A 29-year-old's guilty pleasure? Would you believe the Backstreet Boys?

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Dec 03, 2099 Source: St. Petersburg Times Submitted By: KJStanley@aol.com for sending this in. By GINA VIVINETTO Times Pop Music Critic © St. Petersburg Times, published December 3, 1999 By all outward appearances, Shannon Maltese of Largo is a normal adult. She's a prelaw student at the University of South Florida. She's happily married. She holds down a steady job. There's just this one thing. Maltese, 29, loves the Backstreet Boys. Loves them so much she's bummed out about not scoring tickets to either of the Backstreet Boys' Ice Palace shows. But, Maltese admits, maybe it's better that way. After all, wouldn't she feel awkward at the concert, surrounded by Backstreet's main fans? The 10-to-14 set. Little girls who love bubble-gum pop, the band's demographic. Maybe not. Grown-ups, it's time to wipe those smug grins from your faces. The Backstreet Boys have busted out of the teen-pop genre. Been keeping your eye on Billboard's Adult Contemporary (read: lite rock) chart? For the past 30 weeks what act has held the No. 1 song? The Backstreet Boys' I Want It That Way. The band's peer, 'N Sync, has been right up there with Music of My Heart, a duet with Gloria Estefan. And little Britney Spears isn't far behind with Sometimes. The Backstreet Boys have sold more than 40-million albums since its 1997 self-titled debut. Millennium, the follow-up, has sold more than 12-million copies just since May. So, 'fess up, adults. You or someone like you owns a Backstreet Boys disc. Maltese owns one. Her musical tastes lean more toward the Dave Matthews Band and Phish, but she says she loves Millennium. Why? The Backstreet Boys make happy, innocent music. And, Maltese says, it's quality stuff. "The first time I heard I Want It That Way I was amazed at how good the song was. I love the melody, the harmonies," Maltese says. "It's poppy. Like ice cream music." Is it about regression? Feeling young and happy again in a pop world full of angsty Korn and Rage Against the Machine? That's part of it, Maltese says. The Backstreet Boys remind Maltese of her own teen infatuation with Duran Duran, whose posters plastered her bedroom wall. Unfortunately, her husband, Carl, thinks her love of the Boys is weird. "I can't play the CD when he's home," she says with a laugh. "He wanted me to use my maiden name for this interview." (She didn't.) Kevin Shepherd, 18, is a sales representative at Spec's Music in St. Petersburg. He says he sees many adults buying Millennium. "Some buy it for their kids. Some buy it for themselves," Shepherd says. "Some say they are buying it for someone else, but you know they're lying." Not a fan of the Boys himself, Shepherd comforts embarrassed adults. "I tell them, "Hey, you like what you like. It's okay.' " Shepherd says he sees adults buying more Backstreet Boys discs than those of other teen bands. Shannon Maltese says that's because the Backstreet Boys aren't like other prefab teen bands. The difference, she says, is talent. Barry Weiss, president of Jive Records, home to the Backstreet Boys (and Britney Spears, and, now 'N Sync, which recently left RCA), agrees. He tells the press that all five of the Boys were involved creatively on Millennium. He says the Boys' maturing talents contribute to the act's appeal to adults. The Backstreet Boys, says Maltese, are a return to good, clean fun for people of any age. She has other adult friends who like them. "But they'd never admit it," she says. In fact, the only thing bad about being an adult Backstreet Boys fan is the shame. The stigma. But as more grown-ups come out as Backstreet Boys fans, there is hope. That gives solace to Maltese. "Maybe we can form some kind of Backstreet 12-step program." Of course, it's not just about music. If pressed, Maltese will admit, like most Backstreet Boys fans, she has her favorite. "Kevin." Why? Maltese laughs. "Those piercing blue eyes," she says. -- Times researchers John Martin and Cathy Wos contributed to this report. Comment on this item. Next Item: Generations of fans Prev Item: Fans chastise critic for failing to harmonize with Backstreet Boys