Degrees, Latin firecrackers C Note and Ricky Martin, and on the distaff side, Britney Spears.

Given that the Backstreets should be bubblegum's grizzled veterans by the release of their second album, it's surprising to hear how few chances they take on Millennium. Instead, the new album revels in exactly the same elements that made the Backstreet Boys sizzle with testosterone-fueled dance rhythms and boyish charm. It's not that there's nothing to like on the new album — "I Want It That Way" is as dreamy a ballad as you'll hear this year. But it's hard to listen to the opening track, "Larger Than Life," with its bouncy beats and sterile metallic guitars, or the grinding "Don't Want You Back" without thinking of the anything-but-dangerous early '90s output of Michael Jackson.

The only real risks taken by the group on Millennium are behind the scenes. Brian Littrell (the group's Kentucky cousin) and Kevin Richardson (the one with the eyebrows) co-wrote several of the album's 11 songs, including the standard-issue come-back-baby number "Back to Your Heart" and "The One," a Europop trifle that sounds like an outtake from their first album. The Littrell-penned "The Perfect Fan" is hardly the romantic ballad the B-Boys' rabid followers would have hoped for. It's not about the guys' ultimate dream date, plucked straight from the front row and whisked backstage to a waiting limo: It's a song thanking their mothers for raising them right and being there when they needed them. It's nice to know the Boys love their moms, but guys - next time a Hallmark card will suffice.

- Daniel Durchholz

E! Online Review

Source: E! Online http://eonline.com/

Since 'N Sync has raised the bar a notch, the B-Boys have had to polish their act a bit to keep up. Instead of tightly wrapped New Jack Swing, they now offer lovingly manufactured pop balladry. And how do they feel about us? Well, "I Need You Tonight," they say, adding that "No One Else Comes Close" and "It's Gotta Be You." But just in case you think their unabashed romanticism knows no bounds, they can still insist they "Don't Want You Back," sneering as only George Michael imitators can. Ultimately, to critique this stuff is pointless; it comes down to this: "I Want It That Way" and "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" sport hooks that won't leave your head for days, and the closing "The Perfect Fan" is an impressive, choir-backed tribute to mom. In fact, it suggests that the B-Boys have some untapped depth behind their multiplatinum facades.

CD Now Review

On the eve of the release of their second U.S. album, Millennium, the biggest pop group in the world, the Backstreet Boys, announced plans for their upcoming world tour at a press conference Monday (May 17) at New York City's famed Studio 54.

After the band completes the remaining engagements of their current two-week press junket, which includes a special, MTV-assisted record release party to be broadcast live via the Sony Jumbotron in Times Square on Tuesday (May 18) and the Rosie O' Donnell Show on May 20, they'll head to Belgium June 2 to kick off the world tour. (They've already played Saturday Night Live and hosted two hours of Backstreet Boys Live on MTV over the weekend.)

Forty-two European shows in 13 countries follow, before the group embarks on the tour's North American leg, beginning Sept. 9 in Miami. The domestic dates, incidentally, are sponsored by Sears -- perfect for the boys to feel the softer side of the department store just in time for the back-to-school shopping rush.

Stay tuned for possible commercials, BSB brands, Sears-sold tour merchandise, and anything else teams of marketing execs can come up with. But despite the million-dollar sponsorship deal, to the group's Kevin Richardson, it's the music that matters.

"Merchandise is not our primary goal or focus," he said at the conference. "Our focus is the music. Merchandise is just something that comes along with our tours and stuff."

Immediately following his bandmate's sentiment, Brian Littrell was quick to offer a prepared smile toward the retail giant. "But we have seen the softer side of Sears. They've been very nice to us, and we're happy to have them aboard. We're looking forward to a long relationship with them."

As is the case with most albums released after a band has reached superstar status, Millennium is described by the group as "their most personal record to date." A sinking feeling of loss and heartache, a commonly cited inspirational angst, was the foundation for many of the album's tracks, but don't be fooled into thinking the adolescent band members' pain was the result of some puppy-love spat.

1998 saw tragedy plague the Boys' lives as if they were child stars on Diff'rent Strokes. Cousins Richardson and Littrell's grandfather died of cancer, as did the band's longtime producer Denniz Pop ("He was like a second father to us all," said Howie Dorough). The band changed management companies mid-year and were faced with a series of legal battles as a result. Dorough also lost his sister to Lupus, and Littrell endured major heart surgery. But what didn't kill the Backstreet Boys, apparently, only made them stronger.

"Even though we had a lot of success last year, it was one of our most trying times," Nick Carter explained. "But I think, at the same time, it's helped us grow stronger as a group. I feel like we're stronger now than ever. We all have each other's backs, and sometimes you have to take a couple of steps back in order to go forward.

"That's one of the reasons we called this album Millennium," he continued, "besides it being the millennium. Millennium is a rebirth, it's another hundred centuries [Editor's note: it's only 10], so we feel now, that with the Backstreet Boys' new album, it's like a rebirth for us. Hopefully everybody will see the change... It's all for the good."

Seventeen Review

Source: Seventeen Magazine http://www.seventeen.com

Never has the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," been more true. The Backstreet Boys are back (awright!) with a new CD, Millennium, and they haven't changed much. Translation: If you like the old stuff, you're gonna dig this. But if you thought they were cheesier than a plate of nachos, Millenium probably isn't for you. The upbeat tracks, like "Don't Want You Back" and "Larger Than Life," are much hotter than the slow jams, since the Boys excel at shaking those rumps. There are a few exceptions, though. "I Want It That Way," is a cute little ditty about -- you guessed it -- love and all that mushy stuff. You've gotta give props to the Boys for sticking to their guns, knowing full well that everyone who's fed up with the recent onslaught of dreamboat boy bands is poised to get sick of BSB. But Nick, Brian, Kevin, Howie, and A.J. were there first, and they still stand apart from the crowd. That alone makes Millennium worth at least one listen while you're wandering around the record store. Even if you aren't a fan, they might surprise you.

By OJ Lima

Entertainment Weekly

Source: Entertainment Weekly Magazine

Backstreet Boys standardized the soft male side of the pop charts early last year when their self-titled debut started selling more than 100,000 copies per week (it's currently at 7.9 million and counting). If Hanson broke through first, Backstreet offered a more imitable sound, directly presaging 'N Sync, 98°, Boyzone, and the latest soundalikes on the block, C Note.

The style Backstreet patented on their debut- and which they eagerly continue on the new Millennium- cleverly merges two genres: slinky American R&B and chirpy Euro-pop. Just as black R&B reached a new chart peak, the Boys came along to whiten it. To help them do so, an army of handlers commissioned songs for the Boys' debut from pop whiz Robert "Mutt" Lange (Shania Twain, Bryan Adams, etc.), '80s R&B act Full Force, and Max Martin, a key writer for Ace of Base.

Martin and Lange return for Millennium, but Full Force have moved on to pen for C-Note. In their stead, two B-Boys, Brian Littrell (the short guy who looks like a sprite) and Kevin Richardson (the tall guy with eyebrows like caterpillars) pen several new tracks, the first writing from the group's own ranks. Fans needn't worry about the change affecting the sound. The new album practically xeroxes the debut. Its four upbeat cuts sound like the old "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," complete with burping hook and retro- '80s rock/R&B arrangement, while "Don't Want You Back" directly samples that song. all ballads suggest sequels to "As Long As You Love Me." At least those formulas prove worth repeating. The faster tracks recall the best of '80s Michael Jackson. A slow one, "I Want It That Way," ranks as the bubblegum ballad of the year. It's so likable, it doesn't matter that the group's voicers are the sonic equivalent of warm milk. The Boys take one significant risk with the lyrics. Teen acts normally can't acknowledge their romantic power. They have to remain the longing ones in order to seal the twin fantasies of purity and accessibility. Yet in "Don't Want You Back," the Boys do the rejecting! Don't worry, girls. The group more than make up for it with goo like "The Perfect Fan," a salute to their mothers that could make even Pat Robertson wretch. There's alson "Larger Than Life," a howler casting fans as the superhuman force in the exchange between listener and star. Luckily, with a group like the Backstreet Boys, the more cheese appeal, the better.

Millennium: B-