Backstreet Boys shoot for a broader fan base

By Elysa Gardner
USA Today

"This represents the end of one phase of our career and the beginning of another," says Kevin Richardson of the 13-song "The Hits: Chapter One," in stores Tuesday.

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Back in New York they have been promoting "The Hits." The anthology features one new track, "Drowning," which is faring better on radio than any single from Backstreet's most recent CD, "Black & Blue." Despite selling more than 5 million copies domestically, that album was considered a commercial disappointment after the smash success of its predecessor, 1999's nearly 12-times-platinum "Millennium."

"Drowning" is the sort of lilting, midtempo ballad that is typically embraced by adult top 40 and adult-contemporary radio — formats more popular with thirty- and fortysomethings than the teenyboppers who put Backstreet on the map. Of course, the band members, who joined forces nine years ago, also have matured.

"When we started out, we couldn't wait for the day when we had an adult-contemporary audience," Dorough recalled. "Now that we have one, we're hoping that we don't lose the teen market! We want our music to be for everybody."

Richardson concurred. "Yes, we initially had a very young fan base. But so did Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and Madonna, and they're still appealing to the young and the old, which is what we hope to do now."

Richardson predicts that the Backstreet Boys' next studio album — which the group plans to begin sessions for in January or February — will feature "a more organic sound. On the ballads, we've talked about using more live strings, live bass, piano, acoustic guitar. For the uptempo songs, we've talked about going in more of a funk direction." Backstreet also has been in discussions with hip-hop-savvy producers such as Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Jermaine Dupri.

Meanwhile, there are individual career paths to consider: McLean wants to continue working on solo material. Richardson has been auditioning for film roles and both he and Littrell have started production companies. And Carter, the baby Backstreet Boy, "just wants to do everything," Richardson mused.

Said Richardson: "As we're getting older, we're acting even more as individuals, and it's a challenge to stay on the same page. But as long as we can continue to make good music, that challenge will only make us stronger."