CDNow - Sometime Backstreet Boy-turned-solo-artist Nick Carter

Nick Carter: Hopefully, It's Now Backstreet Boy-turned-solo-artist Nick Carter talks about his bandmates, his rivals (this means you, Justin), and his surprising love of Bon Jovi.

By Allison Stewart, CDNOW Senior Editor

Why he might sound familiar: Hello? He's a Backstreet Boy.

You'll like him if: You like Bryan Adams-style pop-rock. Yes, we said Bryan Adams. Carter's solo debut draws more from guitar-oriented rock than pop.

His story in a nutshell: With the Back Street Boys on hiatus, Carter, who claims he was always a closet rocker, figured it was time to indulge his inner Bon Jovi. "I grew up on Bruce and Bon Jovi, and Bryan Adams," he says.

What teen pop fans might think of Nick Carter, V. 2.0: "There is still a pop feel to the album -- it's not a total departure," Carter says. "I think it's gonna be cool for them to see me [this way]. I don't like to stay the same. I want to come off different to people."

Putting his act together and taking it on the road: Carter says a tour is in the offing. "We've been rehearsing," he explains. "I've been playing guitar, but I don't have any tour planned yet. Right now I'm waiting to see how the album's gonna do. I want to play really small places, like 1,000 or 2,000 seaters. I would rather do it that way, and get some respect."

"I don't want people to necessarily like me in the beginning. I like being the underdog."

Justin Timberlake has a solo album out at the same time. How mad are you? "Not at all," Carter insists. "I think, honestly, he wants to do R&B, and I want to do rock. We both have something to prove. He's got more going for him at the moment, but that's OK."

No. Seriously. How mad are you? Carter knows he won't beat Timberlake's album out of the box, and, he says, he might not even want to. "I want to sweat. I don't want it to be easy. I don't want people to necessarily like me in the beginning," he says. "I like being the underdog ... It definitely is scary [being on your own]. There's a lot riding on me, but I figure you either like me, or you don't."

On a possible new Backstreet Boys album: "We'll probably record it late next year, or maybe the middle of next year," Carter says. "I feel like I'm gonna have more to offer the band [now]. I can bring some new skills. I want to make another solo album, too. I feel like this is the tip of the iceberg. But at the end of the day, I've still got a lot to learn."

Thanks to Gina.