Music Video: "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)", Backstreet Boys

Have all you Backstreet Boys superfans seen the new music video for "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)"? It kind of slipped in there quietly, like many of the group's music videos between 2006 and 2009. First posted on the Backstreet Boys' Facebook page, the music video was posted this morning to the all-encompassing Vevo. (By the way, am I the only one who finds all these parenthetical song titles slightly ridiculous? What is so parenthetical about "what you're made of?" Isn't the practice of "showing 'em" inherently showing them what you're made of? See also: "Remix (I Like The)" by New Kids on the Block.) 

Anyway, I remember all those times as a teenager when a big music video would have its premiere on "TRL" and there'd be a big buzz from the fanbase leading up to it. And sometimes, if we were lucky enough, we'd get a behind-the-scenes look on "Making The Video." Back in those days, I thought music videos of the Boys against a green screen ("More Than That") were boring. Concert videos ("The One") were almost equally boring. Sci-fi-ish music videos ("Larger Than Life") were totally not my thing and were mostly avoided. Even music videos with a legitimate storyline ("The Call," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)") did little for me.

Or maybe it's because they were overplayed on "TRL." 

I'm not really sure what constituted a good music video for the Boys to me back then. I liked "Show Me The Meaning (Of Being Lonely)," "Just So You Know," "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," "All I Have To Give," etc. well enough. But my favorite BSB music video is probably the original European version of "I'll Never Break Your Heart," probably only because Nick Carter was just so gosh darn cute in his knit sweater in it. Maybe I just wanted to see glamour shots of my favorite Backstreet Boy looking good (a.k.a. not greasy, see: "Larger Than Life").

So fast forward about 18 years, and we have the music video for "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)". The song is classic Backstreet Boys-meets-Adult Contemporary ... meaning: classic Backstreet Boys. It's inspirational, it's uplifting, it admits youthful mistakes, and it believes in you. Aww.

The music video, too, is the best of classic Backstreet, but without the frills (unless you count A.J. and Brian's bare chests frills -- Us Magazine seemed to). Set against a black screen, there are no effects. Just lighting, angles, bare chests, Howie's corniness and the occasional boy band hand gesture, mostly courtesy of Nick Carter (who I guess picked up the habit too young and now can't shake it). Nothing has changed except for the elasticity of their skin. All the best of Backstreet condensed into a very simple, very focused 4 minute video. 

And the shocker is -- I don't find it boring at all. I even have to look away when Brian's flashing me. Does this mean I'm getting old?

Music & The Impressionable Years

source: Lisa Loeb's Facebook page

I was reading a Billboard magazine article on females and Billboard records by Gary Trust when I came upon this line: "(and one of my favorite years of music ever, with it coinciding, unsurprisingly, with my sophomore and junior years of high school, given that those years are generally accepted as among music fans' most impressionable eras, as many of us retain a strong bond with the songs we like early in our musical histories. It's also when songs serve as intense soundtracks to crushes, which surely helps those songs linger in our ears, and hearts, years later.)"

Okay, so that was more than just one line. I've always assumed one's most impressionable years were in one's middle school years, I've been in the "business" of all things teens and pop culture and tweeny for years now -- since I was one myself -- and I have never assumed that ages 15-17 were one's most impressionable years, musically. Is it true? Is or was it true for you?

For me, it started at 13 and lasted until about 17, so I'm not really sure. I still think the best year in music during my adolescence was 1997-1998ish, with the going of alternative music and the coming of teeny pop. The Lisa Loebs, Wallflowers and Third Eye Blinds mixed in with the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys and 98 Degrees (Motown Records-era). I was 13. This era was my favorite not because I was crazy in love with a boy (Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys aside), but because I spent hours upon hours listening to pop station Z100 while doing my homework. (This would be loving through repetitive listening, an idea I was introduced to by the 1995 film "Mr. Holland's Opus.")

My second favorite "year" was 2000ish (age 15): Nelly, Lenny Kravitz, Eve 6, Janet Jackson, Incubus, Christina Aguilera. A sobering little-bit-of-everything, with the reigning teen idols moving into their twenties. I was, now, crazy in love with a real, live boy and true, many of these songs remind me of him and of that time, but few of them are linked to romance or in any way linked to how I felt about him.

While Googling this "phenomenon," I stumbled across something called the Impressionable Years Hypothesis, which more or less says that tastes (and music, even more so) are set during these "impressionable years," though the definition of what is "impressionable" varies, ranging from age 10 to age 30.

So that being said, which years would you consider your most impressionable years, musically? What sort of events were they linked to, if any? In terms of musical taste, has yours changed outside what is deemed "the impressionable years"?

In 2008, when I was 23, I took a road trip down South that helped me look at country music with a more open mind. I'm a country music fan now, though not of the uber-twangy stuff. Yet.

2001-2002 Playlist

Back then, Nelly used to wear a Band-Aid on
his cheek for his incarcerated friend.
source: Nelly's Facebook page

The 2001-2002 school year was a transitional time in my life, for more than one reason. It was around that time, like I said in my previous playlist post, that I began to listen to more than what was being presented to me on pop radio. I branched out not only by listening to music online when I could (technology was nowhere near as advanced as it is today, or even a few years later), but also by tuning into more LiteFM radio stations to learn about the music that had paved the path to what was popular in 2001.

And of course, September 11th happened. That changed the landscape for radio for at least a few weeks, with a lot of Adult Contemporary seeping into typically youthful pop radio stations, making my exploration of different types of music easier. It was also in the fall of 2001 that I began to listen to holiday music stations, or seek them out. Maybe it was when the onset of nostalgia crept into the national consciousness, I don't know, but I hadn't ever sought out Christmas radio before. I don't think I've ever fully recovered from wanting to relive the good times, the better days.

Instead of putting the songs in an order that flows well, I basically put the songs in chronological order, with the exception of a few songs. Again, not all of these songs came out in the 2001-2002 period, as I was beginning to explore other genres of music.

- "Why," Avril Lavigne
There was a time I really liked Avril Lavigne. It was mostly at the very start of her career, before she started really coming at people and trying to prove how anti-Britney she really was, or whatever. Actually, she's a fairly talented songwriter and a lot of her songs have been really good. In terms of vocals, I've always looked at Taylor Swift as a poor man's version of Avril Lavigne. I also kind of maybe had a teeny crush on her guitarist, Evan Taubenfeld.
- "Wherever You Will Go," The Calling
- "Can't Fight The Moonlight," LeAnn Rimes
- "Learn To Fly," The Foo Fighters
- "Drowning," Backstreet Boys
- "Valentine," Martina McBride
This was one of the songs that I picked up, listening to those LiteFM stations. Turns out there were a ton of crossover country hits in 2001-2002 ... I didn't realize until I started putting this playlist together.

source: Avril Lavigne's Facebook page

- "God Bless The U.S.A.," Jump5
I even listened to a ton of Radio Disney that year (and still do when my regular stations just aren't doing it for me). I loved the beautiful harmonies of Jump5, and just the vocals. Jump5 was very, very young back then, and the purity of their voices seemed especially appropriate for this song given the circumstances of the popularity of this song at the time.
- "We Fit Together," O-Town
- "Don't Let Me Get Me," P!nk
This was one of the first P!nk songs I really liked. Incidentally, this was around the time she went very pop, rather than the rough and tough R&B gal she broke out on the scene as.
- "I Hope You Dance," Lee Ann Womack
- "In The End," Linkin Park
I went through a bit of an angry period in the winter months of that year ... this song came in handy, along with "Blurry" by Puddle of Mudd and "Losing Grip" by Avril being up there. "Losing Grip" remains one of my favorite Avril Lavigne songs to this day.
- "Where Are You Christmas," Faith Hill
- "Emotion," Destiny's Child
My favorite Destiny's Child song of all time, and it's not even theirs. I loved what they did with this song, I adored the music video, and I loved the soft tenderness this song offered, and comfort.
- "Girlfriend," 'N Sync
- "Blurry," Puddle of Mudd
- "Fields of Gold," Eva Cassidy
I first heard Eva Cassidy's rendition during one of Michelle Kwan's routines at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and immediately I went and downloaded the song. It's still among my top five songs.
- "I Need A Girl (Part 1)," P. Diddy and Usher, ft. Loon
- "Standing Still," Jewel
Jewel fans complained that she'd gone all pop on this record, but I didn't really care. I was going through something at the time (arguably still am), and this song really felt close to me. It was one of the first songs about identity, the Unknown and the in-between that I noticed, that came at a time I really needed to hear it. The lines "Out of the corner of my eye / was that you passing me by / a sweet sorrow is the call tomorrow" still hit me in the gut sometimes.
- "Just An Old Boyfriend," Kaci Battaglia
- "Hot in Herre," Nelly
Probably THE song of 2002. In fact, in the seventh and final season of the "Gilmore Girls," Rory and her friends threw a "2002 Party," and this was played at said party.
- "Complicated," Avril Lavigne
Don't love the song, but it brings me back every time.
- "Gangsta Lovin'," Eve and Alicia Keys
- "Just A Friend 2002," Mario
- "Heaven (Candlelight Remix)," DJ Sammy and Yanou
About a year before the DJ Sammy version of the song came out, I fell into love with Bryan Adams' version. That one will always be better or the best to me, but there's something about the Candlelight Remix ...

2000-2001 Playlist

source: MTV.com / Carlo Dalla Chiesa

I'm back to share my playlist from the 2000-2001 period, which, looking back, was probably one of the best "years" of music I can remember -- it had the perfect mix of the teenybopper music that had been so popular in the years prior, along with some alternative music of the 1990s and some hip-hop that would come to dominate pop music in the following years. The 2000-2001 period was probably one of the first years I really started to take an active interest in contemporary music outside of what was being fed to me through pop radio and MTV/VH1, so there are some songs here that may not necessarily be from the 2000-2001 time period, or songs that may not have been played on radio at all.

I started creating a Spotify playlist for this as I usually do, but so many songs were missing that I eschewed that idea and went straight for YouTube. One song from my personal iPod 2000-2001 playlist is missing from YouTube, a song that I really played the crap out of during this time period, and that song is "I Wish Me You" by Amanda Latona. She was mostly known back then for being the girlfriend of the Backstreet Boys' A.J. McLean, but she was also a former member of a girl group managed by Justin Timberlake's mother called Innosense (which I believe Britney Spears was also part of before she decided to take the solo route). Ah, who doesn't love an incestuous pop music world?

- "The Space Between," Dave Matthews Band

- "Get Over Yourself," Eden's Crush

I actually never liked this song, but a year or so after the song came out, I realized that this song had been the soundtrack to so much of that year of my life, I couldn't leave it out. I much prefer the Eden's Crush (the girl group formed by the WB show "Popstars" ... the group which Nicole Scherzinger initially started out in) song "Love This Way," which makes an appearance later on in this playlist.

- "Crazy," K-Ci and JoJo

- "So In Love With Two," Mikaila

The only reason this song is on my list is because it brings me right back every time I hear it. Even back then, I thought the song was a little too teenyboppery for me, though it had a nice R&B tone to it. I liked the girl's voice, though. Another song from this era that's similar is the song "Broken Promises" by Tonya Mitchell. Neither song fully broke pop radio, though they were played in the wee hours of the night, I guess as a trial. Wonder what ever happened to both of them.

- "Ride Wit Me," Nelly

- "If I Was The One," Ruff Endz

The grammatical errors of this song still bug me (go figure), but the melody and beat are so entrancing, I can't help but love it.

- "Natural," S Club 7

"Never Had A Dream Come True" is the S Club 7 song that most Americans are familiar with, but I was guilty of watching their kids' TV show on ABC Family back then, so I was familiar with most of their songs and kept up with their career. "Natural" was the song that really stuck out to me, because it was a teeny bit less pop and slightly more R&B, which was a style I was really fond of (and still am).

- "All For You," Janet Jackson

One of my all-time favorite songs from my teenage years. This song makes me happy to this day, and I will chair dance if I hear it. "Doesn't Really Matter" was also released as a single in 2000, and it was equally good.

source: Lenny Kravitz's Facebook page

- "I Like It," Sammie

- "Butterfly," Crazy Town

Along with "All For You," one of my all-time favorite songs of this era.

- "Smooth Criminal," Alien Ant Farm

- "I Need You," LeAnn Rimes

- "Crazy For This Girl," Evan and Jaron

- "It Wasn't Me," Shaggy

- "Love This Way," Eden's Crush

- "Lady Marmalade," Moulin Rouge soundtrack

- "Again," Lenny Kravitz

I surprised even myself when I found myself falling in love with this song. I'd already been a minor fan of Lenny Kravitz's, but this song was so simplistic in comparison to the songs I preferred. I think this is just such a simple and beautiful love song.

- "Breathe," Faith Hill

- "I'm Like A Bird," Nelly Furtado

- "More Than That," Backstreet Boys

- "No More (Baby I'ma Do Right)," 3LW

- "Drive," Incubus

Another song that defines this time in my life for me. This is such a great song, and part of what drove me towards more acoustic music.

- "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely," Ricky Martin ft. Christina Aguilera

- "Fill Me In," Craig David

I'm shocked and downright disappointed that Craig David hasn't had greater success in the United States. His music was so fresh at the time, and a fantastic fusion of pop and R&B that wasn't a filled niche at the time (and still really isn't). Plus, he's got such a pretty face.

- "All Or Nothing," O-Town

I wasn't a huge fan of O-Town, but something about this song -- or maybe the music video -- was so sad to me at the time that it made an impact and has stuck with me since. There was some controversy at the time among boy band fans over the intro of this song, as it was more or less identical to that of "Drowning" by the Backstreet Boys, a song that wasn't released until fall of 2001. Who copied who? Will we ever know?

- "How Long," Dream

Straight-up bubblegum pop, but such a princessy, girly song.

- "Here's To The Night," Eve 6

I don't think I'll ever not like this song. This song made me jealous that I wasn't a high school senior in 2001. I know it's supposed to be about a one-night stand, but that doesn't make me love the song any less. The lyrics are so true, so good for all time. The line "don't let me let you go" still haunts me to this day.

source: Eve 6's Facebook page

1998-1999 Playlist

The oh-so-controversial "Rolling Stone" cover ...
source: Britney Spears' official site

I've been gone for too long, keeping quiet on the nostalgia front ... summer time for all my teen obsessions is always busy, which for some reason, means that things are quiet. I guess it has all to do with the fact that I've always had a thing for musicians over actors or athletes (or any other type of celebrity), and summer is when they go on tour and -- as far as I'm concerned -- fall off the face of the planet. All of them, all at once. I know, my heart hurts just thinking about it.

For example, in 2013: New Kids on the Block are currently on tour with Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees. I won't be partaking this year, because I didn't love the new album that much, I think they're performing a lot of stale oldies, and ... I don't have the cash. Oh, and I don't want to sit through 98 Degrees. If it was just Boyz II Men and NKOTB, I'd give the tour a second thought. One Direction is also on tour, but I'm not young enough to be okay with sitting through 2 hours of high-pitched screaming and hysteria. (And I was abroad when the current tour went on sale and wasn't thinking 12-14 months ahead. The balls their management team have ... really.) Backstreet Boys are releasing a new album in July, with a tour immediately following. Again, I don't want to hear "I Want It That Way" for the umpteenth time, and Kevin -- in spite of my previous post -- gets no love from me, so his return isn't much of a selling point.

source: MTV.com

Sigh, it's hard to keep old fogie fans like me happy, huh?

In the meantime, I do have another playlist, taken directly from my iPod. It's a playlist I made back in the day that corresponds with the 1998-1999 school year (that is, September 1998 through summer 1999). It's appropriately summery tune-centric, for some reason, and I hope you enjoy.

And don't cry like I almost did the other day while listening to Pandora's "Summer Hits of the '90s" station the other day. (It was the juxtaposition of "Jumper" by Third Eye Blind and, embarrassingly, OMC's "How Bizarre" that did it.)

"Baby One More Time," Britney Spears

"When The Lights Go Out," 5ive

"Have You Ever," Brandy

"Chanukah Song," Adam Sandler (actually from his 1996 album)

"C'est La Vie," B*witched

"What's My Age Again," Blink 182

"Even Angels Fall," Jessica Riddle

"Smooth," Santana ft. Rob Thomas

"Genie in a Bottle," Christina Aguilera

"Miami," Will Smith

"Steal My Sunshine," Len (even better now that I'm older)

"Almost Doesn't Count," Brandy

"Summer Girls," LFO

"Heartbreaker," Mariah Carey ft. Jay-Z

"Tearin' Up My Heart," 'N Sync

"If You Had My Love," Jennifer Lopez

"Slide," Goo Goo Dolls

"Crush," Jennifer Paige
"No Scrubs," TLC

"Because of You," 98 Degrees

"Where My Girls At," 702

"Give It To You," Jordan Knight

"Angel of Mine," Monica

"Just the Two of Us," Will Smith

"I Will Remember You," Sarah McLachlan

"I Want It That Way," Backstreet Boys

"Kiss Me," Sixpence None the Richer

"Believe," Cher

Maybe Kevin does make a difference after all. #BSB

source: Backstreet Boys' Facebook page

So the Backstreet Boys made an appearance on "Good Morning America" this morning, and it was all marketed as "the guys are back!" Yeah, only for like the 14th time on broadcast television in the past 3 or 4 years. C'mon now.

Anyway. I haven't been the biggest BSB supporter over the past 5 years, I've gotta admit. The last album of theirs I thoroughly enjoyed was "Incomplete," which was released in 2005. Their sound changed ... oddly (or not-so-oddly) enough, after Kevin left the group, and their music began leaning towards electronic, dance pop music, which I felt was a) totally not their style, b) totally not their forte, c) totally not suited to their voices ... just imagining Brian singing dance music right now is giving me the heebie jeebies.

So I don't know what the rest of their new album "In A World Like This" (releasing July 30th) is going to sound like, but if the song they performed on "Good Morning America" this morning is any indication, maybe I can think "Backstreet's back, alright!" without wanting to slap myself. It's not so much that they're BACK, but it seems like they've found their sweet spot again.

"Permanent Stain" doesn't quite sound like anything they've done before, but it still sounds like them. A grown-up version of them, without sounding stuffy. It has an anthem-y feel to it without seeming like they're trying to imitate any of the actual teenaged boy bands out there today. Actually, it sounds kind of Coldplay/U2-ish to me, which is more than a long-time BSB fan (or at least this one) could hope for! And they are still ON POINT with their vocal harmonies! And dare I say it -- their dance moves are still sharp! (This is coming from a girl who thinks it's peculiar when middle-aged men dance for a bunch of girls/women.)

Of course, the Boys ended their GMA appearance with a performance of "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)," complete with those 15-year-old dance moves and everything. I love nothing more than early BSB, but that's a song I wish they would retire already.

Because Backstreet's not back ... it's never gone away.

[Bonus points if you caught the unintentional pun in there.]

Playlist: 1997-1998

How old were you in 1997-1998? Back then, my musical memory ran in academic calendar years, and I have playlists on my iPod organized accordingly. This is one of my earliest playlists. When I stopped thinking in academic calendar years, songs came to me in a jumbled mess. Sigh.

Not all of these songs were released in 1997-1998, but they were all played heavily enough on Top 40 radio or VH1/MTV in those years that I became familiar with them then. Watching these videos, it's incredible how young some of the artists look, like babies (now that I am older than they were in 1997), and how some of these artists haven't changed much at all (Celine Dion).

My 1997-1998 playlist of 38 songs:

Natalie Imbruglia in the late 1990s
source: Natalie Imbruglia's Facebook page

- "Take Me There," Blackstreet ft. Mya
- "Tubthumping," Chumbawamba
- "I Love You, Always Forever," Donna Lewis
- "Barely Breathing" Duncan Sheik
- "Save Tonight," Eagle Eye Cherry
- "Stay," Lisa Loeb
- "I Will Buy You A New Life," Everclear
- "Let Me Love You Down," INOJ
- "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)," Green Day
- "I Don't Want To Wait," Paula Cole ... a song that defined half a generation, thanks to one teen show's theme song. I have to press mute when the opening credits hit when I play my "Dawson's Creek." Who remembers the armpit hair controversy? I credit that to her never becoming a Top 40 mainstay.

- "How's It Going To Be," Third Eye Blind
- "Sunny Came Home," Shawn Colvin
- "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)," Backstreet Boys
- "Bittersweet Symphony," The Verve (not to be confused with The Verve Pipe below)
- "Breaking All The Rules," She Moves
- "Fly," Sugar Ray ... McG directed this, who knew he did music videos before moving onto bigger and better things?! Better yet, who knew he was an original member of Sugar Ray before Sugar Ray was Sugar Ray?!

- "Torn," Natalie Imbruglia ... I still don't really understand what's going on in this video.
- "The Way," Fastball
- "Building A Mystery," Sarah McLachlan
- "You Make Me Wanna," Usher
- "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes
- "The Freshmen," The Verve Pipe
- "Never Ever," All Saints

Blackstreet
source: Blackstreet Facebook page

- "Invisible Man," 98 Degrees ... Are there two music videos for this? I've legitimately never before seen the one that's in color. This is hands down my favorite 98 Degrees song.

- "Mo' Money, Mo' Problems," Notorious B.I.G.
- "Show Me Love," Robyn
- "Truly, Madly, Deeply," Savage Garden
- "No Diggity," Blackstreet
- "Praise You," Fatboy Slim
- "Together Again," Janet Jackson
- "If You Could Only See," Tonic
- "The Boy Is Mine," Brandy and Monica
- "Semi-Charmed Life," Third Eye Blind
- "I Do," Lisa Loeb
- "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing," Aerosmith
- "Ray of Light," Madonna
- "As Long As You Love Me," Backstreet Boys
- "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dion

I try my best to approach today's music with an open mind, but really, music just seemed so, so much better back then. Never mind the quality, but it seems like there was just a ton more diversity in music. Alternative still had a steady place on pop charts. The only time I can think of between the late '90s and now when the musical atmosphere was similar to the late '90s was maybe 2004-2005. Of course, by then I wasn't really listening much to the radio and probably gained a pretty skewed perspective of what was being played. A lot of my favorite songs, to this day, come from this period of the late '90s.

And to be honest, I haven't seen some of these music videos before. Like Donna Lewis? Or INOJ. I didn't even know what they looked like until now! Similarly, I didn't realize how attractive some of these artists were until now, simply because I was all too focused on Nickolas Gene Carter and his baby blues back then.

What song defined 1997 or 1998 for you?

Happy 20th Anniversary, Backstreet Boys!

It's kind of hard to believe that the Backstreet Boys are 20 years old today. Over the past 15+ years I've liked them, I've often thought about how quickly they shot to fame. Many stars spend years and years sloughing away before they "make it," but the Backstreet Boys found international success (maybe not here in the United States, but in Europe, Asia and Canada) within two years' time. That's amazing. Maybe Lou Pearlman really knew what he was doing all along.

I'm not going to make light of the work that the guys have undoubtedly put into their success today. They've been through a lot of ups and many downs, and a lot of us fans have been there with them along the way. And who really knew, back in their heyday, that the Backstreet Boys would still be chugging along all these years later? I'm proud that they've never stopped, and that they're doing this for reasons that have little to do with being commercially viable. And they're going to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in two days -- what a fantastic way to celebrate the past 20 years and set the tone for the future.

I don't know when the Backstreet train is going to stop, but it's been a long and crazy ride so far ... and I hope it continues for years to come. And maybe, just maybe, someday I'll actually be able to speak intelligibly to them when I officially meet them. (I've encountered Nick Carter a couple times and been too dumbfounded to speak ... at least any words that don't translate to a bunch of crazy symbols, and I've seen them all from afar, in concert and on the streets of New York.)

Now that I've paid the Backstreet Boys their due respect, it's time for a little harmless slagging. Nick Carter posted this photo on Instagram over a week ago. Tell me something doesn't look a little off to you.

source: Nick Carter's Instagram

Does his smile look extra beautiful to you?

IT'S BECAUSE THOSE AREN'T HIS REAL TEETH. They can't be.

Are you with me on this one? I've been a fan for long enough to know what Nickolas Gene Carter's teeth look like. I mean, I know I haven't been particularly faithful these last 5 years or so, but still. A man's teeth aren't gonna change on their own at 28 ... or at 33, for that matter.

source: AP, from WashingtonPost.com
Nick at age 30 (2010)

source: EW.com
Nick at age 22 (2002)

And I've always liked Nick's teeth ... jealous, even, that his top set of teeth was so straight without orthodontic help. They've always been nice and short, but straight teeth. Well, they are short no longer!

I guess a new set of chompers is another way to celebrate a 20th anniversary ... and an engagement.

A 20-something's guide to Harry Styles

source: fabulousmag.co.uk

Now that I am another year older (it happened this past weekend and I'm not exactly happy about it), I figured it'd be a good time to try to enlighten the unenlightened (a.k.a. convert them) to the wonder that is Harry Styles. Now, I can't speak for teen girls and why they may like Harry, but I can speak on behalf of those of us who are in our twenties.

source: WENN
I just love guys in basic, everyday clothing.

First of all, he's 19 and only a handful of months older than my refrigerator. He's one-fifth of the extremely attractive boy band that is One Direction, and he hails from Holmes Chapel in northern England. He is known mostly for his curly hair, talking extremely slowly, "dating" Taylor Swift (the jury is still out on whether it was a real relationship or a PR one) and being not only a cougar magnet, but reciprocative of the attention he gets from cougars. (That justifies this entire post.)

I can't explain what exactly it is about Harry Styles that has mature women giggling over his every whim, but I can tell you that it's not his looks. Because if you have eyes, you will agree that Zayn Malik wins the crown for Best Looking Member of One Direction. Obviously. In fact, it was Zayn who drew me to One Direction at first, but once I realized that Harry Styles was more interesting, I switched teams.

Here are some of the traits that make him attractive, among others I can't put my finger on, demonstrated through video clips.

+ He's intelligent, witty and funny without trying too hard.
I have a track record of liking boys who are less than smart, but Harry Styles is not one of them. You can tell he's quite intelligent (this interview is a great example), and sometimes you might even wonder whether he's borderline pretentious (like, he hangs out with "philosopher" Alain de Botton and frequents art galleries). But then he does something unabashedly dorky and you forgive everything.

Skip to 8:19 and try not to laugh as he asks for gold man tights.

+ He's not afraid to show his emotions.

+ He's a mummy's boy.

Okay, so maybe that video doesn't exactly demonstrate that he's a momma's boy, but maybe his multiple tattoos for his mother and sister Gemma do?

List: Top 10 '00s Pop Albums

source:ChristinaAguilera.com

Continued from where I left off in 1999 with Jessica Simpson's "Sweet Kisses" album, I'm back to share a list of what I consider the best (teeny)pop albums of the first decade of the 21st century. It seems that though my first dabblings in the world of popular music were far more R&B-tinged, by the time I was settled in my teens, I was happily throwing my parents' hard-earned dollars into the teenybopper pop music pot. Maybe it was a sign of the times. (Maybe not.)

Since 2004 or so, I really haven't been keeping up with pop music, so this list will be skewed in many ways. Again, in chronological order, the list:

"SOONER OR LATER," BBMAK (2000)
BBMak was a blip on the pop music radar. I saw an interview One Direction did recently when neither Niall nor Zayn could identify BBMak's greatest hit, "Back Here." And BBMak (or at least the only one who really mattered to me) hails from Manchester, England, the general vicinity of Zayn Malik's hometown! (For the record, Niall could readily identify "Step By Step" by the New Kids On The Block, so this has nothing to do with the fact that he was only 7 years old when the album was released.) So I had a crush on Christian Burns (although Mark is looking good to me now), whose birthday was made suspiciously murky at the time. He was probably, like, 32 instead of the 26 or so he claimed to be, but whatevs. They released a surprising number of singles (hits, I'd dare to call them, because most -- if not all -- of them made it onto the "TRL" countdown) in the U.S., 4 or 5. The music was good, and for a second, I even tried to convince my friends that they were not a teenybopper band because they played their own instruments! They wrote their own songs! And they're old(er)! Which was all true, along with the fact that they had a decidedly more acoustic and organic sound than what 'N Sync was coming up with around the time ("Bye Bye Bye" and the like). BBMak broke up in 2003, long after I'd stopped caring about them, but I still pull out "Sooner or Later" every once in a while and give it a listen ... because after 13 years, it's still good.

"SHADES OF PURPLE," M2M (2000)

I know. You're probably thinking, "WTF? The 'Don't Say You Love Me'/'Pokemon' girls?" Yes, they were annoying and their voices whiny. But if you can get over that, they actually made some really decent music. In terms of songwriting, they were on Taylor Swift's level (or better) before Taylor Swift even became a teenager. They followed their debut album "Shades of Purple" with "The Big Room" in 2002, which, as a teen, felt like a lifetime later. Their star had faded a bit by then, and Marit and Marion officially went their separate ways the same year. "The Big Room" was good, but "Shades of Purple" was more satisfying in the way it captured the atmosphere of pop music at the time. They incorporated different flavors into their pop music, most notably R&B, and they did it incredibly effortlessly. I hadn't listened to M2M in about ten years' time when I stumbled upon them again recently and marveled at just how great two teenaged girls' songwriting skills were back in the day. I highly recommend both of their albums if you're into pop music from the late '90s/early '00s.

"BLACK & BLUE," BACKSTREET BOYS (2000)

Bringing it back to the U.S. now ... to me, "Black & Blue," and not "Millennium," is the Backstreet Boys' greatest creation to date. It was ever-so-slightly raunchier than "Millennium," but held steadfastly onto the sound the Backstreet Boys had already created for themselves. They had some angrier tunes on this, like "The Call" and "Not For Me," as well as your typical Backstreet fare, like "More Than That." And while "Shape of My Heart" wasn't a standout for me back in the day, it's become a sort of BSB anthem to me, far more able to draw a visceral feeling of nostalgia from me than the always bland "I Want It That Way." (Sorry.)

"IT WAS ALL A DREAM," DREAM (2001)

Sigh. I felt these girls had so much potential, and they brought to the table something other girl groups hadn't been able to offer -- an urban touch and a playful irreverence. Although none of these girls were probably from anything less than middle-class California, they were signed by P. Diddy (who had JUST changed his name for the umpteenth time) to Bad Boy Records. And because they were so close to me in age, I felt as if I could live my pop star dreams through them vicariously. I'm not entirely sure what happened with them -- I know the eldest member left the group to pursue acting, they recruited a new member and recorded a sophomore album which was never distributed. But I was able to get my hands on it some years down the line and I enjoyed it nearly as much as I enjoyed their debut. What a pity. Looking back at their music videos, it's kind of awkward how girls in their mid-teens are thrust in the spotlight. Maybe what happened to them was a good thing after all.

Sorry for the shoddy quality ... this was my favorite single of theirs 

and this is the only "copy" of the music video on YouTube.

"STRIPPED," CHRISTINA AGUILERA (2002)

Do you remember how much controversy surrounded the release of this album? Between the "assless leather chaps," Christina's "dirrty" look, the dark hair and impending weight gain ... blah blah blah. Bottom line is this was an amazing album, and almost an entirely different sound from her equally impressive debut album. I think "Beautiful" is overrated, but there were songs for everyone on this album, and gems like "Impossible," "Underappreciated," "Loving Me 4 Me,""Cruz" ... altogether incredible and probably among her best.

List: Top 10 (+1) '90s Pop Albums

"Teen People" from Summer 1999

I was discussing a 2002 Village Voice article on tween pop music with my friend and sometime guinea pig the other day, which of course set me down memory's lane. Remember names like No Secrets, Leslie Carter, P.Y.T.? I wasn't a tween when those singers made it big on Radio Disney, but I enjoyed them all the same. [Side note: When throwing a low blow, we often generalize fans of teen idols as twelve or thirteen-year-olds, but in reality, how old are they really?]

On my lovely, picturesque stroll down memory lane, I conjured up non-artificially sweet memories of great pop music from the '90s till now. It still, arguably, exists! Here is my list for the 1990s (if I included them all, this entry would be out of control), in chronological order.

"MUSIC BOX," MARIAH CAREY (1993)
This is the first musical purchase I ever made (or requested to be made on my behalf), and it was in cassette tape form. I had two copies which I listened to until both broke. And I was still in the single digits, age-wise. I think that's pretty telling. I downloaded it in its digital form last year and love it every bit as much as I did back then. I actually prefer "Music Box" to "Daydream," most probably because I wasn't subject to the overplaying of most of the songs ("One Sweet Day" and "Always Be My Baby" in particular).

"FACE THE MUSIC," NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK/NKOTB (1994) 
I think this album was the New Kids' best effort, and the one that has probably garnered the least amount of attention. After a short hiatus in 1992, the New Kids came back with a new image and a new sound, one more deeply rooted in R&B ... and it was mostly rejected. I get it, teenage girls are fickle and they probably don't want their idols to look like men or have facial hair. But this album was great! From "You Got The Flavor" and "Let's Play House," which are upbeat and a little naughty, to the R&B love songs ("Never Let You Go," "I Can't Believe It's Over") to the soppy pop ones ("If You Go Away") ... it's the stuff teenaged girls' dreams are made of!

"BACKSTREET BOYS," BACKSTREET BOYS (1996) 
The Backstreet Boys album I'm referring to is not the 1997 self-titled debut album released in the United States, but the one that became an international hit when Americans were still into Alanis Morissette and grunge/ska/Coolio or whatever. The U.S. version of the album was an amalgamation of songs from two albums that had already become hits overseas. Though both of their first two albums were great, I prefer the first one because it is a little more playful and upbeat. "Let's Have A Party" will always remind me of long summer road trips with my family, and "Get Down (You're The One For Me)" is a song I can still get down to today, though only in the privacy of my own room, and "Quit Playin' Games (With My Heart)"? C'mon. 2000's "Black & Blue" was the next best BSB album for me, beating out the possibly overhyped "Millennium" (1999).

"JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT," JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT (1996) 
I don't think anyone really knows this album exists. This is actually JLH's third studio album. Jennifer Love Hewitt attempted to rekindle her singing career between 1999 and 2002, but mostly people were like, "Why is Jennifer Love Hewitt singing?" I knew the answer to that because she was a cast member of my favorite show as a child, "Kids, Incorporated." She had a beautiful voice then and I'm sure she has a beautiful voice now, but darn it, won't the world let her show it? Her self-titled album was a real gem ... I haven't really heard the earlier ones in their entirety, but this one is a little more mature than expected for the sixteen or seventeen years she was at the time, and it's laid back instead of saccharine sweet. It hits that late '90s sound right in the head, though, and does it with flying colors. Ohh, the memories of summer 1997 that come flying back when I press play ...

"KEEP ON," NO AUTHORITY (1997)
"Keep On" was NA's debut album under Michael Jackson's record label, and the (FAR) greater of the two albums they released. Around 2000, they were given a bit of an image makeover and rebranding and were then thrown against Radio Disney walls. They didn't stick and they disappeared. I spotted one of the lead singers Ricky Godinez on an episode of Audrina Patridge's VH1 reality show a couple years ago (I ain't ashamed!). He is apparently a very flamboyant pilates instructor going by the moniker Ricky Rebel now ... we knew it was bound to happen. "Keep On" has a sexy, sleek, smooth assurance that should be borderline illegal for teenage boys their age (they were about 15-18 years old at the time) to wield. Plus, these are not bad looking guys.

Goodbye, teenage dream: The last Backstreet Boy bites the dust

Before it becomes completely irrelevant (if it hasn’t already) … Nick Carter got engaged about a month ago, and he announced it via Twitter/People magazine and maybe a couple of other outlets a couple days after that, on a Friday evening. (Which, having worked in news, I find to be odd timing. You typically release a story on a Friday if you want it to land as softly and under the radar as possible.)

Nick Carter (the youngest member of the Backstreet Boys, if you didn’t know) was my ultimate celebrity crush. It’s been at least a handful of years since I have actually been attracted to him, but like many other girls, it’s just hard to let go of such a major celebrity crush. He wasn’t my first and he definitely won’t be the last, but … let’s just say he has the best of my teenage years and there will only ever be one celebrity crush like him in my life.

I started obsessing over him on the cusp of thirteen, a good 15 years ago, but I would say I hit the Backstreet Boys stride at about age 15. The notion of Nick Carter getting married was a devastating one — so devastating that I don’t think I ever really let the thought slip into my head. I didn’t even dare to imagine myself marrying the guy. I spent my entire adolescence as a big fan of the Backstreet Boys, and my early twenties. Essentially, I grew up with them, and in a way, I felt that Nick — being the youngest member of the group — grew up with us, too. In college, I watched somewhat disinterestedly as Nick went through a deck of blondes, then the trainwreck I saw coming — Paris Hilton (who I was not so disinterested about … oh Nick, you should’ve known better, PR stunt or not). And then he vowed never to get married. Check, tick, done. I didn’t have to give it another thought.

Now, if you’d asked me at age 15 where I thought the Backstreet Boys would be when I was 25, I’d probably have said “Boy Band Heaven.” At 13, I might’ve been under some grand illusion that the Backstreet Boys would still be together in 10 years and making new music, but by 15, I knew better.

Well, the Boys have certainly surprised me! And in more ways than one. Not only have they continued to make music, almost without pause, but each Backstreet Boy has gone on to get married and have children (Howie’s not gay, y’all!) … except Nick. I honestly thought he was never going to get married. I feel stupid saying it now, but I really did.

And how did I feel when I found out that fateful Friday night? Odd. As with everything these days, it was a mixed bag of emotions. (If only emotions could be as simple as they were at 15!) I felt a little sad, sure. I felt disappointed that I’d “counted” on him not ever getting married. I felt pressure to get married (silly, I know, but this societal pressure comes in all shapes and sizes). And then I felt something else, this enduring sense that I should feel more … maybe sadder that it was essentially a nail in the coffin of my adolescence.

Because, in a way, it’s THE day I’ve consciously and unconsciously dreaded since age 13. The death of my teenage dream. I mean, I’ve feared plane crashes and car accidents, but — knock on wood — they haven’t happened. And Nick Carter was The Big Kahuna for me, and The Big Kahuna is only going to get engaged for the first time once. I even have a feeling this marriage will last.

I’m not sure how I thought I would feel about this news, because I’d never thought about it. In retrospect, a sinking feeling might’ve been an appropriate response. Or maybe wistfulness. Maybe anger, bitterness and jealousy, if I’d known any more about Lauren Kitt than I’d cared to find out over the years (she’s a body builder or somesuch and she’d maybe been in a committed relationship until shortly before she got together with Nick?). I don’t know. How ARE you supposed to respond to these things? And why isn’t there an eHow article on it? I mean, there’s an entire sect of Psychology/Sociology devoted to celebrity “relationships,” and I wrote several papers on it in college. … or am I overthinking this (as I do)?

Interesting, too, is how a boy band survives with zero single members. Isn’t pop music and teen idolatry all about the unattainable? And didn’t Lou Pearlman force the guys for a while to remain tattoo-less and lie about their relationship statuses? Are we fans now just in it for the pure sake of nostalgia?

What are your thoughts? And what girlfriend/boyfriend/marriage “trauma” have you had to go through with your celebrity crushes? How did you deal?

Backstreet who?

No, I haven't forgotten the existence of my favorite boy band EVER. (Though I'll be honest with you, I'm not too happy with one Kevin Richardson for splitting when the going got rough and returning when the going got ... better.) The powers that control the Backstreet Boys' Twitter account posted this "behind-the-scenes" image of the Backstreet Boys at a recent photo shoot and challenged BSB fans to identify the five members based on their lower extremities.

 

source: The Backstreet Boys' Twitter account

You'd think that after 15+ years, we wouldn't have any problems identifying them. I'm not so confident in our devotedness, guys. I saw responses ranging the entire gamut. In fact, the only one anyone seemed to agree on was that the dude with the purple sneakers was AJ McLean, and only because ... I mean, tats and what appears to be nail polish ... or alarmingly discolored nails (hopefully from years of applying nail polish). 

My guess was, based on style and (sub, har har)stance: AJ, Kevin, Howie, Nick, Brian. 

My reasoning: Guy #2 (from the left) and Guy #4 have longer inseams than Guy #3 and Guy #5. Though Brian and Howie may have disproportionately long legs for their below-average heights, it's unlikely. Kevin and Nick are approximately the same height. Guy #4 just screams Nick Carter to me, because he's pretty much the only Backstreet Boy member to my knowledge who ever poses like that ... but don't quote me on that. Now all that remains are Guys 3 and 5. Judging from their clothing, I'm guessing Guy #5 is Brian and Guy #3 is Howie, because Brian seems much more likely to agree to wearing his pants tucked inside combat boots. 

Yes, I just spent that much time analyzing this photograph. You don't even wanna know how much time I spent analyzing the 9-member supergroup NKOTBSB's single "Don't Turn Out The Lights." Luckily Kevin hadn't returned yet ...