Unbreakable (Backstreet Boys album)

Infobox Album
Name = Unbreakable
Type = studio
Artist = Backstreet Boys


Caption =
Released = October 24, 2007
(See release history)
Recorded = 2006-2007
Genre = Pop
Length = 48:50
Label = Jive Records
Producer = Dan Muckala Rob Wells Emanuel Kiriakou Adam Anders John Shanks Billy Mann JC Chasez Neff-U Kara Dioguardi Mitch Allan David Hodges
Reviews =
* "About.com" Rating|4|5 [http://top40.about.com/od/albums/fr/backstreetunbr.htm link]
* "Allmusic" Rating|3|5 [http://wc08.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=&sql=10:0xfoxzlhldke link]
* "Billboard Magazine" (positive) [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/content_display/reviews/albums/e3i11356e5762144f43b92b6eab5153379d link]
* "Blender" Rating|3.5|5
* "Common Sense Media" Rating|3|5 [http://www.commonsensemedia.org/music-reviews/Unbreakable_3.html link]
* "Dot Music" Rating|7|10
* "Entertainment Weekly" (B)
* Entertainment.ie Rating|2.5|5 [http://entertainment.ie/album-review/Backstreet-Boys---Unbreakable/5342.htm link]
* "Orlando Sentinel" (positive) [http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/music/orl-rec02a07nov02,0,4191080.story link]
* "People Magazine (8/10)
* Rolling Stone Rating|2|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/backstreetboys/albums/album/17046612/review/17118323/unbreakable link]
* Slant Magazine Rating|4|5
* Sputnikmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=14018 link]
* Time Magazine Rating|3|4
* USA Today Rating|3.5|4
Last album = "Never Gone"
(2005)
This album = "Unbreakable"
(2007)
Next album = "TBA"
(2009)
Misc = Singles
Name = Unbreakable
Type = studio
Single 1 = Inconsolable
Single 1 date = August 27, 2007
Single 2 = Helpless When She Smiles
Single 2 date = January 15, 2008

"Unbreakable" is the Backstreet Boys' sixth studio album. It was released on October 24, 2007 in Japan [cite web |url=http://www.backstreetboys.com/ |title=Backstreet Boys |accessdate=2007-09-02] and October 30 in the United States by Jive Records. This is the first Backstreet Boys album that Kevin Richardson has had no involvement in, who made the decision to pursue other interests.

Background

In July 2007, it was announced that the Backstreet Boys would release a new album on October 30, 2007,cite web |url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003616603 |title=Backstreet Boys Plot Comeback With October CD |accessdate=2007-09-02 |last=Cohen |first=Jonathan |date=2007-07-25 |work=News |publisher=Billboard] their first album of new material in two years. Rumoured titles of the album included "End to Beginning" [cite web |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1501119/story.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=10456499 |title=Backstreet's Back again |accessdate=2007-09-02 |date=2007-08-08 |work=Entertainment Story |publisher=The New Zealand Herald ] and "Motivation" before Brian Littrell and A.J. McLean confirmed on August 13, 2007 that the title of the album would be "Unbreakable". Producers include Dan Muckala, who produced the band's 2005 hit single "Incomplete", and Rob Wells. It is the first Backstreet Boys album that former member Kevin Richardson is not involved in, as he had left the group in June the previous year. [cite web |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,26334,1207890,00.html |title=Kevin Richardson Leaving Backstreet Boys |accessdate=2007-09-02 |last=Silverman |first=Stephen M. |date=2006-06-26 |work=News |publisher=People]

In an interview with "INROCK magazine", Brian Littrell said the album would include various music styles, combining their earlier late-1990s sound with their more recent guitar-driven pop rock sound. [cite web |url=http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=080607_backstreet_boys_new_album_z-100_interview_song_name.htm |title=Backstreet Boys Release New Song ? Album On Track For October 30th Release Date |accessdate=2007-09-02 |last=Wilson |first=Dan |date=2007-08-07 |work=Best Syndication] The Boys themselves co-wrote five tracks on this album (including "Intro").

On October 2, 2007, the tracks, "Unmistakable" and "Something That I Already Know" were released on Promosquad and RateTheMusic. The next day, a Japanese radio station leaked the intro of the album, along with the track, "Everything But Mine".

In Japan, the album went to #1 in its first week and sold 102,043 copies. It maintained its #1 position for the second consecutive week beating all of the domestic Japanese competition, a remarkable feat for a foreign band. In the United States, the album debuted at number seven, selling about 81,000 copies in its first week. [Katie Hasty, [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003669047 "Eagles Fly Past Britney To Debut At No. 1"] , Billboard.com, November 7, 2007.] Although the album is a moderate success worldwide, selling over 500,000 copies, it failed to match the success of "Never Gone" in the US where only 110,000 copies were sold in the first four weeks.

"Helpless When She Smiles" was the assumed next single from "Unbreakable". It has already received airplay on WKSS in Hartford, CT, but this may be because of The WKSS Hey Yo! Christmas Show in which the Backstreet Boys will headline. This news was officially confirmed by the boys when they were on Backstage. The Backstreet Boys had expressed discontent with the record label's decision to choose "Helpless When She Smiles" as the second single, feeling that it sounded too much like their previous singles. Jive Records declined this.

According to Sony BMGJapan, the video of "Helpless When She Smiles" which is supposed to be the second single of Unbreakable will be filmed on November 13, 2007 at the Joshua Tree National Park, CA. The video premiered on Yahoo! Music on Wednesday December 12, 2007.

There is to be a dvd of the tour as said by the boys in an interview after the show in London on may 14th, the recording for the dvd took place here and can be verified by many fans who attended the events, saying there where cameras and different mics to record the show. The show used pyro for the first time on this tour during this show.

The closing track of the album, "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon", is broken into two different parts. The first part leads off the album, and is a one minute acapella version of the chorus, listed as "Intro" on the record. The second part closes out the album, and is about three and half minutes in length. Commencing with only a piano, the song then adds a live drum beat and orchestral instruments, followed by an electric guitar solo and atmospheric harmonies. All four members co-wrote the song and hailed it as the best song in the album.

ales and reception

The album received generally positive reviews with critics arguing that it was an improvement over their comeback album Never Gone two years ago. Despite positive reviews, it became their least successful album. However, the sales quickly fell. The album debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 with 81,000 copies sold in its first week. By the second week, the album fell to #10 with 45,000 copies sold. It fell to #52 in its third week with 20,000 copies sold. It fell to #78 in its fourth week with 5,000 copies sold making the total sales of 410,000 copies.

Unbreakable Tour

Track listing

tandard Edition

[ [http://www.sonybmg.de/artists2.php?iA=1&artist=86080&product=88697173882 SONY BMG - Backstreet Boys - Aktuell ] ] cite web |url=http://www.thebackstreetboys.com/news/unbreakable-track-listing
title= Unbreakable Track Listing!.|accessdate=2007-09-24 ] cite web |url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/09-24-2007/0004668809&EDATE=MON+Sep+24+2007,+03:22+PM |title= Backstreet Boys new album "Unbreakable" in stores October 30, 2007.|accessdate=2007-09-24 ] cite web
url=http://www.thebackstreetboys.com/biography
title=Biography
accessdate=2007-09-27]

Release history

References

External links

* [http://www.backstreetboys.com/ Official Backstreet Boys Website]
* [http://www.thebackstreetboys.com/ Offical Jive Records BSB Website]
* [http://www.jiverecords.com/ Jive Records]