Music: Where The Boys Are

With Black & Blue, Backstreet does a little growing up. Can the group be more than a teen sensation?

In pop music, you can age like milk or you can age like wine. You can live life with a sell-by date, counting the days until everything goes sour and a new shipment of 2% takes your place on the shelf. Or your career can be like a fine Bordeaux, and you can make the kind of music that only improves as time goes by.

Backstreet Boys isn't ready for the wine cellar yet. But the group seems tired of being the liquid refreshment of choice on schoolkids' lunch trays. The Boys' new CD, Black & Blue (Jive), is a half-hearted...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!