The Backstreet Boys Kevin Richardson reveals that once the band's "Black and Blue" tour winds up in the fall, "We're going into the studio and starting another LP." And so much for the view that the Boys wouldn't last. Richardson notes, "A lot of people have predicted that it's over. They've been predicting that every time we were going to come out with an album. But we've been together eight years now, and the next album will be our fifth." The handsome, dark-haired eldest member of the record-breaking pop phenomenon admits, "It frustrates me sometimes that we don't get critical acclaim. And sometimes people in the media just run their mouths and say stupid things, and so do other artists. People think that we're told what to do, and we're just a bunch of mannequins or puppets, and that's not true at all. Every decision that is made -- we make it. Every video that we do -- we're either writing the treatments ourselves or collaborating with the director. We write songs, produce our vocals. We're musicians, artists ..." "It's frustrating for me because I take pride in what I do, and I give it 100 percent," adds Richardson. "But I just try to tell myself that doesn't really matter as long as the fans are responding to our music and we're happy with what we're doing." The Backstreet Boys have their first network special coming up on CBS May 30 -- in advance of the June 8 kickoff date for the North American leg of their "Black and Blue" tour. Via the longhorn from Panama City, Fla., Richardson says, "We've been trying to put together a special for the past couple of years. We were going to do one for Christmas last year, when the album was getting ready to come out, but it seemed like everybody and their brother was doing a special. So we decided to wait. We wanted to do something a little different, and I think we have."