Let me started off with a warning: This review is totally biased since the Backstreet Boys are five of my favorite people on this planet, so be warned.
Now, to the good stuff.
I said in a previous post that I was pretty sure that “DNA” would end up being my favorite Backstreet Boys album of all time. Was I right? Yes, I was. This album, in my opinion, is right up there with “Millennium.” It might be better than “Millennium.”
Sure, “Millennium” will always have that nostalgia thing where we remember where we were the first time we heard “Larger Than Life” or “Don’t Wanna Lose You Now.” In fact, I want to call “DNA” the mature version of “Millennium.”
This isn’t just a boy band album – it’s a vocal group album and it’s DAMN. GOOD.
One of my favorite things about the album is that all of the guys sing on the songs. Sure, one might sing a little bit more than the other, but all of them are featured. Remember the days back in the late ’90s where fan sites would have a banner saying “LET KEVY KEV SING!”
Yeah, they don’t have to worry about that anymore. Kevin and Howie both sing and Brian’s voice is stronger than ever and don’t even get me started on Nick and AJ’s voices. They are all in their prime.
This is why this is my new favorite Backstreet Boys album.
1. “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
I was a fan of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” the moment that it was released. The song has the harmonies and melodies of the typical Backstreet Boys song, but it has that punch that just gets you in the mood to dance. I don’t like to dance, but I catch myself in the car constantly wanting to dance to this song. It’s just a damn good song, which we’ve known since May. It’s the best song to start this album with by far.
2. “Nobody Else”
Let me just say that if a song could get me pregnant, it would be this song. AJ’s voice with the “tick … tick … tick …” line.
“I don’t want to share you with no one else / no one else / I can’t compare you to no one else, no one else”
Nick’s verse, the lines directly after the first chorus ends is enough to send chills down your body, because let me tell you, that happened to me. The lyrics and vulnerability of the guys’ voices, especially Brian and Nick, on this song is what makes it so good.
3. “Breathe”
“Breathe” could possibly go into my top five favorite Backstreet Boys songs of all time. There’s no music, just their sweet, sweet voices. It literally just makes me so happy that I feel like unicorns are flying around me with fairies.
For any Backstreet Boys fan who loves their harmonies, this is like a big present with a big red bow on Christmas morning. And sometimes when listening to it, I must remember to breathe.
4. “New Love”
I’m not going to lie, this may have been my least excited song on the album. The first listen I gave it, I was like, “okay, what is this? The new ‘PDA’?” However, after about 10 hours, I’ve actually grown to love the deep voices, the growls, the funky little beat and even the lyrics.
I want all of you all over me / in any dark room / and I don’t wanna know your name / just let me do what I do, oh yeah baby
Let’s be real, every fan that has ever been attracted to one of the boys has had those thoughts. They’ve just finally put our thoughts in a song.
5. Passionate
Fans on the 2018 Backstreet Boys Cruise heard this song during Kevin’s little event and also got to hear Brian and the boys sing part of it during the Group B concert, so we had a small inkling of what this song was.
But let me say this – our bodies were NOT ready for this song.
It is like Backstreet Boys meets Maroon 5 meets Duran Duran meets Bruno Mars and it is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
“I know I come on hard / there’s no need to be alarmed / It’s just that I’m Passionate / I can’t help it but I need to get my hands on all of it / I need to get my hands on all of it”
*fans self*
6. “Is It Just Me”
The fast lyrics is what makes this song and AJ delivers them so well. He doesn’t sing hard, but so subtle and like I said before, vulnerable.
“Is it just me / Did our talks get a little bit shorter / is it just me / does the nights get a little bit colder”
The one thing that this album has is each boy hitting new notes that you’re not accustomed to. – all of them. Brian has been singing higher the last two years or so with his vocal issues, but it works for him. His voice is stronger now that it has been in years and don’t get me started on Howie hitting low notes (not on this song), but in general.
This isn’t the strongest song on the album, but it’s not a fluffer piece either. None of the songs are filler like you get with some albums.
7. “Chances”
I was a fan of this song from the moment I heard it because it is literally one of the best songs the guys have ever recorded. It’s different, but not too different. I mean, anything written by Ryan Tedder and Shawn Mendes is pretty much gold.
The one thing I do love about this song, which I mentioned with “Is It Just Me,” the guys hit different notes. Howie sings low in this and Kevin is given the higher, longer note that AJ or Brian is known for on the bridge.
8. “No Place”
If I’m not mistaken, we heard this song in the 2018 Cruise also. There were several country-ish songs and I knew from the moment I heard this that it could be a hit and it’s actually doing really well on iTunes, beating out “Chances.”
I have said it for years – they need to do something country, something more than just the song with “Florida Georgia Line.” They might not all be into country, but as a group, they could do good in the genre. There aren’t really many country vocal groups anymore like there were in the ’80s and ’90s. You have groups with one main singer (Zac Brown Band, Sugarland, etc.), and it gets stale after a while.
This could be a hit on the country charts.
9. “Chateau”
HOWARD DOROUGH GETS THE OPENING VERSES OF A SONG!
And then Nick joins in with the sweet lyrics before hitting that “Baby, I want you back!” on the chorus. Their voices on that line just sends chills down my spine and I don’t know why.
I think the thing I like the most about this song is the fact that Chateau is only mentioned a few times, at the beginning of the second verse with Nick singing it and some at the end of the chorus. It’s not thrown out there, so if someone didn’t know better, they would think it was called “I Want You Back.”
“Baby I want you back / there’s a space in my bed / in the shape of your head / I said it, what if I said it / baby, I want you back / would you come back around / because I need you right now / I said it, there I said it / I want you back”
10. “The Way It Was”
Let me say, that this song also got me pregnant and I lost my wig, my cool and everything else that you can lose from being in shock from the pure goodness that is Nickolas Gene Carter’s voice begging for a woman.
The song literally reminds of me of R&B, soulful song from the ’60s. I want to see them standing there in matching suits like The Temptation.
Basically, the song is like sex. Pure, hot, romantic sex. If sex could be packaged in a song, I’m pretty sure it would be “The Way It Was.”
Nick’s high notes. LAWD JESUS.
And can we talk about Mr. Kevin Scott Richardson’s bridge!
“Oh, you know I still want you baby / We both know, we both know, we will never be the same, NOOOOO!”
Yes, Kevin, I will never be the same after this song and if it’s not performed on the “DNA” tour, I will go craaaaay-aaaaaay–aaaaaazy.”
11. “Just Like You Like It”
This song is another song that just feels my heart with pride. Country singer Dustin Lynch co-wrote this and it has that country twang. It’s almost like a modern-day “Drowning.”
“I’ll brush that hair back off your face / girl let my fingers trace all over you / just like you like it / you breathe my name, I feel the heat / now we’re on fire in these sheets / ’cause I’m burnin’ for you / just like you like it
I mean, who told them they could sing songs like that to us?
This song is one of my favorites off this album. It’s so simple and the lyrics are what make the song so well, along with their voices. And I love that they all sing on it.
And I hope they continue to sing songs like this, just like I like it.
12. “Ok”
This may be my least favorite song on the album, and that’s if I had to pick a least favorite, but I really like it. It’s just kind of a fun, light-hearted song and I think the album needed something like that. It just sounds like one of those songs that they would have fun while performing on stage or even recording it.
And it’s okay, because as long as I’m with Backstreet Boys, I’m okay.
13. “Said I Love You” (Japan Bonus)
This song is pretty much on the same page as “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and “New Love.” It’s got a really funky, synth beat to it that almost sounds like something like Duran Duran in the mid ’80s, but with a modern twist. Honestly, I don’t even know why this is a bonus track. Twelve songs for an album is so short, this should have been included on the regular album because I’m needy and spoiled.
We are all spoiled in the BSB fandom.
14. “Do You Remember” (Japan Bonus)
I remember hearing this song on the cruise because I remembered the title. I thought of the Aaron Carter song by the same time and joked that they re-recorded it before we heard a snippet of it.
This song just has that same kind of vibe as “OK,” but with a Hall and Oats type-feeling to it. There are definitely some ’80s sounding songs on this album, which I love!
15. “Best Days” (Japan Bonus)
This song starts out with Nick sounding like a stalker from that “You” show on Netflix, but at least he ends up sounding normal after that where they are reminiscing about how being with someone were their “best days.”
This song, like a few of the others, really showcases their harmonies, but not the typical harmonies, just singing together at the same time. That might be my favorite thing about this album is that little.
Oh and that bridge on “Best Days”? Yeah, it might be the best thing since sliced bread.
Overall, like I said, this might be my favorite album by the Backstreet Boys ever. It’s just that good. After listening to the complete album, I’ve done nothing but smiled.
Smiling because I’m so unbelievably proud of these guys. Smiling because I trusted them to take their time with this album, all while performing around the country and even the world. Smiling because I know that people are going to see the unbelievable talent that is the Backstreet Boys.
And smiling because I love this.
