There and Back Again

Pondering: By definition pop is extremely catchy, whether you like it or not. There are some pop songs I hate but I can’t get them out of my head. (Kurt Cobain)
Listening to: This Is the Last Time - Demo (Keane)

I am a fan of the Backstreet Boys and I’m not even ashamed to admit it. I’m not one of those who snub pop music because of its saccharine sweet themes and simple, repetitive tunes. I happen to like pop music. I don’t like all pop music and all pop artists. God, I despise NSync and all those other boy/girl bands, except maybe UK’s Blue and I cannot stand Hillary Duff and her clones. But there are a few I really do like listening to. And BSB is the biggest pop act in my book.

I love their catchy, true-blue-pop music although there are a few songs I can do without. I think it started with I Want It That Way. (Come on, that was a great song and you know it!) Then it grew with the release of the Millennium album, which is one of my all-time favorites. Then there was the matter of seeing them at four live performances – and I mean live, not pre-recorded, complete with dance moves and fireworks. OK, maybe just two shows since the other two were watched from the nosebleed section of the Oakland Arena and San Jose Arena. You hardly see anything from way up there.

They released Shape of My Heart and shortly after, the Black and Blue album was released. Then A.J. McLean, the resident bad-boy, succumbed to trouble and went to rehab. They came back, sold-out more shows and then they left us with a hits-album and the definitive BSB song, Drowning.

Five years later, here we are again with the new album, Never Gone and the inevitable VH1 Behind the Music feature. The Boys are all still charming and down-to-earth, appreciative of the fans’ adulation, hard-working and really talented. Nick Carter is now the resident bad boy, A.J. McLean the very grateful recovering bad boy. Kevin Richardson - who used to be the man of my dreams - is still the lovely Kevin, Brian Littrell still sings with his eyes shut, and Howie, well he’ll always be the quiet one.

It’s not quite the same after all these years. Some of the news songs are memorable, some forgettable, and most just sound alike. The boys look older now and they try to sound older, which sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t. Critics still don’t like them and their music but did that stop me from buying the album and the iTunes download on the first day of its release? No. I kind of expected the awful reviews. But then again, Reuters and Billboard predict the new release has a genuine shot to debut at No. 1 when all is said and done.

Backstreet’s back, alright! I am very pleased.