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Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jul 16, 2099 Source: 104 KRBE Radio, Houston, Texas Submitted By: Rebecca by Shannel Vance The Backstreet Boys also feel that they’ve come full circle. Their fame first came in Europe before America even knew what a Backstreet Boy was. "We were very grateful for all the success we had all over the world, but it was kind of weird to come home and try to tell your friends and family, ‘Oh we’ve sold millions and millions of albums’ and people are like ‘Backstreet who?’" said 24-year-old Brian Littrell. "Now, it’s a nice feeling of accomplishment to go home and say, ‘We really did it. We worked hard and we made it.’" Kevin Richardson, Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Littrell not only got the success that they wanted, but now they’re breaking records. Their latest album Millennium broke Garth Brooks’ sales record when it sold 1.1 million copies its first week. "We’re very proud of this album," said Howie D. "We took a year to record this album and I think it’s our strongest material yet. We feel like it’s growth for us." Nick, the youngest group member, added, "At the same time we didn’t want to stray too far away from being ourselves because we realize what Backstreet is all about. We realize what all the fans enjoy so we stuck with our same concept." And the concept works. "I Want It That Way," the group’s first single off the album, shot up Billboard’s "Hot 100 Singles," and has seen the number one spot on 104 KRBE’s Top 30 Countdown and MTV’s Total Request Live numerous times. Howie D describes the song as "a good segue" between the two albums. "It’s a great mid-tempo song with a little bit of edge. We were tempted to come on with a little bit harder and more up-tempo first single. But we decided this might be a better transition," he said. Millennium also gave these teen idols an opportunity to take a more active role in the making of the album. "It was fun," said A.J. "We had a lot more influence on this album. There’s a whole lot more co-producing, vocal arrangement and writing. Kevin wrote ‘Back To Your Heart’ and Brian wrote ‘The Perfect Fan.’" The Backstreet Boys kicked off their world tour last month in Belgium and will be hitting the States sometime in September. "If someone’s never been to a concert before, [it’ll be] something they’ll never forget," said Kevin, the oldest member in the group. "If they have, it’ll be the best one yet." Comment on this item. Next Item: 'NEVITABLE COMPARISONS! Prev Item: Backstreet Boys sing into the "Millennium"