Backstreet Boys Coming to Korea

By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

In the mid-1990s, there was no bigger pop group in the world than the Backstreet Boys. The heartthrobs ruled the airwaves with their sappy ballads and smooth dance moves. Teenage girls swooned over them, as they earnestly sang ``Quit Playing Games With My Heart," and ``As Long As You Love Me."

Like most boy bands, the Backstreet Boys had some problems transitioning from being cute teenage heartthrobs to mature adults. But the group has successfully moved on to a more pop-rock and R&B sound, as seen in their seventh album ``Unbreakable."

Definitely no longer boys, the Backstreet Boys will show their mature side in concert, March 8 at the Olympic Fencing Gymnasium, Olympic Park. They are returning to Seoul after a successful concert in 2006.

The Backstreet Boys are now composed of four members: Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A. J. McLean and Nick Carter. Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006. The group has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, and is considered the best selling boy band of all time with 100 million albums sold worldwide.

Formed as a vocal and dance group in 1993, the Backstreet Boys began by promoting their first album in Europe and Asia to much success. In 1997, the group made their U.S. debut with the album ``Backstreet's Back." Their first single,``Quit Playing Games With My Heart," became an instant hit in the U.S. and Europe.

The Backstreet Boys released another album,``Millennium," in 1999, selling over 40 million copies around the world. It included the number one hit ``I Want It That Way." The album was also nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

The following year, the group released ``Black and Blue," which included ``Shape of My Heart." In 2001, the Backstreet Boys released a greatest hits album,``The Hits: Chapter One." Then, the group took a break due to conflict with their management agency. Meanwhile, Carter released his solo album ``Now or Never."

The Backstreet Boys made a comeback in 2005, with a new pop-rock album ``Never Gone." Songs such as ``Incomplete" and ``Just Want You to Know" showed how the members have matured.

Their latest album ``Unbreakable," released October 2007, received generally good reviews from critics. To promote the album, the group is embarking on the ``Unbreakable" world tour next month, with several concert dates in Asia and Australia.

Tickets for the Seoul concert will be available starting Jan. 29. The VIP tickets are 165,000. Other tickets range from 55,000 won to 132,000 won. Visit ticket.interpark.com.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
SOURCE

Back on the street

The world's biggest boyband to paerform at Odyssey

Friday, January 18, 2008

By Maureen Coleman

The Backstreet Boys - the biggest selling boy band in the world - will make their Northern Ireland concert debut this spring, it was revealed today.


The band, which has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide, will play the Odyssey Arena in Belfast on Monday, May 12.

Their first two US releases both received the Diamond Award for sales of over 10 million - Backstreet Boys in 1997 and quintessential Millennium in 1999, which reached number one in 25 countries.

Now a four-piece after the departure in 2006 of Kevin Richardson, the band has scored a dozen top 40 hits, including Quit Playing Games With My Heart, As Long As You Love Me, Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and All I Have To Give.

Backstreet began performing in 1993 and despite changes in the music scene, a three-year hiatus and Richardson's decision to leave, the band never split up.

Last October they released their sixth album Unbreakable - their first effort since the departure of Richardson.

The album has been exceptionally well received compared to their comeback album after their three-year break, Never Gone. However, while it has received positive reviews, it has not performed as well as its predecessor.

The four remaining members of the Grammy-nominated band are Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, A J McLean and Nick Carter and the quartet has not ruled out the possibility of Richardson returning in the future.

Tickets, priced £33 and £30, to see the Backstreet Boys' debut Belfast show go on sale on Friday, February 1 from the Odyssey Arena box office and usual Ticketmaster outlets.

SOURCE

A.J. McLean: I Believe in Britney Spears 110%

Britney Spears is getting another offer of help – this time from Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean


"I believe in her 110 percent, but she needs to call [me]," the pop star, 30, told PEOPLE Thursday at the Hysteric Glamour VIP
preview party. "If her publicist or somebody can get in touch with me, I just want to sit down with her and have it out."

Asked what he'd offer to Spears, McLean says, "First I would say, 'What the hell is wrong with you?' Second I would say, 'What is really wrong with you? What are you not saying to everybody else?' "

McLean, a recovering alcoholic who also happened to rise to fame around the same time as Spears, says he thinks he knows part of what the 26-year-old star is going through.

"She has given people hints of her troubles, but fear is a really big thing, and depression. ... I've been through it. I'm coming up on six years sober," he said at the party hosted by Tracey Ross at her Sunsent Plaza store in West Hollywood. "I just want to sit her down and pick her brain."

'Do You Want to Die?'

Ultimately, McLean says he believes the troubled singer wants to – and can – get her life back in order. " [I want to be] just someone who can tell her straight. I'll say, 'Hey, do you want to die? Is that what you want?' If that is what she really wanted, she would have done it already. I know that is not what she wants," he says.

McLean also said Spears's pregnant 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn has had a rough go but will be okay.

"You look at Jamie Lynn now and it is like, of course, she has no one to look up to," McLean says. "But I think she has a chance. Everyone has a chance to turn it around."

SOURCE

Sony BMG goes DRM free

By Stuart Miles Pocket-lint - Monday, January 7 06:18 pm

SONY BMG Music entertainment has confirmed that it will offer tracks DRM free with the announcement that it is launching a new service called "Platinum MusicPass" launching on 15 January.

The new service will offer a series of digital album cards that enable consumers to download full-length albums, and in many cases special bonus content, in the form of high-quality MP3 files that will be DRM free.

However, the cards, which are currently limited to only 37 albums won't be available online nor outside the US or Canada meaning music fans will still have to physically buy the card from a store.

"We see MusicPass as a great way to bring digital music to the physical retail space," Mr. Hesse added. "We believe it will have strong appeal for a broad range of consumers, and that it will ultimately expand both the digital and physical markets for music."

The cards will cost around $12.99 which will include the complete digital album plus bonus material or, in the case of compilations, extensive track listings. In order get the content from their MusicPass cards consumers scratch the back of their card to unveil their pin number. They then visit MusicPass.com to download their music files and bonus material.

The initial slate of Platinum MusicPass titles is as follows:

Platinum MusicPass Albums with Bonus Material (slrp $12.99):

Alejandro Fernandez, Viento A Favor

Alicia Keys, As I Am

Avril Lavigne, The Best Damn Thing

Backstreet Boys, UnBreakable

Barry Manilow, The Greatest Songs of the Seventies

Bob Dylan, Dylan

Boys Like Girls, Boys Like Girls

Brad Paisley, 5th Gear

Britney Spears, Blackout

Brooks & Dunn, Cowboy Town

Bruce Springsteen, Magic

Calle 13, Residente o Visitante

Camila, Todo Cambio

Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride

Casting Crowns, The Altar and The Door

Celine Dion, Taking Chances

Chris Brown, Exclusive

Daughtry, Daughtry

Elvis Presley, Elvis 30 #1 Hits

Jennifer Lopez, Brave

John Mayer, Continuum

Kenny Chesney, Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates

Martina McBride, Waking Up Laughing

P!nk, I'm Not Dead

Santana, Ultimate Santana

Sara Bareilles, Little Voice

Sean Kingston, Sean Kingston

The Fray, How To Save A Life

Three Days Grace, One-X

Tony Bennett, Duets

Platinum MusicPass Compilations (slrp $12.99)

Various, 70's POP HITS

Various, ROCK OF THE 70's

Various, SENSATIONAL 60's

Various, COUNTRY GOLD: THE 90's

Various, 80's POP HITS

Various, CLASSIC ROCK

Various, Everlasting Love

SOURCE

Book early for O2 show

IT might be months away but now is the time to pick up the phone, click on the mouse and book your tickets for a trio of world-class acts.

The Backstreet Boys, Rihanna and Shayne Ward have all signed up to play a great gig at The 02 arena in the early spring.

Announcing - in alphabetical order - the Backstreet Boys, Rihanna and Shayne Ward.

The Backstreet Boys are back to celebrate their ten years in music. Selling over 90 million albums 2007 saw the boys release their sixth album, Unbreakable. The O2 show is set to be their last before they begin their UK tour in May.

Following the success of Rihanna's Number 1 Umbrella and her number one album, the young star has announced just two dates in 2008, one of which is at the O2. The single was the fastest selling download of the year and won her the Monster Single of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.

And finally Shayne Ward, X Factor winner, will play The O2 on 21st May. Following the success of his late
st album, Breathless, he has announced his UK tour. His impressive self titled debut album sold over 2 million copies.

David Campbell, Chief Executive of AEG Europe, said: "Shayne Ward and Rihanna are emerging stars of their generation from both sides of the Atlantic and I'm thrilled they will be playing The O2.

The Backstreet Boys are one of the most popular boy bands of all time and along with Shayne and Rihanna add to out world-class 2008 calendar."

Tickets for Backstreet Boys, Rihanna and Shayne Ward are already on sale - so get booked up now.

Tickets are available from the website in related links or by calling 0844 856 0202.

SOURCE

Robert DeNiro's new Hard Rock Restaurant opened up privately just for rock stars

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora spent three-days hanging out at the Hard Rock for the holiday and learned that actor Robert DeNiro and his chef partner-pal Agostino Sciandriwere about to open their famed LA restaurant AGO in the resort. Although not yet quite open to the public, once they heard that Sambora was in town, the chef arranged an impromptu tasting for him and 15 friends in tow! That led to the Backstreet Boys with Nick Carter, A.J. McLean, Howie Dorough and Brian Littrell also getting an advance dinner treat in AGO before they hosted the midnight countdown in the nearby Body English nightclub.

Still the best selling male vocal group of all time, they toasted the crowd and then, in a surprise, took to the stage for an impromptu 30-minute set, mixing songs from their latest CD “Unbreakable” with old fan favorites such as “I Want it That Way,” “Shape of My Heart,” and closing with “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” They stayed on until pre-dawn, celebrating with family, friends and fans! Just before dawn broke, both A.J. and Brian climbed onto the bar and gave everybody one final impromptu encore, “go home” song! Other stars spotted at the Hard Rock during the holidays included New York Yankee’s first baseman, Jason Giambi and Joba Chamberlain, with the phenomenal pitcher attending the Body English’s Sunday School party at the Hard Rock the next night. Nick Carter also returned to the club to catch rapper MIMS’ impromptu performance of his hit, “This is Why I’m Hot.” In the crowd was Jenna Jameson and Tito Ortiz with Rampage Jackson. Electronica buzz band Blaqk Audio also treated the crowd to a high energy performance during the club’s Smashtime party with hosts Sal Masekela, Ben Lyons and Clinton Sparks from E!’s “Daily 10.” TV favorites Michelle Tractenberg and Brody Jenner also made the scene while comedy king Drew Carey stayed in the hotel’s Sports Book bar, cheering on the giant TV-screen football games.

SOURCE