The Debut Album

The initial reviews of BSB's debut singles in Europ provided few clues that these five gorgeous guys were The Next Big Thing. One magazine called "We've Got It Goin' On," produced in Sweden by Denniz Pop, "harmless fun." Another said there was "nothing new" in "Roll With It" that differentiated the group's sound from that of homegrown European groups like Take That.

But the Backstreet Boys didn't need the critics' approval. When "I'll Never Break Your Heart" was released late in 1995, girls across Europe swooned. Soon thereafter, in April 1996, the Boys released their first album, and in country after country in the European Community, it went gold and platinum. From there, the Boys took the album to Asia, where the response was just as spectacular: More than 600,000 CDs were sold in the 10 weeks after it's September release!

The question is: Why did the Backstreet Boys take over Europe and Asia so easily - even though most of their fans couldn't understand the words they were singing? Sure, they had fab vouces, great dance moves and - whew! - just look at the CD cover! But there was more to it than that. The real reason the world fell for the Boys is even more elemental: because they speak the language everybody understands - the language of love. While America was still getting numb and depressed from grunge, the rest of the worlds was ready for a serious crush. And the Backstreet Boys' debut album gave pop fans a crash course in romance, Backstreet style!

What You Get
In Europe, the Boys first got attention when teens wanted to bust a move. In dance clubs across the continent, BSB became a regular on the sound system, starting with "We've Got It Goin' On," the first track on their debut album. Guys can be pretty aggressive in Europe, and this hard-driving dance number was perfect for making a move. "What you want is what you gonna get," the Bous chant in the song, and they mean it! They know that, even for ice-cold girls, there's no playing hard to get with some guys. And with this heavy, groovin' beat, few girls even try! Word spread quickly of the song's power. Girls told one another: If you want to get it going on with a guys, as the DJ to put this tune on, and let the groove happen!

The Backstreet Boys were "definetely the best music to dance to," says Malka, a Parisian fan, via email. "Especially when you have your eye on a boy."

Let's face it, if track three's "Get Down (You're the One for Me)" doesn't get you thumpin' on the dance floor, we'll throw some dirt on you, cuz you're dead. You've got the driving dance groove the BSB would become famous for and some great lyrics to get your crush thinking about you. When he looks in your eyes as the Boys sing "You're the one for me/You're my ecstasy," you know you've got him. After all, AJ knows "you're one of a king" - how could anyone else miss it?

Of course, if you're not certain you've got him hooked, do what the song tells you and "move it all around" so he understands just what he'd be missing if he lets you dance on by. Girls didn't have to know any English to understand how well this works!

Love Hurts
So it was the dance groove that made the Bous an overseas sensation, right? Not quite. The BSB's dance numbers made the club rotations, but the groupd still wasn't big on charts. The group finally got their breakthrough by appealing not to the feet, but to the heart!

"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)," the fifth cut on their debut album, was BSB's first mega-hit. Girls accross Europe swooned as the Boys told them that sometimes love goes wrong, but that they want to make it better, too. "Quit Playing Games" was a great song for lying alone on your bed, lost in your thoughts. But wait! The Bous don't like to wallow in the blues for too long. With track 10, "Darlin'," we hear more about the bad times, but - yes - making up is sometimes the most fun of all! No matter wht your mood, the Bous were there for you!

AJ wasn't surprised that the album touched so many people. He told an interviewer, "I think it's the versatility of the album. Everyone can relate to these songs."

Indeed, listening to the Backstreet Boys time and again, we learn a lot about love. Of course, we also learn a thing of two about why we scream like banshees every time we see the guys in person. Perhaps the last line of track two's "Anywhere For You" sums it up best: "Hey baby, hey baby, hey baby, oohhh!"

We can relate to that.