THE BACKSTREETBOYS: Is Back To Play More Games With Your Heart

The Backstreet Boys was one of the most popular boy bands of the 90's. But these boys - now men - definitely aren't stuck in the past. Earlier this month, the band released their latest album: This Is Us.A word of warning: it's not what you'll be expecting.

Their last album, Unbreakable, broke the stereotypical boy-band mould, and this newest album is a step in the same direction - the first time I heard the track "If I Knew Then," I thought it was actually Akon.Even though the synthesizers and auto-tuned vocals aren't what I remember listening to as a pining pre-teen, BSB makes these new additions work for them.

The album opens with its single, "Straight Through My Heart," and the song's dance-club beat and synthesized melodies have me dancing around the room like I'm twelve years old again.Another of my favorite tracks, "Bye Bye Love," features a pulsing beat and climbing falsettos reminiscent of Justin Timberlake's latest hits.

But there were a few things that felt a little bit off to this long-time fan.For example, in the song "She's a Dream," the boys refer to the girl in question as "shorty," a phrase that felt just a bit out of place coming from a bunch of 30-somethings.

And though I know they're not teenagers anymore, I still can't help but cringe when Nick sings about his "hands all over your booty" in "PDA."Despite the album's few shortcomings, the message is clear: Backstreet's back.

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