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While this review is for all, it is somewhat geared for those in the 25-35 range. You know who you are. You remember what it was like to hear and see New Kids on the Block everywhere. You loved "Soldier of Love," only to reel in horror when you found out it was Donny Osmond. Now, 10 years later, you find yourself liking the Backstreet Boys. What to do? Put away any shame you might feel and go buy Millennium. Be proud you picked a quality piece of music that features wonderful orchestration, depth and range of style and emotion, fun and well thought out lyrics, and great vocal harmonics.

With 5 major hits already, you can't go wrong purchasing this release, even if the rest wasn't as great. But there's no fear of that -- these are 12 gems you be singing along with for a long time. "Larger Than Life" is a huge power dance tune with great lyrics and an undeniable groove, I've car danced to this song frequently on my commute. A smooth groove, "I Want It That Way" is a boppy ballad with great harmonics that are fun to sing along with. "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" is a power ballad that features strong orchestration, vocals and lyrics. "It's Gotta Be You" is a funky dance groove with great attitude for the dance floor. A silky smooth ballad that features beautiful piano and vocals, "I Need You Tonight" will send chills down your spine with its emotional power. "Don't Want You Back" is a fantastic power attitude song that features funky syncopation and a great chorus. Though it might sound trite, "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" is a fantastic ballad that features powerful orchestration and vocal harmonies. "The One" is another fun, uplifting, sway-along dance tune that creates a great positive attitude. The final 4 songs are ballads, however these are much lower-key in orchestration, allowing the Boys to showcase their vocal and harmonic depth. "Back to Your Heart" features minimal guitar and percussion; the depth comes from the richness of the Boys' voices. With little orchestration, "Spanish Eyes" concentrates on the harmonies, however they seem a bit off and strained. "No One Else Comes Close" is nice with really great backing vocals, and kudos for the bridge key change. We conclude with "The Perfect Fan" which has an anthemic feel with its power orchestration elements and a backing choir that help heighten the emotional intensity of this beautiful ballad dedicated to mothers everywhere.

Doing a review of this CD is somewhat out of character for me. I have had this CD for less than a year. And I am not a BSB fan; I didn't buy their first album, and I don't know any of their names and couldn't pick them out of a lineup. However, what BSB have released here is a strong piece of pop music for the new millennium. This isn't a release you can simply listen to once and then put back on the shelf. It will be interesting to see 10 years down the road, but I have a strong feeling this CD will still be with many of us and bring fond memories. While originally thinking I'd give it 4 stars (since it's so new to my collection), this most recent listen convinces me that a low 5 star rating is really in order -- it really is that solid.

My recommendation is if you've liked what you've heard on the radio thus far, you can't go wrong buying this CD. Forget the fact that they are the most recent boy band that every teen and pre-teen girl in America is screaming over. Forget the fact they get probably way too much air play on MTV and the Top 40 stations. Get away from the kids or friends who play this release 24/7. Give it a serious listen by yourself, and you will come to realize there is no shame in admitting you like BSB. Beyond all the hype, they really do have talent. And how many pop stars can you truly say that about?

Stand proud with your copy of Millennium. It really is a great addition to any pop music collection.


2 words:BUY IT!   June 6, 2000
 53 out of 77 found this review helpful

Repeat:2 WORDS:GET IT! This is an excellent cd and you will NEVER regret buying it. What I don't understand is why people say they don't write thier own songs because they do. Each one of the Backstreet Boys, exept Nick, wrote a song but only the ones written by Brian Littrel(my HERO)and Kevin Richardson made it on the album. Brian co-wrote four of the songs. Each one of them was very involved with the production of Millennium. On to reviewing the songs.1.Larger Than Life-Great song, the kind that makes you want to crank up the sound to the max. Lots of electric guitar,though. 2.I Want It That Way-This was the first song that really got me interested in BSB.You would play this song at a party to kinda dance to.Over-all:excellent.3.Show Me the Meaning... -GORGEUS,BEAUTIFUL,OUTSTANDING... I simply can't say enough about it.I would buy the cd just for that song.4.It's Gotta Be You-similar title by 'N SYNC(It's Gonna Be Me).Can Someone say-PARTAY.A delightful chorus and a funky pre-chorus.Gotta love the WHOO-WHOO'S in the middle.5.I Need You Tonight-a perfect love song for a teen-aged couple that just broke up.Even if that didn't happen,you would probably still love it.6.Don't Want U Back-sometimes it gives me the jitters.Though I don't like it when Nick sings his first line-But I should have known/ that I would be/another victim of your/sexuality-I still like it.7.Don't Wanna Loose U Now-another great love song.It's one of my favorite songs of all-time (along with Britney's new song,Lucky).8.The One- this is definently my kind of pop.You just can't help but fall in love with this song.It is SOOOOOO sweet.9.Back to Your Heart-this one was written by Kevin,and might I say that he did an incredible job on it.Even my MOM loves it.That's what's great about thier music because it appeals to everyone. 10.Spanish Eyes-this song had to grow on me.They ocassionaly sound a bit off and even strained. Since my mom has taught me everything about singing(I hope to be a singer),I can tell if someone is off,even if I had never heard the song before,or whatever mistakes someone has made.11.No One Else Comes Close-sounds like it's a mixture of pop and soul.This is also a sweet song because they are sayingto a girl that no one is as wonderful as you and no one will ever take your place.I love this song alot.12.The Perfect Fan-For awhile, I thought that it was an EXTREMELY sappy song,But after listening to it alot I began to understand what the song meant.Kevin didn't sound too good because I think he was a little nasal.I think that Brian(my HERO)is an excellent songwriter and I hope he continues to.I just love the way A.J.sounded on songs like The Perfect Fan and I Want It That Way.I don't think that Howie and Kevin got enough solo time on the album.And finnaly,my comment on Nick.On I Need You Tonight, he sounded alittle whiny like he was trying too hard to sound stylish. But, still, he did a good job. I refuse to write that you should FORGET about other boy bands such as 'N SYNC,because it is not for me to decide. I like all the boy bands equally, but if I had to choose which was my fav, I would go with the Backstreet Boys. In my opinion, out of all the bands that there ever was, Backstreet Boys would be #1 ALL THE WAY...


Dear Little Girls and, well, eh-hem, some Boys...   November 30, 1999
 36 out of 61 found this review helpful

First of all, I received this album as a promotional item from the local music store that I worked for. So listening to albums is my life. I approached this with open ears and all biased opinions put aside. But it really does merit less than one star. They, the B-boys, are after-all, marketing gimmicks used to swallow every single dollar that any 8 to 17 year old girls may have in their pockets. Their music is heartless and contrived cheese pop. What's really sad is that they don't write lyrics or play their own instruments. But boy would they look good on TV! Right Ladies? Jealous I am? Not a chance. I am a little sad that the general public feeds off of this mindless marketing musical trash.


yeah, this band is original, unlike metallica...RIGHT?   January 21, 2000
 25 out of 33 found this review helpful

Ok, i'm just gonna tell you facts about this album. They hardly wright any of their own music or lyrics, and still all their songs are about the same thing. I don't mean the same theme, thats different. But they all sound the same. A beat with chime like instruments and teenagers singing about girls like they are in love, in EVERY SONG. Sorry, but they just aren't original, and hardly even a band.


This Album Beats Anything!   April 4, 2000
 24 out of 34 found this review helpful

Yes, I am a teenage girl! I'm 13 and I must say I really like the Backstreet Boys. I don't usually like "boy bands" so I was really surprised when I heard this CD. I love their harmony and they all get a chance to sing. Their songs are very deep and you can tell they put a whole lot of meaning into them. My favorite is "I Want It It That Way", but all of them are good. The BSB also show they love their fans( Larger Than Life) and that they 're not afraid of showing how much they love their moms( The Perfect Fan). Another Thing! Ever since 'N Sync 's new CD came a lot of people have been trashing the BSB. People Say That the BSB copyed 'N Sync, but that's impossible because the BSB were here first! Personally, I would like to compare the two CDs! Okay, I heard that 'N Sync's No Strings Attached Sold About 2.5 million in the first week, didn't the BSB Sell 8 million? Also I think 'N Sync 's CD is dirty and even inappropriate for younger kids and that is who a lot of their fans are. I don't see the BSB like that. So the bottom line is the BSB are a lot better. Their songs, harmonies, voices, and yes, even their image image is better. And they are still appealing to many adults; not just teens! I think everybody should buy this CD. If you heard it and don't like it, listen to it again with an open mind, you'll probably like it better. Their song are awesome. This CD is definitely better than any other "boy band". It 's worth every dollar!