2008 Woodie Awards
Backstreet's back
Album "Unbreakable" succeeds without Kevin Richardson
Kelly Lauturner
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Entertainment
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Ladies and gentlemen, Backstreet is back! While some people may be confused to hear this, the popular "boy band" that first hit it big ten years ago returns with their sixth American released album titled Unbreakable. Come on, you know deep down inside you still know all the lyrics to their 1999 hit, "I Want it that Way", and you really do like them. Now I proudly confess, I have always been a big fan of the Backstreet Boys and I truly enjoy their new album. With fourteen brand new tracks, this "man band" still manages to make quality music and grow with their fans. Plus, they will be beginning a world tour in early 2008 and perform live again.
The major issue with Unbreakable is that Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson decided not to be involved in this album. Richardson, 36, has been married for the last seven years and his wife recently gave birth to their first child. On the Backstreet Boys' website last year, Richardson made it clear that he still loves the group but wasn't ready to return to the rigors of promoting and touring with a new album. He said, "After 13 years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided that it is time to leave the Backstreet Boys. It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life." Despite this, the remaining Backstreet Boys (Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and A.J. McLean) have gone on without Richardson, making sure their harmonies are tighter than ever. Additionally, this album finally gives Dorough his due. He sings a great deal more on this album than ever before, sharing vocals equally with Carter, Littrell, and McLean.
As an album, Unbreakable deals with more complicated issues than their earlier albums, primarily focusing on falling in and out of love. Much like their 2005 release, Never Gone, the Backstreet Boys have also given their music more of an upbeat and rock edge, but still keeping some strand of their 90's pop sound. Their first song, titled Intro is an acapella version of their album closer "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon." The boys have managed to make up for the lack of bass Richardson by strengthening their harmonies more than they have ever done on their previous albums. The second track on their album is the upbeat "Everything But Mine", a synthesizer heavy song about being in love with a girl who is afraid to give herself over to a relationship. The next song is "Inconsolable", the Backstreet Boy's first single off of their new album. This song, which is reminiscent of their past hit "Incomplete", is a song about trying to get the courage to tell someone you love them and they mean everything to you. Their fourth track is the sweeping guitar-heavy "Something that I Already Know", which is sure to be a classic Backstreet Boys breakup song. In "Helpless When She Smiles", the Boys have crafted a classic love song where the bottom line is that no matte what happens, they are devoted to this girl. I really enjoyed the imagery part of the song's lyrics, "I'm a house of cards in a hurricane / A reckless ride in the pouring rain / She cuts me and the pain is all I wanna feel."
The major issue with Unbreakable is that Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson decided not to be involved in this album. Richardson, 36, has been married for the last seven years and his wife recently gave birth to their first child. On the Backstreet Boys' website last year, Richardson made it clear that he still loves the group but wasn't ready to return to the rigors of promoting and touring with a new album. He said, "After 13 years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided that it is time to leave the Backstreet Boys. It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life." Despite this, the remaining Backstreet Boys (Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and A.J. McLean) have gone on without Richardson, making sure their harmonies are tighter than ever. Additionally, this album finally gives Dorough his due. He sings a great deal more on this album than ever before, sharing vocals equally with Carter, Littrell, and McLean.
As an album, Unbreakable deals with more complicated issues than their earlier albums, primarily focusing on falling in and out of love. Much like their 2005 release, Never Gone, the Backstreet Boys have also given their music more of an upbeat and rock edge, but still keeping some strand of their 90's pop sound. Their first song, titled Intro is an acapella version of their album closer "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon." The boys have managed to make up for the lack of bass Richardson by strengthening their harmonies more than they have ever done on their previous albums. The second track on their album is the upbeat "Everything But Mine", a synthesizer heavy song about being in love with a girl who is afraid to give herself over to a relationship. The next song is "Inconsolable", the Backstreet Boy's first single off of their new album. This song, which is reminiscent of their past hit "Incomplete", is a song about trying to get the courage to tell someone you love them and they mean everything to you. Their fourth track is the sweeping guitar-heavy "Something that I Already Know", which is sure to be a classic Backstreet Boys breakup song. In "Helpless When She Smiles", the Boys have crafted a classic love song where the bottom line is that no matte what happens, they are devoted to this girl. I really enjoyed the imagery part of the song's lyrics, "I'm a house of cards in a hurricane / A reckless ride in the pouring rain / She cuts me and the pain is all I wanna feel."
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