Teen idolhood is a tough gig. Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean cracked under the pressure and landed in rehab. 'NSync feels his pain, as evidenced by the group's new disc, Celebrity, in stores today.

        'NSync's record-breaking No Strings Attached celebrated their freedom from boy-band svengali Lou Pearlman. The euphoria was short lived, and their new CD finds the new Kings of Pop suffering from King of Pop Paranoia, Michael Jackson Disease.

        Having fought long and hard to arrive at that status, much of Celebrity finds the group whining about the pitfalls: the false friends, the greedy, lying girlfriends and the general sense of unease that comes with the territory. “You may be beautiful, but there's more that the eye can't see,” they sing in “The Game is Over,” sort of their version of “Billie Jean.”

        The boys are not happy. Look at those glum faces on the CD cover.

        “Sick and tired of hearing all these people talk about, "What's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out',” sings Justin Timberlake in “Pop,” the opening tack and first single. His response is that 'NSync is “not a trend.” Try telling that to New Kids on the Block.

        That's where the real pressure comes in. Nothing in pop has a shorter shelf life than bubblegum. When most of your fans are 10-14, chances are good they'll be growing out of you in a matter of weeks. “Would you be so nice to me, if I wasn't a celebrity?” they can't help wondering in the title track.
       

Puppy love odes

               Not all of Celebrity is so dark and self-absorbed. They get back to serving their constituency with the puppy love odes “Girlfriend” and “The Two of Us.” The latter opens with swirling carousel sounds reminiscent of the Beatles' “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.”

        “Gone” holds to the R&B lite sound, but gets a bit experimental with classical music touches, scratchy record pops, a string section and acoustic guitar. The harmonies are strong, but Mr. Timberlake's adenoidal lead singing isn't muscular enough to handle the ballad.

        “See Right Through You” and “Just Don't Tell Me That” are more embittered post-relationship songs set to modern R&B beats.

        “Something Like You” opens with one of the most distinctive sounds in pop-soul, Stevie Wonder's snaky harmonica. He raises a decent ballad to a much higher level.

        But 'NSync really shows it's more than just another boy band on “Selfish,” a genuinely sweet and soulful R&B ballad. Co-written by 'NSync's J.C. Chasez, it shows the group successfully channeling the rich vocal mix of Boyz II Men.

        The clock may be ticking, but more songs like “Selfish” and less whining (remember Michael's post-Thriller decline?) could extend 'NSync's 15 minutes at the top of the pop heap.

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