Teen Pop Idols All Grown Up

Gemma Tarlach of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiled teen pop idols Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera and country girl LeAnn Rimes, all whom want to emphasize their independence and maturity with their new albums. On Timberlake, Evan Serpick of Entertainment Weekly commented, “He’s not as talented as Michael Jackson, obviously, but I think three years from now, his albums will still be selling. Five years from now, I’m not so sure.” As for Carter, he said, “I have a good feeling about Nick Carter. He’s doing this the right way, low key, not on the cover of every magazine.” And Aguilera? “We call Christina the ‘Meanie in a Bottle’,” says WXSS-FM 103.7′s JoJo Martinez, citing how being perceived as likable is more important for female pop stars than for the boys. “She’s not very nice to some of her fans.” The full story at jsonline.com has since been removed.