Incomplete (Backstreet Boys song)

"Incomplete" is a song by American vocal group Backstreet Boys from their fifth studio album, Never Gone (2005). The power ballad^[1] was released on April 11, 2005, as the group's first single since they decided to reunite after a two-year hiatus. It was written by Dan Muckala, Lindy Robbins, and Jess Cates, and it was produced by Muckala with Kevin Richardson on piano. According to Billboard magazine's Chuck Taylor, the song is an "emotion-packed, grown-up tome about relationship struggle and strife."^[2]

"Incomplete"
Single by Backstreet Boys
from the album Never Gone
B-side	"My Beautiful Woman" "Movin' On"
Released	April 11, 2005 (2005-04-11)
Recorded	2004
Studio	Westlake Recording (Hollywood, California)
Length	3:59
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Dan Muckala Lindy Robbins Jess Cates
Producer(s)	Dan Muckala
Backstreet Boys singles chronology
"Drowning" (2001) "Incomplete" (2005) "Just Want You to Know" (2005)
Music video
"Incomplete" on YouTube

"Incomplete" marked a stylistic change for the band, with member AJ McLean saying that the band wanted to break away from the image they had attained during the 1990s and early 2000s.^[3] The song was a commercial success, peaking at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and earning a gold certification for selling over half a million copies in the US. It also reached the top 10 in several European countries. It debuted at number one in Australia, becoming the group's only number-one hit and receiving a double-platinum sales certification in 2020.

Critical reception

Chuck Taylor from Billboard magazine compared the band's vocals to those of Bryan Adams and Blessid Union of Souls, going on to say that the song would be refreshing to hear on the radio "like crisp white sheets."^[2] British columnist James Masterton wrote that "Incomplete" proved that the band had not lost their talent following their hiatus, going on to call the track's production "bombastic."^[4]

Music video

Directed by Joseph Kahn, the music video for "Incomplete" sets the band in an arid desert environment and features each of the band members in a different element or force of nature: Brian Littrell, water; Nick Carter, fire; Howie Dorough, rain; Kevin Richardson, snow; and AJ McLean, the Sun.

Track listings

UK CD1[5] "Incomplete" – 3:59 "Incomplete" (instrumental) – 3:59 UK CD2; European and Australian maxi-CD single[6][7][8] "Incomplete" – 3:59 "My Beautiful Woman" (Paul Wiltshire, Victoria Wu) – 3:36 "Movin' On" (Howie Dorough, Wade Robson, Nate Butler) – 3:30 "Incomplete" (video)

European CD single[8] "Incomplete" – 3:59 "Movin' On" – 3:30 Japanese CD single[9] "Incomplete" (album version) – 3:59 "Incomplete" (instrumental) – 3:59 "My Beautiful Woman" (album version) (Wiltshire, Wu) – 3:36 "My Beautiful Woman" (instrumental) (Wiltshire, Wu) – 3:36

Personnel

Personnel are lifted from the Never Gone liner notes.^[10]

• Dan Muckala – writing, additional keyboards, string arrangement, production, recording
• Lindy Robbins – writing
• Jess Cates – writing
• Brandon Heath – acoustic guitar
• Alex Nifong – electric guitar
• Chris McMurtry – electric guitar
• Brent Milligan – bass guitar
• Kevin Richardson – piano
• Joe Porter – drums
• David Dillbeck – recording
• F. Reid Shippen – additional engineering
• Skye McCaskey – additional engineering
• Lee Bridges – additional engineering assistance
• Aaron Fessel – additional engineering assistance
• Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
• Tom Coyne – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2005–2006) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[8] 1 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[11] 6 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[12] 14 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[13] 13 Canada AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[14] 1 Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[15] 3 Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[16] 4 CIS (TopHit)[17] 11 Czech Republic (IFPI)[18] 1 Denmark (Tracklisten)[19] 3 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[20] 6 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[21] 14 France (SNEP)[22] 19 Germany (GfK)[23] 3 Greece (IFPI)[24] 11 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[25] 1 Ireland (IRMA)[26] 5 Italy (FIMI)[27] 2 Japan (Oricon)[28] 16 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 8 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] 4 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 12 Norway (VG-lista)[32] 8 Poland (Nielsen Music Control)[33] 3 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[34] 8 Scotland (OCC)[35] 5 Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] 2 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[37] 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 3 UK Singles (OCC)[39] 8 US Billboard Hot 100[40] 13 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[41] 4 US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[42] 21 US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[43] 8 US Pop 100 (Billboard)[44] 6

Year-end charts Chart (2005) Position Australia (ARIA)[45] 25 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[46] 48 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[47] 64 Brazil (Crowley)[48] 23 CIS (TopHit)[49] 23 Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[50] 64 Germany (Official German Charts)[51] 59 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40)[52] 27 Italy (FIMI)[53] 12 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[54] 82 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[55] 78 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[56] 24 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[57] 15 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[58] 73 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[59] 22 UK Singles (OCC)[60] 172 US Billboard Hot 100[61] 64 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[62] 12 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[63] 60 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[64] 45

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[65]	2× Platinum	140,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[66]	Gold	30,000‡
Italy	—	25,000[67]
United States (RIAA)[68]	Gold	500,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United States	April 11, 2005	Contemporary hit radio	Jive	[69]
	May 2, 2005	Hot adult contemporary radio		[70]
Japan	May 25, 2005	CD		[28]
Denmark	May 30, 2005			[71]
Australia	June 13, 2005			[72]
United Kingdom	June 27, 2005			[73]

Cover versions

In 2017, international symphonic metal supergroup Exit Eden covered "Incomplete" as the 3rd track of their debut album entitled Rhapsodies in Black.^[74]

References

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