Title: Teen At Work: Backstreeter's Li'l Bro Is No Backseater
Source: The New York Post
Source: All Editions; Pg. 054
Author: Dan Aquilante
Date: September 6, 2002
Topic: 2002 Article/Interview
Pick: Yes
"Yeah, there are going to be people who are going to tell me I have to be a dancer, too, but I know I have to sing first."Aaron Carter
"What I look for in a girl is a great personality . . . I don't want somebody who's into me for my fame."Aaron Carter
THERE was a time when Aaron Carter was just the kid brother of Backstreeter Nick Carter - but over the last four years, the teenager (he turns 15 in December) has worked hard at becoming his own man.
Highlight the word work. "I had to learn to sing," he told The Post. "When I was little, I wasn't considered talented. I didn't have my own voice - I had to work at creating that voice."
He did - and it paid off. His American debut album "Aaron's Party (Come Get It)" sold a whopping 2.5 million copies and nabbed him an opening slot on the Britney Spears tour.
Thousands of panting female tweens with surging hormones fell - and stayed - in love with the towheaded singer.
They bought enough copies of his last disc, "Oh, Aaron," to make it go platinum, and this week's release, "Another Earthquake," is currently digging in the same mine.
The kid will show off that material next week when his "Rock, Rap and Retro" tour lands at the Jones Beach Theater - where you can expect young Carter to strut the stuff that makes his female fans squeak and squeal.
Post: Of all the new tunes, "To All the Girls" is a favorite.
Carter: That's a cool song. It's about how girls have been a big interest in my life.
Post: It's about what to look for in a girl. What do you look for?
Carter: What I look for in a girl is a great personality. I want a girl who understands what I do and who likes to have fun. I don't want somebody who's into me for my fame.
Post: You're one of America's most famous teenagers. Is it possible for you to meet a girl who doesn't know who you are?
Carter: Yeah, I know, that's the hard part. I did with a couple of girls, but I had to fly to Brazil to find them.
Post: How's your Portuguese?
Carter: Not so good.
Post: How have you changed since your first album?
Carter: My voice has matured - that's probably the biggest change. I learned how to sing a little better.
Post: On this album, you sing and rap. How do the forms differ for a vocalist?
Carter: They're two totally separate things, and you have to prepare for each in different ways. For me, rap takes work - eventually, I think it'll become easier, but right now it's hard. When I was younger, I would stutter or say the wrong words; now I'm learning to make the transition. It's just not something I was born with.
Post: There are loads of demands made on pop stars. You also have to be a good singer, and you have to dance.
Carter: That's what it means to be an entertainer. You have to learn all that along the way. You have to give it time every day; you can't just expect it to happen.
Post: There's a long-running debate in show business between entertainment and artistic expression. What's the balance to you?
Carter: As an entertainer, I have to know what's expected of me. Yeah, there are going to be people who are going to tell me I have to be a dancer, too, but I know I have to sing first.
Post: The singers who rely on their ability to dance rather than sing . . .
Carter: . . . look like fools.
Post: Can you play an instrument, too?
Carter: Yeah. I play bass guitar, saxophone, piano, drums.
Post: You're a one-man band. Are you trying to write your own tunes, too?
Carter: On ["Another Earthquake"] I worked on "To All the Girls," "Without You (There Be No Me)," "2 Good 2 B True" and "My First Ride."
Post: What was it like working with the Baha Men on the song "Summertime"?
Carter: It was cool. They're really nice guys, but it was a surprise to me.
Post: In what way?
Carter: I didn't know they were going to be part of the song - they were just kind of added on.
Post: Wait - you're the star, and you didn't know another group was going to be added to one of your tunes?
Carter: They've done that before. They added No Secrets to some of my songs [on "Oh, Aaron"].
Post: How did that make you feel?
Carter: I felt like they used me to support another artist, and that's not right. I'm not their caretaker. I'm not here to support them. They should do their own thing and work for it like I did.
Post: Is it just because you're young that this kind of thing happens?
Carter: Maybe. I'm taking more responsibility in what I sing and some of the other business.
Post: Do you ever worry that you might be getting ripped off financially?
Carter: No, not really. My mom keeps an eye on that. Eventually, I expect I'll be able to manage myself and watch out for that.
Post: Every pop singer wants to be a movie star and actors want to sing. Where do you stand?
Carter: I'm kinda sick of it. I think maybe I won't do movies at all.
Post: When we last spoke, you were getting into motorcross. Do you still do it?
Carter: Definitely. I love motocross, motorcycles. I love being in the middle of nowhere on a dirt bike. It gives me a chance to think about life. It's my way of relaxing.
GRAPHIC: Aaron Carter and his "Rock, Rap and Retro" tour land at the Jones Beach Theater next week.Andrew MacNaughtan
