hey want to kiss their prefab pop days and child stardom "Bye Bye Bye." They want you to think of

hey want to kiss their prefab pop days and child stardom "Bye Bye Bye." They want you to think of them as adult artists in creative control, charting their own careers.
Good luck, kids.
It's not enough for *NSync soul man Justin Timberlake or Backstreet Boy Nick Carter to have oodles of money and hordes of adoring fans. Ditto for pop tart Christina Aguilera and country girl LeAnn Rimes, who each have multiplatinum albums and the Grammy for best new artist (1999 and 1996, respectively).
No, now these singers want to be taken seriously.
All four multimillionaire stars have new material out this fall -- and not just albums, but new images designed to emphasize their independence and maturity.
It's all crafted to be a break from their teen-time, but it's also a gamble.
"Their early success is a blessing and a curse," said Evan Serpick, music writer for Entertainment Weekly.
New audience
"They have built-in audiences who'll buy their records, but to appeal to anyone beyond that audience, which they need to do to have a long-term career, they almost have to abandon their existing audience," Serpick said.
Even if this current crop of twentysomethings succeeds in reaching new fans -- Timberlake is angling for a slice of the R & amp;B market and Rimes incorporates elements of hip-hop on "Twisted Angel" -- some insiders see a backlash forming among the artists' original fans.
For boys-to-men like Timberlake and Carter, in particular, the 13- and 14-year-old girls who screamed for them in 1999 are now approaching college -- and they're unlikely to hang their old Backstreet and *NSync posters in the dorms.
For some stars-in-transition, the growing pains may be particularly acute.
Challenges for Rimes
Rimes was trumpeted as the next Patsy Cline when she burst onto the country scene at age 13. Now 20, Rimes recently told Billboard that her new album is "a mixture of everything."
That kind of claim is not what the traditional country audience wants to hear.
"I don't have a really good feeling about LeAnn's future," said EW's Serpick. "The country audience nurtured her, but it seems lately they've turned their back on her."
Maintaining and expanding a fan base is one challenge Rimes, Timberlake and their peers face. Being taken seriously as musicians is another.
The four performers are working with some of the industry's top producers, including The Neptunes, Timbaland and P. Diddy, and are talking a good game about adding cutting-edge trends to their sound.
But the folks these artists need to win over -- DJs on the airwaves and in the clubs -- remain underwhelmed.
Serpick expressed doubt over the artists' claims that they're not only mature but expressing who they really are -- Rimes, for example, wrote none of the 13 tracks on "Twisted Angel" on her own.
An exception
The track record for young artists transitioning into successful adult careers is spotty at best. Industry insiders point to Michael Jackson as the only pop music star with staying power from childhood to middle age.
At the same time, observers caution, Jackson became the exception to the rule because he was exceptional.
"The Jackson 5 were like an *NSync in their day -- their audience was squealing girls. But Michael Jackson managed to become a pop star adored by everyone," Serpick said. "He did that through sheer talent."
While the overall outlook for these artists on the edge of adulthood is grim, observers noted an individual pop star's chances of long-term success varied.
Timberlake, *NSync's most recognizable face, kicked off the media blitz for his solo debut, "Justified," with a live performance at MTV's Video Music Awards show in late August. The CD just came out last week.
The album's first single, "Like I Love You," features the same jittery rhythms and wunderkind hip-hop production team -- The Neptunes -- as his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears' "Slave 4 U" and is doing well on Billboard's Hot 100. Serpick said Timberlake stands the best chance for success, even if it's only short-term -- and less than original.
Timberlake's appearance at the VMAs, for example, was mistaken by some as an homage to his admitted idol, complete with signature moves and fedora.
"Justin's really following the mold of Michael Jackson -- his dancing, his style is a total rip-off of Jackson's, even leaving a group of five to go solo," said Serpick.
"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. I don't know if he has the talent to mature beyond what he is."
Carter vs. Timberlake
The majority of media hype so far has focused on Timberlake -- which may, in the long run, help his rival, Nick Carter.
Carter steped out from the Backstreet Boys with his solo debut, "Now or Never," a week before Timberlake's "Justified."
Both albums are on kiddie pop epicenter Jive, which staggered the release dates to avoid head-to-head competition. Comparison between Carter and Timberlake, however, is as unavoidable as asking "Backstreet or *N Sync?" used to be.
"I have a good feeling about Nick Carter," Serpick said.
"He's doing this the right way, low key, not on the cover of every magazine. And he's taking a different direction, more rock and solo-oriented, not nearly as many collaborations as Justin has. He may have a little more to offer."
The boys have the advantage in this game, conceded observers.
Uphill battle
"Twisted Angel" Rimes and Aguilera, who released "Stripped" on Oct. 29, are having trouble generating positive buzz for their new and more mature images.
Rimes' roller coaster of the last few years -- suing her label, Curb, and then re-signing with it, taking her father to court for alleged mishandling of funds and then getting countersued before settling and heading away from country and into the ill-defined genre of urban-flavored pop -- smacks of behind-the-scenes drama approaching Mariah Carey proportions.
Serpick agreed, adding that Rimes' decision to stay with Curb records -- and to move into the already crowded country-pop crossover market -- could be a career killer.
Aguilera, while more talented vocally than many of her peers, may have the steepest uphill climb for several reasons -- including fan-snubbing incidents that suggest the diminutive diva has an oversized ego.
And being perceived as likable is more important for female pop stars than for the boys. Both court a mostly female audience, but while Timberlake and Carter are selling a Prince Charming fantasy, Aguilera and Spears -- who is wisely taking time off in the face of an overexposure-induced backlash -- need to be seen as regular girls-next-door that their audience can relate to.
From what he's heard, however, EW's Serpick thinks Aguilera may yet prove her critics wrong.
"Christina Aguilera is a wild card," Serpick said. "She'll get a big push for this record -- RCA really wants it to be her adult album. And coming on the heels of Pink, who also has a pretty good voice and made a good album, she [Aguilera] may succeed. If she uses her voice the way she can, I think she will."