DNA is the ninth studio album by the Backstreet Boys. The album was first released in Japan on January 23, 2019, and everywhere else on January 25, 2019, through a collaboration with the group's own K-BAHN record label and RCA Records. The album features tracks written by Edei, Lauv, Andy Grammer, Stuart Crichton, Ryan Tedder and Shawn Mendes. This is the group's second album, after 2007's Unbreakable, to neglect involvement from longtime producers and friends Max Martin and Kristian Lundin. It also serves as the follow-up to their eighth studio album In a World Like This. It was preceded by the singles "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", "Chances", "No Place", and will be supported by a world tour, the band's most expansive in 18 years, beginning on May 11, 2019, in Lisbon, Portugal, before visiting North America in July 2019. The album is their first on one of Sony Music'ssubsidiary companies since In a World Like This, which was released independently through BMG. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, becoming the Backstreet Boys' third number-one album there and the first since Black & Blue in 2000.
Background and promotion
A press release stated that the group "analyzed their individual DNA profiles to see what crucial element each member represents in the group's DNA". Kevin Richardson said of the album: "We were able to bring all of our influences and styles into one coherent piece of work. These songs are a great representation of who we are as individuals and who we are as a group. It's our DNA. We're really proud of that." DNA is also short for Digital and Analog which is how the boys started recording in the 1990s. The group announced the name of the album and its release date on November 9, 2018. The same day, they also released the single "Chances" and announced the DNA World Tour in support of the album, which began in May 2019.
Critical reception
DNA received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 67 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Commercial performance
DNA debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 234,000 album-equivalent units, of which 227,000 were pure album sales. It is the Backstreet Boys' third number-one album and first in 19 years, the last being Black & Blue. It also makes this their eighth consecutive top-ten album following In a World Like This. In Canada, the album debuted at number one with over 46,000 sales in first week. In January 3, 2020 album was certificate platinum with over 80,000 sales. This is also the 5th highest-selling album in Canada in 2019.
Track listing
Personnel
Credits adapted from album’s liner notes. Backstreet Boys
