Black & Blue is the fourth studio album (third in the United States) by American boy band Backstreet Boys. It was released on November 21, 2000, by Jive Records. The album recorded the best international sales in a week for an album in history by selling over 5 million copies in its first week of sales globally. In the United States, Black & Blue sold 1.5 million copies in its first week of release, making the Backstreet Boys the first group in Soundscan history to have million-plus first-week sales with back-to-back albums. It sold over 15 million copies worldwide.
The first single from the album was "Shape of My Heart", followed by "The Call", and "More than That". The band members wrote two songs and co-wrote five songs on this album, a departure from previous albums, which showcased less of their own song-writing. To promote the album, the band embarked on the "Black & Blue World Tour" in 2001.
Background
The album was recorded from July 1, 2000 to September 2000. In August 2000, the band gave fans their first glimpse of the album, including the track "It's True" on a series of CDs made available through Burger King. Backstreet Boys member AJ McLean stated that it would incorporate genres of rock, R&B, hip-hop, and country. He also revealed that Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson would be playing on the drums and piano respectively.
Title and lyrical content
According to Entertainment Weekly editor David Browne, the album title is a nod to their two musical sides: Black (as in the R&B inflections of their upbeat tracks) and Blue (their inclination toward mushy crooning). It also represented Lou Pearlman's abuse and bruises. Browne wrote that "The Call" (a dance-pop song) "tells how to cheat on your mate by telling her your cell phone battery's low!, but it also has the blowsy feel of a rejected show tune". Rolling Stones Barry Walters called it "the album's most frenzied cut". The second track "Shape of My Heart" was described by Browne as a "predictable ballad", while AllMusic's editor Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that "the song flows as gracefully as 'I Want It That Way', prove that the Backstreet Boys do teen pop ballads better than anyone." The third track "Get Another Boyfriend" uses "drama-crazed harmonies" and was described by Walters as "the album's most frenzied cut". Erlewine wrote that the track is a "dead ringer for 'It's Gonna Be Me' crossed with 'Baby One More Time'". Walters wrote that "not even R&B kingpin Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins can erase the Scandinavian sparkle from the fourth track "Shining Star".
Walters wrote that the sixth track "The Answer to Our Life", "bounces along on a perky melody obviously inspired by their Swedish mentors." The seventh track "Everyone" celebrate themselves and the power of their audience. Browne wrote that the song is "a clunky foot stomper, which continues the self congratulatory tradition of their earlier 'We've Got It Goin' On' and 'Larger than Life'." The eighth track, the ballad "More than That", was praised by critics. Entertainment Weekly praised "the graceful way their voices blend on the chorus", while Rolling Stone praised "the symphonic splendor of the track". The ninth track "Time" was written by the band members. Browne called it "piffle", while Walters said that "could've sprung from any substandard Nashville jinglemeister". The tenth track "Not for Me" received positive reviews. Browne praised "the spunky way they vault into the track". Browne wrote that "Time" & the 11th track "Yes I Will" appeared to be vying in a contest for "Next Big Wedding Song", but still acknowledged "the suave manner in which they engage in their trademark vocal swapping track" on the latter song. The 12th track, "It's True", is another ballad in the same vein of the others, while the last track "How Did I Fall in Love with You" is sung by Howie D and Brian Littrell while the rest of the group does background.
Critical reception
Upon its release, Black & Blue received generally favorable reviews from music critics, with an aggregate score of 61/100 from Metacritic.