Backstreet Boys Album: “Unbreakable [Japanese Single]”

Backstreet Boys was the most popular boyband in the world for a while in the mid/late 90's, the only other band that could really challenge them was N'sync. Outsold tours, 10x Platinum albums and screaming fans on every airport was their weekday. But most boybands are shortlived. The members grew up, and so does the fans and eventually they all value other things in life and are ready to move on. NKOTB, Take That, N'sync all disbanded and few of their membes were able to succeed as solo artists (Robbie Williams and Justin Timberlake being exceptions). When backsteet Boys released their compilation album "The Hits: Chapter One" in 2001 evil tongues would say that they would't be back and that it would have been better titled "The Final Chapter". Nick Carter also tried a solo project with mixed results one year after and it looked like the hope of a new Backstreet Boys album was small. Then, in 2005 after a few years of hiatus the band surprised everyone when they announced that they were recording a new studio album (their first in 5 years). "Never Gone" was released in 2005, and it clearly demonstrated a change in direction, the pretty dance pop songs were replaced with ballads and rock songs and it showed minimum hints of a past as a boyband. It evenbtually sold 10 Million copies world wide but the only big hit was the powerballad "Incomplete". While the album's content was expected from a band of grown up men closer to 30 then 20 it also left alot to be desired if you liked their catchy Max Martin produced 90's sound. 2 Years later the boys with their 6th studio album called "Unbreakable". Is it more edgy Rock or does it show signs of their past? Read on to find out.

When "Unbreakable" was recorded, Kevin Richardson decided to call it quit, leaving the band number to 4. As a whole it doesn't have big effect on the overall sound cause Kevin was just singing backround vocals and was never that influentual anyway. The sound seems to be more of a hybrid this time, most songs end up being Rock-pop or ballads but they haven't completely forgot about their past and a few songs are quite surprisingly catchy dance-pop. The boys seems to have bigger impact of this album aswell cause they're involved in the song writing proccess on several of the songs. Producers include John Shanks, Dan Muckula, Emanuel Kiriakou and JC Chasez from N'ync that put the old rivalry in a quarantine to help them out with the sound. To try to sum up this album in the best of ways, let's start with the first single "Inconsolable" that is a ballad simular to what "Incomplete" from their last album was. It's really good and already climbing on the charts. "Something that I Already Know" is simular, a midtempo-ballad with great melody and hook that could be a hit. 3 more decent ballads are "Helpless When She Smiles", "Unmistakable" and "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon" while "You Can't Let Go" is a classic piano ballad and "Love Will Keep You Up All Night" sounds like Westlife pop. On the midtempo rocker "Trouble Is" they sing that "there's a part of me that still can't let go of a memory / Love is what the trouble is" it ends up being quite good. "Any Other Way" is new wave rock with a fresh sound and "Panic and "One In a Million" are Maroon 5 ish R&B-rock. Let's save the best for last, "Everything But Mine" is a back to back 90's pop anthem that wouldn't have been wrong if inluded on "Black and Blue", the last song "Treat Me Right" produced by JC Chasez is also a uptempo dance-pop song but with trendier production. Both these 2 songs are surprisingly good and serves as a memory flash back to their brightest days in the 90's.

Overall, Backsteet Boys may never experience screaming fans inside of airports any more or journalists intervening in their private lifes anymore but maybe that is a good thing afterall cause they are all grown men by now and it was almost 10 years ago at their peak. But apart from countless of other boybands that disband to try solo careers, Backstreet Boys stuck together as a unit and emancipated themselves from greedy managers, grew up and developed as musicians with several writing credits here and a sound that is more suitable for a bunch of guys around 30. For the more I listen to "Unbreakable" I like it more and more and think that the title makes alot of sense if you look at a band that never gave up. I don't think it will sell as good as their dance-pop albums at their peak but there's plenty of great songs here like "Inconsoalble", "Something That I Already Know", "Treat Me Right" and "You Can't Let Go" to mention a few. This is a band that still sticks around, and I think it's even slightly better then "Never Gone" with a sound that is more diverse. If you liked it, this one is recommended aswell.