While this review is for all, it is somewhat geared for those in the 25-35 range. You know who you are. You remember what it was like to hear and see New Kids on the Block everywhere. You loved "Soldier of Love," only to reel in horror when you found out it was Donny Osmond. Now, 10 years later, you find yourself liking the Backstreet Boys. What to do? Put away any shame you might feel and go buy Millennium. Be proud you picked a quality piece of music that features wonderful orchestration, depth and range of style and emotion, fun and well thought out lyrics, and great vocal harmonics.

With 5 major hits already, you can't go wrong purchasing this release, even if the rest wasn't as great. But there's no fear of that -- these are 12 gems you be singing along with for a long time. "Larger Than Life" is a huge power dance tune with great lyrics and an undeniable groove, I've car danced to this song frequently on my commute. A smooth groove, "I Want It That Way" is a boppy ballad with great harmonics that are fun to sing along with. "Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely" is a power ballad that features strong orchestration, vocals and lyrics. "It's Gotta Be You" is a funky dance groove with great attitude for the dance floor. A silky smooth ballad that features beautiful piano and vocals, "I Need You Tonight" will send chills down your spine with its emotional power. "Don't Want You Back" is a fantastic power attitude song that features funky syncopation and a great chorus. Though it might sound trite, "Don't Wanna Lose You Now" is a fantastic ballad that features powerful orchestration and vocal harmonies. "The One" is another fun, uplifting, sway-along dance tune that creates a great positive attitude. The final 4 songs are ballads, however these are much lower-key in orchestration, allowing the Boys to showcase their vocal and harmonic depth. "Back to Your Heart" features minimal guitar and percussion; the depth comes from the richness of the Boys' voices. With little orchestration, "Spanish Eyes" concentrates on the harmonies, however they seem a bit off and strained. "No One Else Comes Close" is nice with really great backing vocals, and kudos for the bridge key change. We conclude with "The Perfect Fan" which has an anthemic feel with its power orchestration elements and a backing choir that help heighten the emotional intensity of this beautiful ballad dedicated to mothers everywhere.

Doing a review of this CD is somewhat out of character for me. I have had this CD for less than a year. And I am not a BSB fan; I didn't buy their first album, and I don't know any of their names and couldn't pick them out of a lineup. However, what BSB have released here is a strong piece of pop music for the new millennium. This isn't a release you can simply listen to once and then put back on the shelf. It will be interesting to see 10 years down the road, but I have a strong feeling this CD will still be with many of us and bring fond memories. While originally thinking I'd give it 4 stars (since it's so new to my collection), this most recent listen convinces me that a low 5 star rating is really in order -- it really is that solid.

My recommendation is if you've liked what you've heard on the radio thus far, you can't go wrong buying this CD. Forget the fact that they are the most recent boy band that every teen and pre-teen girl in America is screaming over. Forget the fact they get probably way too much air play on MTV and the Top 40 stations. Get away from the kids or friends who play this release 24/7. Give it a serious listen by yourself, and you will come to realize there is no shame in admitting you like BSB. Beyond all the hype, they really do have talent. And how many pop stars can you truly say that about?

Stand proud with your copy of Millennium. It really is a great addition to any pop music collection.

I'm not 14. I'm not even a teenager. I'm 41 years old. I owned 4 Alice Cooper albums in my teens. This is a far cry from Alice Cooper, but these boys can sing to me any time. I love this CD. The mellow songs are beautifully sung and arranged. The perfect music to listen to after a rough day at the office.

I have to admit, I have BSB's American and Imported CDs. When I listened to all of them, I loved their music. I knew they had talent, after all I went to their concert and saw they werent bubblegum boys who were invented in the recording studio. Yet, I just didnt see how magnificent their talent was. And then came Millenium. Gone were the completely pop style of cheesy dance beats. And now we have the real music. Larger than Life is a nice mixture of rock, techni, and pop. Its explosive. I want it that way, beautiful. Their first cut from the album summed their talent up:Pure God given voices. Show me the meaning....tears were coming forth at this point. All the boys were finally showing their voices equally, and what a surprise to find out that Howie and Kevin have strong, sensual, emotional voices. Its gotta be you, yes this is a dance tune, that reminds me of Everybody, but the lyrics are powerful. I need you tonight, lovely song that sends my spirit to the heavens....I could go on and on. These men show that they have not only good solid beautiful voices that can harmonize, but they have powerful abilities to go from pop to R&B and finally reach Adult Contemporary. They do play their own instruments and they write and compose their songs. No not all of them. But I challenge the doubters to look in the jacket cover of many recording artists. You will find they have songs they sing that are written and composed by other people as well as songs they wrote and composed. Its time we stop judging the Backstreet Boys because they are 5 young men and start judging them on vocal abilities.

Before I begin, I want to say a few things:

(a) The BSB do write their own music, or at least some of it.

(b) Just because they don't play instruments is no reason to dislike a band, you can't deny good music.

(c) Actually listen to the music before you review.

Anyway, I have this album and it is very very good. I am not a hard-core fan, but I have all albums and they are very talented vocalists. Here are my reviews:

1. Larger Than Life--This song is aerodynamic. It has a cool funky vibe that I appreciate. Plus, it's a shoutout to their fans. Good song. 9

2. I Want It That Way--Who can deny pop's king song? I think this is very amazing and nice vocals from the BSB. 10

3. Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely--Good song about losing those you love. The Spanish guitar has grown on me. 8

4. It's Gotta Be You--Funky, fun. Nice when you're in he dumps. 9

5. I Need You Tonight--My second favorite on the album. Nick does not have a very clean voice, but I rather like the mix of a clean song and raspy voice. 10

6. Don't Want You Back--OK. It's not something to rave about, but it's ok. 7

7. Don't Wanna Lose You Now--My least favorite. Nice vocals, but the song itself is a little tedious. 5

8. The One--NICE MIX!!! I realy like it...third favorite song. 9

9. Back To Your Heart--Tied for my favorite song...Brian has beautiful vocals. 10

10. Spanish Eyes--It's OK. 7

11. No One Else Comes Close--See above. 7

12. Perfect Fan--Amazing ode to their moms. I played this on mother's day. My other favorite. 10

I reccomend their new album: Never Gone.

This album proves more than ever that the Boys have TALENT. Unlike other groups where only 2 people sing and the rest of the boys (as cute as they are) are nothing but back-up singers; the Backstreet Boys all sing solos and they do it VERY well. On "Show me the Meaning" They switch effortlessly between sweet harmonies and solo parts. Another great song is "Perfect Fan", written by Brian Littrell for his mom, it involves a choir and again the Boys' amazing voices. This CD also boasts several other songs written by the boys. Buy "No Strings" and just compare it to "Millenium" and you'll see that in the BSB the distinct style of every member comes through in their songs. That is what a truly talented group is about, the ability to not only work as a group but to highlight each member's individuality. Truly the best & better than ever BSB STRIKES AGAIN!