In a split that members are calling amicable, Backstreet Boys [ tickets ] member Kevin Richardson has exited the group.

"After 13 years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided that it is time to leave the Backstreet Boys," Richardson said in a statement posted on the group's website. "It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life."

Fellow Backstreet Boys members Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean said in a statement that they do not intend to replace Richardson, and that "the door will always be open for him to return" to the group.

"Earlier this year, after much soul searching, Kevin Richardson came to us and told us that he had decided to leave the group and pursue other interests," the statement said. "He gave his blessing to continue the music without him."

The remaining members of the group recently began work on the follow-up to their most recent album, 2005's "Never Gone," and plan to have a new album in stores by the end of the year.