Backstreet Boys - Millennium

The Backstreet Boys finally broke (and broke big) in America during 1998, as if by design. They had been Euro sensations for a couple of years, but it wasn't until Backstreet's Back was unleashed in the U.S. in 1997 that they had a presence in the States, and it was no small presence, either -- after selling over ten million copies, the album remained in the Top 40 on the eve of the release of its sequel, Millennium. And sequel is the appropriate word -- Millennium has no pretense of being anything other than an album for the moment, delivering more of everything that made Backstreet's Back a blockbuster. There's a familiar blend of ballads and dance-pop, a similar shiny production, a reliance on the Boys' charisma that brings to mind the debut. If Millennium were anything other than big, glossy mainstream pop, such calculation may be a little unseemly, but in this context, it can be rather fun. True, the album doesn't pack as much punch as its predecessor -- there's a number of good songs, but more filler than before, and the Backstreet sound isn't as fresh as it was the first time around -- but it does deliver what fans want: more of the same. And since there are singles as infectious as "I Want It That Way" and a handful of good ballads, that will be enough to satisfy anyone craving more, more, more. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Name Credits Adam Barber Engineer, Vocal Engineer Adam Blackburn Engineer Andrew Fromm Piano Asa Forsberg Cello Bashiri Johnson Percussion Ben Glynne Programming Billy Chapin Guitar Brian Littrell Conductor, Vocals, Vocal Arrangement Carl Robinson Engineer Charles Infante Set Design Chieli Minucci Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic) Chris Trevett Mixing, Engineer Christian "Wicked" Wicht Engineer Dan Wojeciechowski Drums Daniel Boom Engineer Dawn Reinholtz Assistant Engineer Dennis Gallo Guitar, Keyboards Devon Kirkpatrick Assistant Engineer Dominic Miller Guitar Doug Petty Piano Edwin Nicholas Programming, Bass, Keyboards, Producer Elisabeth Arnberg Ranmo Viola Eric Foster White Keyboards, Engineer, Guitar (Electric), Producer, Conductor, Bass Esbjörn Öhrwall Guitar George Spatta Engineer George Wadenius Guitar Hans Akeson Viola Heff Moraes Mixing, Engineer Henrik Janson Arranger, Conductor Jackie Murphy Design, Art Direction Joe Bates Engineer Kevin Richardson Bass, Arranger, Vocals, Keyboards Kristian Lundin Engineer, Producer, Mixing Louie Vigilante Bass Mattias Gustafsson Programming, Keyboards, Bass, Producer, Guitar Max Martin Producer, Mixing Mick Guzauski Mixing Nick Carter Vocals, Arranger Nick Gamma Design, Art Direction Olle Romo Keyboards, Programming Paul Howards Keyboards, Percussion, Saxophone Peter-John Vettese Keyboards, Programming Rami Mixing Randy Bowland Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Robert John "Mutt" Lange Producer Samuli Ornstromer Cello Stephen George Engineer Steve Lipson Producer, Programming Svein H. Martinsen Viola Tim Berkebile Musical Director, Drums Timmy Allen Producer Tom Coyne Mastering Tom Smith Keyboards Tomas Andersson Violin Tomas Lindberg Bass Torbjorn Bernhardsson Viola Ulf Forsberg Viola Ulf Janson Arranger, Conductor