Unbreakable is the Backstreet Boys' sixth studio album (fifth in the United States). It was released on October 24, 2007 in Japan and October 30 in the United States by Jive Records.
This was the first of two consecutive Backstreet Boys albums as a quartet without Kevin Richardson, who departed from the group in 2006 to pursue other interests and first without involvement from longtime producers and friends Max Martin and Kristian Lundin, who have worked on all of the group's previous albums.
Background
In July 2007, it was announced that the Backstreet Boys would release a new album on October 30, 2007, their first album of new material in two years. Rumored titles of the album included End to Beginning, Picking Up the Pieces, and Motivation before Brian Littrell and A. J. McLean confirmed on August 13, 2007, that the title of the album would be Unbreakable. Producers include Dan Muckala, who produced the band's 2005 hit single "Incomplete", and Rob Wells. It is the first Backstreet Boys album that former member Kevin Richardson is not involved in, as he had left the group in June the previous year.
Footage of the Backstreet Boys in pre-production and recording the album was featured on the reality series House of Carters which documents Nick Carter reuniting his siblings in Los Angeles to try and reconnect as a family in between.
In an interview with INROCK magazine, Brian Littrell said the album would include various music styles, combining their earlier late-1990s sound with their more recent guitar-driven pop rock sound. Members of the Backstreet Boys themselves co-wrote five tracks on this album along with longtime songwriter Jeremy Carpenter from Kentucky, including "Intro". A. J. McLean revealed to MTV News at the Moto 8 Party in Hollywood that "The boys and I are finishing up the new record, coming out at the top of the year." "We're about three-quarters of the way through. We just got new mixes, we're just kind of going through the top eight [songs] we have right now, and getting the mix [done] properly. But everyone's really stoked about it. The songs are great, man."
On October 2, 2007, the tracks, "Unmistakable" and "Something That I Already Know" were released on Promosquad and RateTheMusic. The next day, a Japanese radio station leaked the intro of the album, along with the track, "Everything But Mine".
Composition
The Backstreet Boys fully abandoned the Max Martin sound of many of their early hits and, instead, worked with different producers to sound like an adult vocal group. Dan Muckala, producer and co-songwriter of the group's hit single "Incomplete" from their previous album Never Gone, produced the bulk of the material. However, other producers like Emanuel Kiriakou, John Shanks and Billy Mann also worked on the album. Fellow boy band veteran JC Chasez of *NSYNC collaborated with the Backstreet Boys, providing upbeat pop for the group with his production and songwriting.
The sound leans to adult contemporary and contemporary pop music and features interwoven choral harmonies, piano, strings, and use of guitar and drums.
The closing track of the album, "Unsuspecting Sunday Afternoon", is broken into two different parts. The first part leads off the album, and is a one-minute a cappella version of the chorus, listed as "Intro" on the record. The second track "Everything But Mine" is a synth-heavy dance track produced by Dan Muckala. It strays from typical BSB territory with its electro inspired offbeat riff. The third song and lead single "Inconsolable" was produced by Emanuel Kiriakou and written by Emmanuel, Lindy Robbins and Jess Cates. It features the trademark emotional boy band romantic lyrics with very heartfelt vocals. "Something That I Already Know" was described as "a classic Backstreet Boys pop-rock ballad". The song is co-written by Kara DioGuardi and David Hodges and it also features "slick power-ballad choruses." "Helpless When She Smiles" was produced by John Shanks and is another pop ballad. It is a more visionary offering with an intriguing piano melody that provides some edge. The sixth track "Any Other Way" traffics in clips of funk guitar and drums comparable to Maroon 5. It is a funk rocker with a minor-key tune.