Backstreet Boys's Millennium Made Everyone Want It That Way

By Lisa Fischer  |  May 16, 2019 | 6:30pm
EntertainmentMusic

On May 18, 1999, Backstreet Boys released their sophomore album, Millennium. The record would go on to cement the boy band’s legendary status, breaking the record for most album sales in a single week, becoming the best-selling album of 1999, and spawning the fastest-grossing tour of all time.

In honor of Millennium’s 20th anniversary, Jezebel decided to re-examine the ingredients that made the album a certified hit, and see whether or not the Backstreet/*NSYNC rivalry making headlines around that time still holds water.

Watch the video above to hear what resident boy band expert/Backstreet Boys stan Maria Sherman (whose book about boy bands comes out in 2020 under Black Dog & Leventhal, an imprint of Hachette Book Group) and resident *NSYNC superfan Ashley Reese had to say about Millennium’s legacy. “I kind of saw Backstreet Boys as the ballads band. *NSYNC was kind of like the fun party band,” says Reese. “You’re totally gonna bring Backstreet Boys home to your mom.”

 
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