In a World Like This
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In a World Like This is the eighth studio album (seventh in the U.S.) by the Backstreet Boys, released on July 30, 2013.[3] It's a follow-up to 2009's This Is Us. It's the first album featuring all five original members in six years since Kevin Richardson left the group in 2006 to focus on his family and pursue other interests. Richardson rejoined the group in 2012. It will also be their first independent album after they left their old label Jive Records in 2010.
On May 20, 2013, the group released "Permanent Stain" as a promotional single, which was co-written by band member Nick Carter. A free download of the song was offered with the purchase of a ticket for their In a World Like This Tour.[4] The first single from the album, also titled "In a World Like This" premiered on Z100 New York on June 18, 2013[5] and was released on June 25, 2013.[2]
Background
In May 2010, Backstreet Boys left their long-time label, Jive.[6] The group then was looking to sign with Interscope Records, but the members couldn't agree on whether to take a one-album deal or a three-album deal. In June 2010, Nick Carter revealed that they had started working on new material for the next album,[7] and Brian Littrell said in a separate interview that they were planning to release the album in early 2011.[8] However, in late 2010 they teamed up with New Kids on the Block for a joint tour called NKOTBSB planned for 2011 and they had to push back the release of the album as they had to find time to work on the album in between tour dates. In March 2011, during a press conference in Vietnam, the group stated that for the first time ever they have full creative control because they were no longer with Jive.[9][10]
In November 2011, after the US leg of NKOTBSB tour ended, Carter said in an interview that they were hoping to get a single out in spring 2012 and the album in summer 2012.[11] However, Carter's sister Leslie's unexpected death at the end of January 2012 made the group once again postpone the recording until the end of February 2012 to give him time to cope with his loss. Howie Dorough stated later that month that they would not rush the album and that they would try to release the album in 2012 or 2013 at the latest.[12]
In April 2012, a week before the European leg of NKOTBSB tour started, the group, along with original member Kevin Richardson, went to London to meet with producer Martin Terefe and to write some songs.[13] On April 29, 2012, the group announced that Richardson had rejoined them permanently[14] and in July 2012, all five members moved into a house together all by themselves in London to work on the new album.[15] Besides Terefe, they also wrote songs with Sacha Skarbek and Craig David while in London,[16][17] and in the US they worked with Morgan Taylor Reid, Mika Guillory, GoodWill & MGI,[18] Lucas Hilbert, Geo Slam, and Porcelain Black.[19][20] On July 27, 2012 the group held a lottery for fans to win a chance to hear rough mixes of their new album at their studio in London.[21][22]
On April 20, 2013, during their 20th anniversary celebration event, the group previewed eight new songs, "Soldier", "In Your Arms", "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)", "Trust Me", "Permanent Stain", "Try", and "Breathe".[23] The following day, they posted a video containing the previews of six of the new songs on their YouTube channel. On May 15, 2013, the group performed a song from the new album, "Permanent Stain", for the very first time on Good Morning America. While on GMA they also announced that the purchase of each ticket for their In A World Like This Tour would include a free download of "Permanent Stain". They released a lyric video of the song on their YouTube Channel the following day.[4]
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 62/100[24] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Daily Express | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Digital Spy | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Guardian | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Idolator | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
London Evening Standard | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Los Angeles Times | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
MUZU.TV | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Newsday | C[33] |
PopMatters | 6/10[34] |
Rolling Stone | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Slant Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Virgin Media | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
In A World Like This received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on 11 reviews.[38] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic found it "far more interesting" sonically than the two last albums and stated, " In a World Like This is a surprisingly mature and fine record from a former boy band that seems unafraid to act its age.[39] MUZU.TV's Pip Ellwood opined that In A World Like This finds Backstreet Boys continuing to mature with their sound. The album’s title track sees the group working once again with long-time collaborator Max Martin. The track keeps Backstreet Boys’ sensibilities allowing their strong harmonies to come to the fore on the chorus and giving each of the individual members vocal parts. Musically the song is an acoustic-driven mid-tempo number that is recognisable as them but different to anything they’ve done before.[40]
In a mixed review, Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian opined that their last record, released 2009, recreated the dancepop of their golden era; this time, perhaps goaded by fear of looking foolish, they've abandoned the beats for mid-tempo adult pop[41]
Musical style
In July 2012, Richardson stated in an interview that the album will be authentic and personal, and that they were hoping Terefe would produce the entire record.[13] They also wrote a lot on it and a lot of the songs were based on their own life experiences.[42] Richardson also revealed that he wrote a song about his son. "We want it to be a personal album about what’s happening in our lives now. A.J. is getting ready to be a father. Howie, Brian and myself are fathers already. So we’re just trying to make it a personal record."[43] In an interview with Clizbeats, Carter talked about reinvention and drastic changes and he said that he didn't feel that the group were at that point anymore.[44]
The album itself is a mixture of modern pop, adult contemporary, and dance music, with a hint of singer/songwriter genre as demonstrated on "Try", "Madeleine", and "Trust Me".[45]
Commercial performance
The album was first released in Japan on July 24, 2013 where it debuted and peaked at No. 4.[46] On July 30, 2013 it was released in the US and reached No. 5 on Billboards 200 and peak No.3 at Independent Album.[47] The album was released in most countries in August 2013 and managed to reach No. 1 in Netherlands, Taiwan, and Switzerland. It entered the top 5 in U.S, Japan, Canada, Germany, and Spain, and the top 10 in Austria, Norway and India.
Track listing
The official track listing was posted on the group's official site on June 17, 2013.[48]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "In a World Like This" | Max Martin, Kristian Lundin, Savan Kotecha | Max Martin, Kristian Lundin | 3:40 |
2. | "Permanent Stain" | Nick Carter, Morgan Taylor Reid, Mika Guillory | Morgan Taylor Reid | 3:55 |
3. | "Breathe" | Martin Terefe, Andreas Olsson, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Howie Dorough, Nick Whitecross, Magne Furuholmen | Martin Terefe | 3:50 |
4. | "Madeleine" | Martin Terefe, Sacha Skarbek | Martin Terefe | 4:05 |
5. | "Show 'Em (What You're Made Of)" | Morgan Taylor Reid, Mika Guillory, AJ McLean, Kevin Richardson | Morgan Taylor Reid | 3:44 |
6. | "Make Believe" | Dan Muckala, Bryan Shackle, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough | Dan Muckala | 4:46 |
7. | "Try" | Martin Terefe, James Bryan, James Morrison, Kyle Riabko | Martin Terefe | 3:22 |
8. | "Trust Me" | Martin Terefe, James Bryan, Justin Nozuka | Martin Terefe | 3:47 |
9. | "Love Somebody" | Justin Trugman, Jaakko Manninen, Jordan Omley, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough | Justin Trugman, Jaakko Manninen | 3:26 |
10. | "One Phone Call" | Morgan Taylor Reid, Howie Dorough, Sean Douglas | Morgan Taylor Reid | 3:51 |
11. | "Feels Like Home" | Dan Muckala, Bryan Shackle, Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Kevin Richardson | Dan Muckala | 3:25 |
12. | "Soldier" | Morgan Taylor Reid, Mika Guillory, Howie Dorough, Nick Carter | Morgan Taylor Reid | 3:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Hot, Hot, Hot" | Martin Terefe, Glen Scott, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter | Martin Terefe | 3:26 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "Light On" | Dan Muckala, Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, Jess Cates | Dan Muckala | 4:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
13. | "In Your Arms" | Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Morgan Taylor Reid, Mika Guillory | Morgan Taylor Reid | 3:45 |
14. | "Take Care" | Martin Terefe, Lowell Boland, Glen Scott, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell | Martin Terefe | 3:26 |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2013 | |||
World Music Awards[53] | World's Best Live Act | Pending | |
World's Best Group | Pending | ||
World's Best Entertainer of the Year | Pending | ||
Pop Crush Music Awards[54] | Best Summer Album | Nominated | |
Best Summer Tour | Nominated | ||
Pop Clash Hall of Fame | Won |
Charts
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[55] | 30 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[56] | 8 |
Belgian Albums (Flanders)[57] | 17 |
Belgian Albums (Wallonia)[58] | 37 |
Canadian Albums (Canadian Albums Chart)[59] | 2 |
Danish Albums (IFPI Danmark)[60] | 23 |
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[61] | 1 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[62] | 14 |
German Albums (Media Control Charts)[63] | 3 |
Indie Albums (Top 25 Albums)[64] | 9 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[65] | 81 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[66] | 24 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[67] | 4 |
Korean Albums (Gaon charts)[68] | 30 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[69] | 8 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[70] | 19 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[71] | 5 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[72] | 25 |
Swiss Albums(Swiss Hitparade)[73] | 1 |
Taiwanese Albums (IFPI)[74] | 1 |
UK Albums (OCC)[75] | 16 |
U.S. Billboard 200[76] | 5 |
U.S. Independent Albums[77] | 3 |
Release history
Country | Date | Edition(s) | Label |
---|---|---|---|
Japan[78] | July 24, 2013 | CD, digital download | Sony Music Japan |
United Kingdom[79] | July 29, 2013 | K-BAHN, BMG Rights Management | |
United States[3] | July 30, 2013 | ||
Australia[80] | August 2, 2013 | Digital download | Cooking Vinyl |
August 9, 2013 | CD | ||
Germany[81] | August 2, 2013 | CD, digital download | K-BAHN, BMG Rights Management |
South Africa[82] | August 2, 2013 | Digital download | |
August 23, 2013 | CD | ||
Hong Kong[82] | August 9, 2013 | CD, digital download | Love Da Records |
Taiwan[82] | |||
Singapore[82] | |||
Malaysia[82] | |||
Korea[82] | August 12, 2013 | Digital download | Sony Music Korea |
August 22, 2013 | CD | ||
Mexico[82] | August 15, 2013 | CD, digital download | |
Russia[82] | August 26, 2013 | CD, digital download |
References
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Get "Permanent Stain" as a free download with tickets to the In a World Like This Tour - On sale NOW
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Day 10! Working with mr Craig David today what!!!!!!
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Day#10: a little writing with @Craigdavid
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Been in the studio all day long. 2 different writing sessions. One with Lucas hilbert and the other geo slam from red ones camp. I am hustling for this new BSB record!
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Off to bed. Lottery pick at the studio on Friday. A chance to hear rough mixes of the new BSB record. 5 lucky winners. That's BIG!
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