Jumat, 23 Oktober 2009

Black & Blue : Backstreet Boys 4th Albums



  Review


When 'N Sync usurped the Backstreet Boys record of number of albums sold in
a single week early in 2000,
it had to hurt the Backstreets,
since it was played in the press as
 if they had lost the teen pop throne.
 By the time the group released their
 third album, Black & Blue,
Thanksgiving week 2000, 'N Sync was still popular, but the arc of
 No Strings Attached illustrated
that they were weak where the Backstreets were strong — namely, they
couldn't really deliver the seductive mid-tempo pop tunes and ballads
 that were the backbone of the Boys' crossover success. Songs like
"Shape of My Heart," which flows as gracefully as "I Want It That Way,"
 prove that the Backstreet Boys do teen pop ballads better than anyone,
 but what's interesting about Black & Blue is how aggressively
 they protect their territory. Of course, it's relative protection,
since they, like 'N Sync and Britney Spears, work with Max Martin,
 the man behind the biggest hits by all three artists. Consequently,
 it's not a coincidence that "Get Another Boyfriend" is a dead ringer
for "It's Gonna Be Me" crossed with "Baby One More Time,"
but what gives Black & Blue character is that it's clear
 that the Backstreets want to remain kings of their world. 
So, the ballads are smoother than ever, and their dance numbers 
hit harder, all in an attempt to keep their throne. It works, 
even if it takes a couple spins before the singles stand out, 
since the Backstreets' material and voices are stronger than
 that of their peers, adding up to state of the art teen-pop.


Tidak ada komentar: