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(12/06/02, 1 p.m. ET) - The Backstreet Boys are eyeballing a new album and tour for 2003, despite recent legal problems with its Jive Records label.

The group's Nick Carter--whose new solo album, Now Or Never, is said to be responsible for the turmoil--tells LAUNCH that he expects the quintet to break some new ground when it reconvenes in the studio: "I'll be honest with you, you know, we're gonna have to definitely change some things around," he says. "I want to do another album, but we're gonna have to evaluate that situation, and that's what we're gonna do. Of course, the times have changed from that, that whole pop era. Hopefully this is what I can do, is bring a new vibe to the band, you know? And when I do go back and do another album, I can put my input in and be, like, 'Yo, let's try something like this now,' you know what I'm saying?"

On November 25, the Backstreet Boys filed a $75 million suit against Zomba Recording Corporation, the parent company of Jive Records, in U.S. District Court. The suit claims that the label opted not to release a new group album last spring in order to concentrate on Carter's solo album. Carter is named along with his groupmates as a plaintiff in the suit.

--Gary Graff, Detroit

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter performs for winners of food drive at Wilmot

WILMOT, Wis. -- What do 20,000 pounds of food and 1,000 screaming st udents equal? A school visit by Backstreet Boy Nick Carter.

The students at Wilmot High School beat out 10 other area schools, most of which are significantly larger, to win a contest sponsored by WXSS 103.7 FM in Milwaukee by donating more than 10 tons of food for the needy.

The station co-sponsors the annual food drive of America's Second Harvest of Wisconsin.

"I'm a small-town kind of guy," said Carter, who was born in Jamestown, N.Y., and grew up in upper New York state and in a small Florida town.

"I know bigger schools usually get more benefits, so it's great that this small school won. It's amazing what they did," he said.

"It might be a small school, but they have big hearts out here."

The 22-year-old, part of the five-member boy band Backstreet Boys, released his solo release, "Now or Never" in November.

He sang eight songs during the 40-minute concert in front of 1,000 high school and grade school students and staff members.

"This is a small school. Having Nick Carter here is a really big deal," senior Tiffany Wagner said.

Sophomore Clair Caldwell returned home with a strip of sweat-stained towel.

"I'll never wash it," Caldwell said of the sweaty remnant, which was part of a full-sized towel that hung around Carter's neck before he tossed it into the crowd.

"We ripped it so more people could have a piece," Caldwell said. "It's so awesome."