千禧情 (1999)

Millennium is the third studio album (second in the United States) and the first worldwide album by American vocal group Backstreet Boys. It was released on May 18, 1999, by Jive Records. It was a highly anticipated follow-up to both their U.S. self-titled 1997 album and their second released album, Backstreet's Back (1997).

Millennium held the record for most shipments in one year, with 11 million shipments sold in the United States in 1999. It was nominated for five Grammy Awards and became one of the best-selling albums of all time, selling 24 million copies worldwide. The Backstreet Boys promoted Millennium through the Into the Millennium Tour, which became one of the fastest-grossing tours ever.

Background

Following the release of their 1997 albums Backstreet's Back and Backstreet Boys selling a combined 27 million copies worldwide, the Backstreet Boys were met with critics accusing them of being a "flash in the pan" and misconceptions that they earned a lot of money. From 1997 to 1998, the band filed a lawsuit against manager Lou Pearlman, stating that they only received $300,000 from recording and touring while he kept over $10 million. Pearlman claimed to be the "sixth Backstreet Boy" and revealed to them that he managed rival boy band NSYNC, who sold over 6 million copies of their debut album, stating that "it's business." On September 18, 1998, the band left their management company Wright Stuff, which was formerly associated with Pearlman's record company Trans Continental Records.

During the same period, the band also dealt with personal tragedies; Kevin Richardson suffered two family deaths, Brian Littrell needed to undergo open heart surgery, Howie Dorough lost his sister from lupus, and the band's producer Denniz Pop died of stomach cancer. The album was initially titled Larger Than Life, which Dorough described as "almost like a thank-you song for all they've done" because they always supported the band.

On July 11, 2025, a Millennium 2.0 remastered album commemorating the 25th anniversary was released, which included 13 extra tracks, including an alternative version of their hit song, “I Want It That Way.”

Promotion

Every version of Britney Spears' debut album ...Baby One More Time that was released before Millennium contained previews of three songs as hidden tracks, placed at the end of the album against Spears' wishes. The band appeared on Saturday Night Live and Total Request Live during the album's release date, and filmed a Disney Channel concert special called Backstreet Boys in Concert the same day.

Singles

Four singles were released from the album:

"I Want It That Way" is the lead single from the album, released on April 12, 1999. It is one of the Backstreet Boys' most commercially successful songs and is often regarded as the group's signature song.

"Larger than Life" is the second single, released on September 7, 1999.

"Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" is the third single, released on December 14, 1999. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 during the week of March 18, 2000.

"The One" is the fourth and final single from the album, being released on May 1, 2000. "Don't Want You Back" was originally going to be the fourth single based on a TRL fan vote. However, when Nick Carter called in to vote for "The One," the fans followed after him.

Tour

The album's supporting tour, Into the Millennium Tour, started on June 2, 1999, and ended on March 15, 2000, with a total of 123 shows in 84 cities spanning three legs. Their concert at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, was the fifth most attended concert in American history, and the most attended concert by a pop artist.

Critical reception

Writing for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "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." Robert Christgau gave Millennium a two-star honorable mention, stating that the album is "softening it a little up for their younger demographic, sexing it up a little for their own peace of mind," specifically praising "I Want It That Way" and "Larger than Life." Jim Farber of Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B−, stating that they have taken risks in their lyrics, as "Teen acts normally can’t acknowledge their romantic power. They have to remain the longing ones in order to seal the twin fantasies of purity and accessibility".