Just when you thought there was a boy band vacuum, along comes the new Backstreet Boys single, Shape Of My Heart.

 The mid-tempo ballad about redemption, written by previous BSB Swedish hitmaker Max Martin, was scheduled to premiere on Canadian radio last night.

 Its airplay is part of the lead-up to the Nov. 21 release of the group's fourth album, Black & Blue.

 The song's chorus goes: "Looking back on the things I've done, I was trying to be someone, I played my part, kept you in the dark, now let me show you the shape of my heart," reflecting Martin's struggle with the English language. The second verse begins: "Sadness is beautiful, loneliness is tragical."

 Oh well. The little girls will probably love it.

 Meanwhile, BSB members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, A.J. McLean, and Kevin Richardson are currently shooting the video for Shape Of My Heart with director Matthew Rolston.

 It's expected to air mid-October in Canada, with a tour to begin in 2001.

 The Backstreet Boys's last album, Millennium, has sold more than 1.4 million copies in Canada and more than 30 million copies worldwide.