Black & Blue Japan Initial Release, First Press CD (Promo Sample)

Promo Sample of the First Press, contains one of 4 types of mouse pad as benefit, and with the Beyond the Millennium campaign.

Album Comment:

1993
In Orlando, Florida, high schoolers A.J. and Howie D., and middle schooler Nick met at an audition and hit it off, forming a group. Soon after, Kevin, who was working at Disney World performing as a Ninja Turtle, joined them. Kevin then invited his cousin Brian from Kentucky, and the current five-member lineup was complete.
The group name Backstreet Boys (BSB) was taken from the popular Orlando flea market, the Backstreet Market. About two weeks after Brian joined, on May 8, they had their first real stage experience, performing before 5,000 people at the Nautilus Theater in Orlando’s SeaWorld.
After signing a management deal, BSB embarked on a six-month school tour across the U.S., performing at middle and high schools—similar to what New Kids on the Block had done. “It was tough,” Howie D. recalls. “Most of the boys in the audience tried to disrupt us. So we’d say, ‘If you think you can sing better than us, come up here and try.’ Of course, nobody ever did!”
Despite their efforts, they struggled to land a record deal and were rejected by more than 25 labels.

1994
Still refusing to give up, the group continued their school tours. Eventually, a Jive Records representative caught their performance in Cleveland and offered them the long-awaited contract. Jive provided top-class choreographers, stylists, and photographers, preparing BSB to become artists who could succeed on a global stage. During this time, they also opened for veteran acts like Village People and REO Speedwagon.

1995
Jive sought the perfect producer to bring out BSB’s musical potential and chose Sweden’s Denniz Pop in Stockholm. That summer, the group traveled there to record We’ve Got It Goin’ On.
September 1, they debuted in the U.S. with the single, but radio support was minimal and media attention outside teen magazines was scarce, leading to a disappointing peak at #69 on the charts. Their planned U.S. promo tour was even canceled.
October 9, they debuted in the U.K. with the same song, reaching only #54. However, they gained recognition by opening for other groups and won Best New Tour Act at the Smash Hits Awards.

1996
January, We’ve Got It Goin’ On entered Germany’s charts at #4, a breakthrough moment. Unlike the U.S., Europe already had a strong boy band market, with U.K. groups leading the trend. BSB shifted focus overseas to build their popularity.
February, they launched their first European tour starting in Germany, steadily growing their fanbase.
May, they released their debut album Backstreet Boys in Germany, which entered the pop charts at #1. They went on heavy promotion tours across Europe, Asia, and Australia. On October 27, they visited Japan for the first time, promoting in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. By then, Backstreet Boys had sold over 2 million copies in Europe. On November 21, they officially debuted in Japan with the album Backstreet Boys and the single Get Down.
By year’s end, they won Best Group at the MTV Europe Music Awards, chosen by over a million viewers. Their first home video Backstreet Boys was also released, featuring five music videos plus early live performances and TV appearances.

1997
By early 1997, fueled by European success, worldwide sales of Backstreet Boys reached 8.5 million copies, including strong sales in Canada.
Their Canada tour, starting March 19, sold out all 14 venues, drawing over 115,000 fans. However, in Montreal, A.J. sprained his ankle while fleeing from excited fans. Despite the injury, the show went on, and later his cast was auctioned for charity by a local radio station.
June, they toured Europe for a month; their Frankfurt concert was broadcast on TV and later released as Live in Concert. Finally, signs of a U.S. breakthrough began to appear.
August 1, Japan got the world’s first release of the single Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) and the album Backstreet’s Back.
August 12, the U.S. released a self-titled album Backstreet Boys, a compilation of tracks from the international Backstreet Boys and Backstreet’s Back. The single Quit Playing Games (With My Heart) had already peaked at #2 for six weeks, and a huge release party was held in New York.
August 22, they launched a European tour in Hanover, Germany, performing in outdoor venues for crowds of 30,000+, with all dates sold out. Meanwhile, U.S. sales topped 1 million.
September 21, their long-awaited U.S. tour began in their hometown of Orlando. Though smaller in scale than their European shows, performing in America meant the world to them.
October, their Madrid appearance was canceled due to a 15,000-strong crowd causing chaos.
November, As Long As You Love Me won the Viewer’s Choice Award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. At the Smash Hits Awards in the U.K., they won five awards including Best Album.
From December 26, they began another Canada tour, starting in Halifax.

1998
After the Canadian tour ended on January 7, they kicked off another U.S. tour on January 14, running until February 1 in Dallas.
February 14, at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival, they broke records for fastest ticket sellout and highest TV ratings in the festival’s 39-year history.
March, they performed at a charity show in Orlando for tornado victims, then flew to Dublin to start a European tour.
April, U.S. album sales surpassed 4 million.
May 11, Brian successfully underwent long-delayed heart surgery.
June, they released All Access Video, featuring making-of footage, early videos, and live clips.
July, Brian returned, and BSB began their first large-scale U.S. tour. In Japan, the unique release Best Hits 1998 became a huge success, and Japan’s official fan club was launched.
August 30, Denniz Pop, the producer who shaped BSB’s sound, passed away.
September 8, they celebrated 6 million U.S. album sales with a big party. Sadly, shortly after, Howie’s sister Caroline passed away from lupus, leading the group to cancel a radio event on September 13.
October, Kevin and Howie attended Donatella Versace’s fashion show in Milan, with Kevin walking the runway. The A Night Out With the Backstreet Boys acoustic concert video was released.
On December 31, they closed the year with a hometown New Year’s Eve concert in Orlando, later released in April 1999 as Homecoming: Live in Orlando.

1999
With new management under The Firm, BSB refreshed their image and appeared in the famous U.S. milk ad campaign with milk mustaches.
January 5, they were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys. On January 11, they performed at the American Music Awards, winning Best Group and Top Adult Contemporary Artist.
April 13, they held a press conference in Cologne, Germany, announcing their new album Millennium.
April 28, Japan got the world’s first release of Millennium.
May 17, it was released worldwide (excluding Japan, which already had it). At Studio 54 in New York, they held a press conference with global media and an online Q&A with fans. They also appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone.
June 2, the Into the Millennium Tour began in Germany, running through Europe until August 7. In July, the Japanese drama Their Era featured all tracks from Millennium as insert songs, boosting attention. Kevin suffered acute bronchitis, forcing the cancellation of one Austria show.
September 9, they won the Viewer’s Choice Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. For three days, New York’s West 54th Street was renamed Backstreet Boys Boulevard. Their U.S. tour, starting September 17, sold 765,000 tickets in just two hours! U.S. sales of Millennium reached 7 million.
Kevin was named Sexiest Pop Star by People magazine, though he dislocated his shoulder snowboarding during the tour—fortunately without major impact.
November 11, they won Best Group at the MTV Europe Music Awards. By year’s end, Millennium had sold over 10 million in the U.S., making it the best-selling album of 1999. In Canada, they became the first act to have three albums each surpass 1 million sales.
December 5, they swept the Smash Hits Awards with five wins, including Best Band on Planet Pop. On December 8, they won four categories at the Billboard Music Awards, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.

2000
After a break over the holidays, A.J. performed his first solo charity show in Orlando under the name Johnny No Name.
January 17, they won two American Music Awards: Favorite Pop/Rock Group and Favorite Pop/Rock Album. Howie represented the group at the ceremony.
Burger King announced a massive promotion with exclusive BSB CDs, videos, and figurines, as well as sponsoring their next tour.
February 11, a new U.S. tour began in Pennsylvania. Around the same time, they revealed a collaboration with comic legend Stan Lee to create The Backstreet Project, an online animated superhero comic (with Nick heavily involved).
February 23, they attended the Grammys, performing as BSB and also as backing vocalists for Elton John, earning his praise.
March 15, the Into the Millennium Tour wrapped in Toronto. Just weeks later, A.J. announced his solo Johnny No Name tour.
April 27, Nick was named one of People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People.”
June, the group traveled to the Bahamas to write songs for their next album Black & Blue, spending 12 days and writing five songs together (two of which made the album). “It was amazing to just walk out the front door, stroll on the beach at night… though we always carried pen, paper, and a recorder,” they recalled.
June 22, Kevin married Kristin after eight years of dating, with all members attending. “She’s known me since I was still a Ninja Turtle,” Kevin said.
June 24, Howie organized Lupus 2000 at Universal Studios Orlando, raising over 10 million yen for lupus and immune disorder foundations, honoring his late sister Caroline.
July 1, recording for Black & Blue officially began in Sweden with Max Martin. “We all love Swedish meatballs… and the nightclubs too. Max is so creative, energetic, and fun,” said Howie.
September 2, Brian married Leighanne Wallace, who had appeared as an extra in the As Long As You Love Me video.
October 16, they announced an ambitious five-day, eight-city promotional world tour for Black & Blue, using a specially painted black-and-blue jumbo jet. Cities included Stockholm, Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Frankfurt, Marrakesh, Caracas, and New York.
November 15, the long-awaited new album was released in Japan ahead of the world.

Born from passion in Orlando in 1993, the Backstreet Boys climbed to the very top of the global music world. But their dream—and their legend—was far from over. The Boys were only about to soar higher.