Howie Dorough has spent most of his career as a member of Backstreet Boys, who was the largest boy-band from the 1990s. On his debut solo effort, he is
finally taking the reigns and bringing the focus solely onto him, cleverly titling the album Back to Me. It seems like band members from the boy-band era have all eventually grown out of their boy-band images and phased into grown men with their own endeavors.
Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass from ‘NSYNC, Jesse McCartney from Dream Street; Ashley Parker Angel from O-Town and Nick Lachey from 98 Degrees, have made names for themselves as solo artists and entertainers.
This summer, the Backstreet Boys and New Kids On The Block finished their North American collaborative tour, giving Dorough enough time
to finish his debut solo album he has been working on for the last five years.
Despite his pop background, fans should not expect Back to Me to be an all-Backstreet Boys-style album. Dorough has admitted that in some parts it is a representation of his stint as a Backstreet Boy, but fans should still be able to see a new side of the artist through his new songs.
The album is intermixed with some Eurodance and pop with a little bit of a Backstreet Boys reminisce style that shows a side of Howie that  listeners have never heard before.
His first single, “100,” fundamentally introduces him as Howie D, the solo artist who is making a name for himself and another track, titled “Lie to Me,” emerging as the second single following his album release. When Howie began working on his solo project, he was leaning toward a more Latin sound but realized he wanted to stay true to himself and his fans and decided not to drift away from the sound for which he is normally known for.
A family man with one boy, James, 4, Dorough adds a splash of his love life with wife Leigh in “Over My Head,” attesting his love that assimilates himself. The album also features an array of ballads that showcase Howie’s voice more than fans are used to. As a member of BSB, Howie was not the frontman, so to hear his voice stand on its own is quite refreshing.
With Nick Carter’s sophomore album, I’m Taking Off, released in May, Howie is officially the latest and the last member of the group to introduce his own solo debut album to fans Nov. 15.  Carter wrote “Pure,” helping Dorough’s embark his solo career.
Back To Me is already a huge success in Japan, with a deluxe version already out since its release Nov. 9. With an album that has been five years in the making, there is no doubt Dorough poured his mind and soul into this project throughout the extended time of need to make his debut unforgettable.