Review from the Dallas Morning News

Are these people ever going to give these guys a chance? With predecessors such as the New Kids on the Block and many other total flops, its not hard to see where the critics are getting their opinion of the Backstreet Boys. I believe that older generations see that the Boys are big with teenage girls and do not even give them any real chance. Sure, they will half-heartedly go into it thinking, “OK, I will give them a chance, but it better be good.” Their unstoppable prejudices stop them from realizing that there really is talent behind what they are listening to.

The following review was in my Local Newspaper on the day of the Millenium release:

Backstreet Boys show no signs of growth
Group’s ‘Millennium’ just more sugary pop
By Thor Christensen (Pop Music Critic of The Dallas Morning News)

Any time you rip into a vapid teen-pop act, somebody inevitably says, “Hey, don’t be so quick to criticize them…the Beatles and Michael Jackson started out as teen idols, too, you now.”

True, but then again, Charles Manson started out as a pop singer, so by the same logic, maybe the Backstreet Boys will grow up to be bloodthirsty cult leaders.

Both arguments are equally inane. he Backstreet Boys’ new CD, Millennium, is neither a preview of greater things to come nor some big statement on the sorry state of today’s music: It’s just another sugary-but-harmless batch of cookie-cutter pop tunes.

Like the New Kids on the Block, ‘N Sync and Hanson, the Backstreet Boys’ monstrous success (their latest CD sold 10 million copies) has everything to do with teenage hormones and zilch to do with music. Sure, there’s a few catchy melodies here and there on Millennium, and the grooves are faux-funky enough to pack the dance floor at the next grade-school mixer.

But take away the five post-pubescent studs on the CD cover and Millennium is just 12 overly slick ditties that could pass for rejects from any Boyz II Men album.

The monotonous titles (“Don’t Want You Back,” “I Want It That Way,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You Now”) tell you all you need to know about the level of songwriting here. The CD isn’t four minutes old before the Boys whip out the dreaded “fire”/”desire” couplet. A few seconds later, they’re overemoting about being “Two worlds apart/Can’t reach to your heart” and “Ain’t nothing but a heartache/Nothing but a mistake.”

At least Hanson is smart enough to scat-sing when they run out of descent rhymes.

The Saccharine lyrics would be easier to stomach if there was an ounce of soul or originality in any of these gooey ballads and robotic dance-rock throbbers. But Millennium is the sound of blatant mimicry.

At their best, the Backstreet Boys do a passable imitation of Bad-era Michael Jackson. But at their worst—which is the bulk of the D—they come off like “Soldier of Love”-era Donny Osmond trying to impersonate George Michael.
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They went on to give the new CD the lowest possible ratiing. Don't some people just kinda suck? Oh well, the Boys got their good reviews too. Just too bad this wasn' one of them.