My Album Project: Millennium by Backstreet Boys (1999, Jive Records)

WHY I NEVER GOT AROUND TO LISTENING TO THIS ARTIST/ALBUM

Boy bands are pre-fabricated singing groups that exist simply to produce hit records, sell merchandise and attract screaming young fans to concerts at shopping malls and arenas. And yes, even I – the most rock-and-roll, long-haired, head-banging, twelve-year-old you could ever imagine – bought into the boy band thing back in 1984. Even if it was for just a little while. My group of choice was the pioneer of the modern boy band, New Edition, featuring a young Bobby Brown (years before he'd become Mr. Whitney Houston), the guys who would eventually become Bel, Biv Devoe, and a guy named Ralph. And I thought they were cool as shit! One of the most significant memories of my childhood was lip-synching New Edition's “Cool it Now” with my late cousin Hubert Ramos in his living room. Those were good times. But soon after, my voice broke and I became one-track minded. So by the time the monster that New Edition spawned (New Kids on the Block, Take That, Boyz II Men, and then later, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync) came along, not only was I no longer part of the boy band target audience, but I also did not have the capacity to digest all that shloppy pop music.

WHAT I KNEW ABOUT THIS ALBUM BEFORE THIS PROJECT

My most enduring memory of Millennium's monster hit single “I Want it That Way” was during the autumn of 1999, while I was living in the Philippines. Although I would constantly hear the track in the taxis, restaurants and shopping malls around Manila, it was a small rock club in Quezon City, called 70s Bistro that will always remind me of the song. One night I went to the venue to photograph my friends Kris Gorra, Donna Macalino, and Annette Ortiz of the band Fatal Posporos – a Filipino power-pop trio, a la Shonen Knife – during a gig promoting their debut album Paper View. I remember they started their show with an acappella rendition of the chorus of “I Want it that Way”, before they ripped into their set. It was lovely. Ever since then, I have had a great affinity for that particular song.

Almost every ESL student that I taught between 2003 and 2008 has loved this album and they have always urged me to listen to it, to no avail.

AFTER A WEEK OF DIGESTING THIS ALBUM

There is a reason why this record has sold in excess of 40 million copies worldwide. As you would expect, Millennium has some very catchy, slickly-produced songs. These are not only tunes to sing-along to, but more importantly, these are songs to dance to. Shamelessly, there were times while listening this album on my ipod on the subway, or in my kitchen cooking dinner, I would choreograph my own dance routines to some the songs.

And it goes without saying that these boys can sing. I will not pretend to know whether it is A. J., Kevin, Howie, Nick, or Brian singing at any given time, but none of their voices seem weaker than any of the others. Obviously they especially excel when they harmonize.

My Album Project