Millennium

The Backstreet Boys self-titled 1997 debut album endeared the group to millions of teens and pre-teens with its radio-friendly blend of pop harmonies and danceable beats. MILLENNIUM finds the Boys in the unenviable position of following up the mind-blowing success of the first album. Less ambitious artists might wither under such pressure, but the Backstreet Boys beat the dreaded sophomore slump in style. In the tradition of the debut, the album is a combination of romantic ballads guaranteed to make your little sister sob, and syncopated, eminently danceable, upbeat tunes. Throughout, it's the rich combination of the members' voices that creates the distinctive sound the group's legion of fans has grown to love. Most notably though, there is an added maturity in both the songs and the performances. It seems, regardless of their fans' fervent wishes, that even Backstreet Boys can't help but grow up.

Rolling Stone (6/10/99, pp.120-122)
- 3 out of 5 - Good - "...an album filled with examples of their forte: New Jack doo-wop and lyrically trivial, rhythmically insistent funk lite..."

Spin (7/99, p.128)
- 7 (out of 10)
- "...boogies deftly and punks daftly..."