98° Albums (5)
What The Critics Say
It's hard not to feel a little sorry for 98°, since they're often overshadowed by their peers, the towering giants of male teen pop, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync. They've had hits as big as either group, but when it came time to release Revelation in the fall of 2000, they didn't have the grudging critical respect of the Backstreets or the cultural cache of N'Sync, who had dolls hitting toy stores the same month Revelation was unleashed. They were simply a teen pop band, capable of amiable dance-pop numbers and tuneful ballads, both of which sounded quite nice coming out of the radio. Not surprisingly, they wanted a little bit more than simply being an effective singles band; they didn't just want to hold their own with the Backstreets and N'Sync, they wanted to escape their shadow. The title of Revelation (much like the title of the Sync's 2000 release No Strings Attached) is a tip-off to their goal: They want to provide doubters with a revelation that they can indeed deliver strong music. If Revelation doesn't actually hold any, well, revelations, that shouldn't be held against the band, since they do wind up turning out a perfectly acceptable mainstream dance-pop album. Apart from the infectious opening cut, "Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)," a song clearly influenced by Ricky Martin, and maybe "Dizzy," which adopts Cher-like vocoder tricks, they never stretch the boundaries of the music too much, preferring to just serve up straight dance-pop and sweet ballads. They lean a little heavily on the ballads, thereby aligning themselves with the Backstreet Boys' classy crooning rather than N'Sync's charged adolescent pop. That wouldn't be a problem if the songs were just a little better constructed, so that the melodies stand out prominently on the first listen, but ultimately, the album feels a little samey. Not bad, necessarily, but a little familiar, especially since the peppier songs have stronger hooks and attitude. The preponderance of ballads weighs down the album a bit, even if some of them hold up quite well on their own, and they make Revelations seem like it has more filler than it actually does. Ultimately, it's a good singles album, which may not be enough to make 98° hold their own with the Backstreets or Sync, but it is enough to make for a solid teen pop album. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'This Christmas'
Release Date 10/19/1999
Tracks 11
Label Uptown/Universal
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
98 Degrees This Christmas features the popular vocal quartet interpreting traditional holiday tunes like "O Holy Night," "Ave Maria," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Silent Night," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." The album also includes new Christmas songs like "This Gift," "If Every Day Could Be Christmas," and "Christmas Ain't the Same Without You," and will surely please the group's legions of fans. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Really, 98° is a great idea for a teen-pop band: take an attractive boy band in the vein of Take That or N'Sync and have them sing Boyz II Men crossed with the Backstreet Boys. 98° followed this formula on their eponymous debut and were more or less successful. However, they've mastered the sound on their second record, 98° and Rising. Like any teen-pop with chart aspirations, 98° and Rising is far from a perfect album, as it alternates sure-fire hits with filler cut from the same mold, but that should be expected. What's nice is that songs like "The Hardest Thing" and "True to Your Heart" are well-crafted radio singles, with memorable hooks and excellent production. That same production -- which makes the ballads smoove and the dance-pop infectious -- carries weaker moments of the record, but at the end of the day, it's the singles that make 98° and Rising entertaining. And for many fans, that will be quite enough indeed. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
98°' eponymous debut album is an appealing mixture of urban soul and pop-oriented hip-hop, all targeted at teens. It may lack a set of consistently engaging songs, but the best cuts suggest that the group is capable of some dynamic contemporary soul. [98°' debut album was reissued in the spring of 1998, with the Diane Warren composition "Was It Something I Didn't Say" added as a new track. The song was included after it received exposure in the film Fame L.A.] ~ Leo Stanley, All Music Guide
