Backstreet's back, circling the globe

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Nov 22, 2000 Source: USA Today Submitted By: Mary By Elysa Gardner With their last CD, 1999's 12-times-platinum Millennium, the Backstreet Boys proved immune to the sophomore slump that often befalls bubblegum-pop acts. But as their third American album, Black & Blue, arrives in stores today, the group isn't taking its prospects for granted. The Boys are launching a media blitz that will include promotional appearances in six cities on six continents. The teen idols will spend today in New York, where they will hold a news conference and perform on MTV's Total Request Live. An MTV camera crew will follow Backstreet throughout the day, and at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT the network will air TRL Presents: Backstreet Boys Over Broadway. The Boys' new single, Shape of My Heart, is a hit on Top 40 radio, where the group is once again duking it out with Jive Records labelmates 'N Sync. The latter boy band's most recent album, No Strings Attached, shattered Millennium's Sound Scan first-week sales record (1.13 million) by selling 2.41 million copies last spring, but the Boys' last two albums have outsold 'N Sync's overall. "Radio has had concerns about a boy-band burnout for two years now, but it's not taking it out on the Backstreet Boys yet." say Sean Ross, editor of radio magazine Airplay Monitor. Certainly, retail executives seem bullish on Black & Blue. Billboard reports that the album will boast initial shipments of about 6 million copies. The Wal-Mart chain will kick off the release today at 8p.m. ET/5 PT with a simultaneous broadcast in 2,000 stores and a Webcast on Walmart.com, featuring interviews and performances. Special-edition copies of Black & blue that include an extra track, What Makes You Different (Makes You Beautiful), will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Walmart.com. "This is the first time that Wal-Mart has been the only retailer to have a bonus track," says Susanne Decker, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman. "We're expecting this album to do very well." Comment on this item. Next Item: Backstreet's Boeing Is Fit For A King Prev Item: New York Goes Crazy For The Backstreet Boys