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BLACK & BLUE AMG EXPERT REVIEW
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 "Every Little
Thing I Do" 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 and 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 you can discern the future singles and even if there is a bit of filler on the record, since the Backstreets' material isn't just stronger than that of their peers, but their voices are stronger, all adding up to teen pop that is unquestionably the state of the art. They're still kings of their world, as Back & Blue proves. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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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.