NSYNC ( ; also stylized as *NSYNC or N Sync) was an American
vocal group
A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, musical group, or a band is a group of people who perform instrumental and/or vocal music, with the ensemble typically known by a distinct name. Some music ensembles consist solely of instrume ...
and pop
boy band
A boy band is a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their Teenage, teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform love songs marketed towards girls and young women. Many boy bands ...
formed by
Chris Kirkpatrick
Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (born October 17, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, podcaster, and actor. He founded the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. The band has sold over 70 million records, becomin ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
, in 1995
and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. The group consists of Kirkpatrick,
JC Chasez
Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer on '' The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to prominence as a ...
,
Joey Fatone,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
, and
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...
. Their
self-titled debut album was successfully released to European countries in 1997, and later entered the U.S. market with the single "
I Want You Back".
After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay Pearlman (June 19, 1954 – August 19, 2016) was an American music manager and scam artist. He was the person behind many successful 1990s boy bands, having formed and funded the Backstreet Boys. After their massive success, he then dev ...
and former record label
Bertelsmann Music Group
Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) was a division of a German media company Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Sony Corporation of America on 1 October 2008.
Although it was established in 1987, the music c ...
, the group's third album, ''
No Strings Attached'' (2000), sold over one million copies in one day and 2.4 million copies in one week, which was
a record for over fourteen years.
''
Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
'' (2001) debuted with 1.8 million copies in its first week in the US. Singles such as "
Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a woman who is a friend, acquaintance or partner to the speaker, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed r ...
", "
Pop", "
Bye Bye Bye", "
Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
", and "
It's Gonna Be Me
"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released through Jive Records, as the second single from their third studio album '' No Strings Attached'' (2000) in the United States, and as the third single from the internat ...
" reached the top 10 in several international charts, with the last being a US
''Billboard'' Hot 100 number one.
The group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2002. Over the course of their hiatus, the five members reunited occasionally, including for a one-off performance at the
2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of ...
, for an appearance on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
'' in 2018, and to receive a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 2018. They reunited as a four piece without Timberlake to perform with
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
at
Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
in 2019. The group came together again in 2023 to release the song "
Better Place" for the DreamWorks animated film ''
Trolls Band Together'' and performed at the premiere, and at the
2023 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey on September 12, 2023. The show was hosted by Nicki Minaj, marking her second consecutive year in the role. This was the first time the ...
. While working on "Better Place", *NSYNC also recorded a track titled "Paradise" for Timberlake's sixth solo album, ''
Everything I Thought It Was
''Everything I Thought It Was'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Justin Timberlake. It was released through RCA Records on March 15, 2024. The album serves as the follow-up to his previous album, '' Man of the Woods'' (2018), and fea ...
'' (2024). In 2024, the group made a special one-off appearance at Timberlake's ONO concert in Los Angeles.
The band completed five nationwide concert tours and has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of the
best-selling boy bands of all time. ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' recognized their instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time. In addition to nine
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nominations, NSYNC performed at the
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
and sang the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
and
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
. They have also sung or recorded with
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
,
Michael
Michael may refer to:
People
* Michael (given name), a given name
* he He ..., a given name
* Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael
Given name
* Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...
and
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
,
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
,
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
,
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
,
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
,
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
,
Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes,
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
,
Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
, and
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
.
History
1995–1997: Formation and debut
In 1994, while working at Universal Studios and singing in The Hollywood Hi-Tones, Chris Kirkpatrick was introduced to
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay Pearlman (June 19, 1954 – August 19, 2016) was an American music manager and scam artist. He was the person behind many successful 1990s boy bands, having formed and funded the Backstreet Boys. After their massive success, he then dev ...
, who had created the
Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
, through a mutual friend who had heard that Pearlman was interested in financing another vocal group. Originally, when the Backstreet Boys formed, Kirkpatrick had not known about their auditions, so he never got the chance to try out. When Pearlman met him and saw him perform in his doo-wop group, Lou took an interest in him, so they discussed the idea of Kirkpatrick forming a vocal group, which Pearlman promised to finance if Kirkpatrick could find other singers to join him. Kirkpatrick took the opportunity and spent over a year trying to find other people to join him, eventually finding
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
(who had been on the TV show ''
The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' along with
JC Chasez
Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer on '' The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to prominence as a ...
) through a talent agent and contacting him in regards to the group.
After the end of ''
The All New Mickey Mouse Club'',
JC Chasez
Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer on '' The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to prominence as a ...
attempted to pursue a solo music career in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, but decided to return home to
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
after he was left feeling cheated.
On his drive back, he stopped at Timberlake's house in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, where the two wrote demos together.
Chasez and Timberlake eventually relocated to
Nashville
Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...
while continuously writing songs and demo tracks with Robin Wiley, a songwriter and vocal coach on ''
The All New Mickey Mouse Club''.
After Timberlake received a phone call from Kirkpatrick, he decided to join the group, recommending Chasez in the process, who was back home in Maryland saving up to return to Nashville.
The trio decided to venture in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...
to search for a
baritone
A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
, where they encountered
Joey Fatone, who knew Kirkpatrick from their time working together at
Universal Studios Florida
Universal Studios Florida is a theme park located in Orlando, Florida, that opened on June 7, 1990. Owned and operated by NBCUniversal, it features numerous rides, attractions, and live shows that are primarily themed to movies, television, and ...
and also knew Timberlake and Chasez from being in the same friend groups when they were on
The All New Mickey Mouse Club. The group finally recruited Jason Galasso as their
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
singer after several auditions.
NSYNC created their name after Timberlake's mother commented on how "in sync" the group's singing voices were.
The group's name is also a play on the last letter of each of the initial members' names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC.
After several weeks of rehearsals, the group set up a showcase and began planning to officially sign with Pearlman's Trans Continental Label. However, at the last minute, Galasso dropped out. He was not fond of the group's musical direction, claiming that being a
teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity with a large teenage fan base. Teen idols are generally young but are not necessarily teenagers themselves. An idol's popularity may be limited to teens, or may extend to all age groups.
By region Asia
Ea ...
was never a goal of his.
Galasso became a mortgage broker in the Orlando area later in his life. In need of a bass, the group auditioned several people without success. Timberlake eventually called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
named
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...
. Bass flew to Orlando to audition and was immediately accepted into the group.
He was nicknamed "Lansten" so they could keep the name 'NSYNC.
[ From there, Pearlman set the five boys up in a house in Orlando, Florida, where they rehearsed constantly, learning dance routines and vocal parts, and worked on promotion for their first public performance at Pleasure Island on October 22, 1995. Pearlman hired Johnny Wright to manage the group, despite also managing the ]Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
. NSYNC sent him a four-song demo-tape including "I'll Be Back for More" and "We Can Work It Out", which impressed him. The group performed for him and a group of BMG executives. Although the record company had some concerns with the band's name and Lance Bass's dancing abilities (which eventually improved), they agreed to sign the group to BMG Ariola Munich with Wright as their manager.
After being signed to BMG Ariola Munich, the group was sent to Sweden to begin working on their self-titled debut album with the help of producers Denniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle (26 April 1963 – 30 August 1998), better known as Denniz Pop (stylized ''Denniz PoP''), was a Swedish DJ, music producer, and songwriter. He was a member of the DJ collective SweMix and later co-founded the recording studio ...
, and Andreas Carlsson. The album's official lead single
A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
A similar term, "debut ...
, " I Want You Back", was released in Germany on October 7, 1996, and entered the top 10 in Germany on November 18, 1996. With a record deal finally secured, the boys began touring first in German-speaking countries and later in other European and Asian territories. Their first album ''NSYNC'' was initially released by BMG Ariola Munich on May 26, 1997, in Germany, and peaked at number 1 in the second week after its release. The group became an overnight success throughout much of Europe. The album also charted successfully in both Switzerland and Austria eventually selling 820,000 units in Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GSA), and Eastern Europe. The group released its second and third singles, "Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
" and " Here We Go", both of which managed to reach the top 10 in numerous countries in Europe. Next, they released two Germany-only singles, " For the Girl Who Has Everything" and " Together Again".
1998–1999: Breaking the American market and legal battle against Pearlman
NSYNC captured the attention of Vincent DeGiorgio, an A&R rep for RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
. After seeing the group perform in Budapest, he eventually signed them to RCA in 1998. The American label had the group record some new tracks to adjust their album for the US market. The group released its debut American single, " I Want You Back" on December 29, 1997. It reached number 13 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. An album called '' 'N Sync'' followed on March 24, 1998. Album sales were sluggish, debuting at number 82 on the ''Billboard'' 200, but were helped when the Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
aired a concert special on July 18, 1998. The concert was first offered to the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...
, but they had to back out due to member Brian Littrell needing heart surgery, later doing their own special in 1999. Five weeks before the concert, the album sat at number 82 on the albums chart; three weeks after the concert, the album reached number nine. The group's profile continued to rise with the subsequent single release "Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
", which became a hit on pop radio and one of the "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s" according to VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism for Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network that launched on January 1, 1985, and is currently owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global's networks division based in New Y ...
. Regular touring, including an opening spot on Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
's The Velvet Rope Tour, and television spots on shows like ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch
''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...
'' also bolstered sales for the album, which was eventually certified diamond for shipments in excess of 10 million units.
On November 10, 1998, the group released a holiday album, '' Home for Christmas''. The album peaked at number 7 and sold 2 million copies. With this, NSYNC achieved the rare feat of having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time. A week later on November 16, 1998, NSYNC released '' The Winter Album'' in Germany. One of the songs on the album "U Drive Me Crazy
"U Drive Me Crazy" is the first single taken from American boy band NSYNC's seasonal studio album, ''The Winter Album (NSYNC album), The Winter Album'', as well as on the UK version of their 'N Sync (album), self-titled debut album.
Music video ...
" was a major hit in Spain peaking at number 4. The group scored its first top 10 on the Hot 100 with their third single, " (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You", which peaked at number 8 in February 1999. Country group Alabama
Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
later re-recorded the song and released it as a single that featured vocals from NSYNC. The fourth and final single from the album, " I Drive Myself Crazy", was a modest chart hit, but a mainstay on ''Total Request Live
''Total Request Live'' (commonly abbreviated as ''TRL'') is an American television program that premiered on MTV on September 14, 1998. The early version of ''TRL'' featured popular music videos played during its countdown and was also used as ...
''. NSYNC also recorded their version of the song "Trashin' The Camp" with Phil Collins
Philip David Charles Collins (born 30 January 1951) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer and actor. He was the drummer and later became the lead singer of the rock band Genesis (band), Genesis and had a successful solo career, ac ...
. The song appears on the soundtrack to the Disney movie ''Tarzan''. They also did "Somewhere, Someday" which appears on the soundtrack to '' Pokémon: The First Movie''. In September 1999, the group collaborated with Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Estefan (; ; born September 1, 1957) is an American singer, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is an eight-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of t ...
on a song for the soundtrack for her movie ''Music of the Heart
''Music of the Heart'' is a 1999 American biographical film, biographical musical film, musical drama (film and television), drama film directed by Wes Craven and written by Pamela Gray, based on the 1995 documentary ''Small Wonders''. A dramati ...
''. The track "Music of My Heart
"Music of My Heart" is a song by Cuban American recording artist Gloria Estefan and American boy band NSYNC. The teen pop song was written by Diane Warren and produced by David Foster, for the Wes Craven-directed movie of a similar name (1999). ...
" reached number 2 on the Hot 100 and served as a stopgap between album releases.
In 1999, NSYNC entered a publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part. NSYNC sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defraud
In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...
ing the group of more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits, similar to his promise of one-sixth of the profits with the Backstreet Boys. The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records
Jive Records (later stylized as JIVE Records) was a British-American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary of the Zomba Group of Companies, Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chic ...
, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue NSYNC for US$150 million. Trans Continental, along with RCA's parent BMG Entertainment, went to federal court and filed said $150 million suit in an effort to stop NSYNC's move to Jive, to prevent the band from performing or recording under the name NSYNC, and to force NSYNC to return masters recorded that year in preparation of their second album (originally scheduled for release that fall by RCA, the album was then moved to early 2000). The suit also claims Jive executives induced the group into breaking its Trans Continental contract. Pearlman's request for a preliminary injunction against the band was denied. In December 1999, NSYNC and Pearlman reached an undisclosed settlement out of court, freeing the group to release future albums on Jive Records.
Also in 1999, NSYNC starred in a short-form spoof video of the 1998 science fiction disaster film ''Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
'' for the 1999 MTV Movie & TV Awards; it was titled ''Armagedd'NSync''. It featured an earthbound asterisk-shaped asteroid (a play off the asterisk they usually had in their name at the time) and featured Clint Howard
Clinton Engle Howard (born April 20, 1959) is an American actor. He is the second son born to American actors Rance and Jean Howard, and younger brother of actor and director Ron Howard. His more than 200 acting credits include feature films ...
, Lisa Kudrow
Lisa Valerie Kudrow ( ; born July 30, 1963) is an American actress. She rose to international fame for her role as Phoebe Buffay in the American television sitcom ''Friends'', which aired from 1994 to 2004. The series earned her Primetime Emmy A ...
, and all five members of NSYNC.
2000–2001: ''No Strings Attached'' and groundbreaking success
With their legal woes behind them, NSYNC refocused and worked on tracks for its second album. In January 2000, the group released " Bye Bye Bye", an upbeat dance track, which shot into the top 5 of the Hot 100 and spent 5 weeks atop the Hot 100 Airplay chart. The song is often considered the group's signature song
A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...
.
The accompanying album, '' No Strings Attached'', was released on March 21, 2000. It sold a record 2.42 million in its first week of release. By the end of 2000, it had sold over 9.9 million copies. ''No Strings Attached'' was the best-selling album of 2000, and the second-best selling album of the decade in the US behind the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' '' 1''. As of August 2012, ''No Strings Attached'' was the eighth best selling album of the SoundScan era, and received a Diamond certification
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
from RIAA for sales of over 11,099,000. The album was all-time bestselling pre-ordered album on Amazon.com.
The second single, "It's Gonna Be Me
"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released through Jive Records, as the second single from their third studio album '' No Strings Attached'' (2000) in the United States, and as the third single from the internat ...
", became the group's first number one single in the U.S. and remained at the top position on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 from July 29 to August 11, 2000. The third and final single, " This I Promise You" reached the top five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. They performed the Spanish version of the song, "Yo Te Voy a Amar", at the Latin Grammy
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish or Portuguese from any ...
s in 2001. The group also embarked on their '' No Strings Attached Tour'' that year. The adventures of preparing for the tour were featured on an MTV special "Making the Tour", which was later released on DVD. The tour was then featured on a HBO special, which aired the same week the group's song "It's Gonna Be Me" hit number one on the charts. The group then went on the second leg of the tour in the fall and performed one last show in 2001 for the " Rock in Rio" concert. The group also released ''Live From Madison Square Garden'', a home video release of its HBO Special. NSYNC and Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of lead vocalist Steven Tyler, bassist Tom Hamilton (musician), Tom Hamilton, drummer Joey Kramer, and guitarists Joe Perry (musician), Joe Perry and B ...
co-headlined the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show, titled "The Kings of Rock and Pop", with appearances from Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. Often referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Qu ...
and Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and embarked on his musical career in 1993 as a member of the Midwest hip hop g ...
. NSYNC was among the artists that performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics
The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...
ceremonies.
2001–2007: ''Celebrity'', hiatus, Timberlake's exit and breakup announcement
The group's fourth album, ''Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
'', released on July 24, 2001, produced three singles: " Pop" (number 19 in the US), " Gone" (number 11) and "Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a woman who is a friend, acquaintance or partner to the speaker, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed r ...
" (number 5). The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, who wrote and produced several of their own tracks.
''Celebrity'' sold 1,879,955 copies in its first week, making it the second-fastest-selling album in SoundScan history at the time, only behind the group's previous album ''No Strings Attached''. Its debut was recognized by the Billboard Music Award
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a Billboard charts, music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annu ...
s with a special award for "biggest one-week sales for an album in 2001." To promote the ''Celebrity'' album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the PopOdyssey Tour. The tour earned over $90 million, becoming one of the biggest tours of 2001. In 2002, the band promoted their album further by embarking on the Celebrity Tour, which earned nearly $30 million.
Following the tour, the group went on a indefinite hiatus to allow for time off and at the suggestion of Timberlake, who was interested in recording a solo album. While the hiatus was initially meant to be temporary, the group never toured together again. "It started as a fun snowball fight that was becoming an avalanche. And, also, I was growing out of it. I felt like I cared more about the music than some of the other people in the group. And I felt like I had other music I wanted to make and that I needed to follow my heart," Timberlake later said of his decision to leave the band.
Joey Fatone and Lance Bass have offered a different perspective on NSYNC's split, indicating that a lack of transparency left them unprepared for the prospect of a breakup. In a 2019 interview on ''The Jenny McCarthy Show'', Fatone said the group believed they would be reuniting because they were young and "didn't know better at first." He then went on to say that the momentum of the '' Justified'' album and tour was the reason for prolonging a group reunion that would result in new music. Recalling a conversation he'd had with his bandmates, Fatone elaborated: "I said, 'Listen, I'm all good with everybody doing their own shit. I'm totally fine with it, ''just let us know next time''.' Meaning: I could've done a lot more shit than sit around waiting for your dumb ass while you're going out on tour. I could've, honestly. 'Cause the minute we parted our ways in the sense of a group I was like 'Shit, I went and did Broadway - I did '' Rent'' on Broadway, I did ''Little Shop of Horrors
Little Shop of Horrors may refer to:
* '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film
* ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film
* ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...
''.' I started doing things at first, I was waiting 'cause I know that when you do an album and you're doing stuff with a group it takes a long—it's a long, i-it's a process. So it was interesting. I was just like 'Dude, just let me know next time,' I said. 'Cause next time I ain't waiting for ''nobody''."
Lance Bass has also discussed waiting for the band to reunite, first in his memoir when he mentioned passing up various professional opportunities and more recently as a guest on Michael Rosenbaum's ''Inside of You'' podcast. When asked how he felt about the fallout of NSYNC's breakup, Bass explained, "Me and the guys were never...on bad terms at all, you know, it's just life goes on and y-you know you have more interests; you have to focus on your career and it's great. Uh, the thing I was most disappointed in was not just Justin leaving the band, um... it's that our whole team - our record label, our management, everything like that - they ''all'' knew. They all ''knew'' it was over for three years before they told ''me''. And so for three years I'm sitting there getting ready for a new album as everyone else knows we're moving on. And so, I didn't get - I turned down, you know, there was a sitcom I was doin'. Had to turn it down. Uh, I mean, all kinds of stuff that I really wanted to do and focus on but I knew I couldn't because, you know, my first commitment is *NSYNC. Like, this is my ''life''."
The group still attended award shows and events together, and regrouped at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards to sing a televised Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry Gibb, Barry, Robin Gibb, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in ...
medley in tribute to that band. They were slated to begin work on a new album in the fall of 2003, but it never materialized. They performed "The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written by American lawyer Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814, after he witnessed the bombardment of Fort ...
" at the 2004 NSYNC Challenge for the Children. According to Bass' 2007 memoir '' Out of Sync'', written after Bass won the Human Rights Campaign Award for his work in the gay community after his coming out, a meeting was held in the summer of 2004 to discuss the band's future where Timberlake announced his decision to leave the band.
In 2005, NSYNC regrouped for the last Challenge for the Children but did not perform. In the fall of 2005, NSYNC released a greatest hits album
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...
. It included one song, " I'll Never Stop", that had previously not been released in the US. In 2007, while promoting ''Out of Sync'', Bass confirmed the group's breakup to the press.
2010–present: Occasional appearances, Walk of Fame and Better Place
In January 2010, the band released another album, ''The Collection'', consisting of singles released only in the UK. On August 25, 2013, the members of NSYNC regrouped for a one-off performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of ...
. They performed a medley of "Girlfriend
A girlfriend is a woman who is a friend, acquaintance or partner to the speaker, usually a female companion with whom one is platonically, romantically, or sexually involved. In a romantic context, this normally signifies a committed r ...
" and " Bye Bye Bye" during Timberlake's 15-minute set leading up to his acceptance of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award
The Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, is a merit given to Musician, recording artists and music video directors at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), a ceremony that was established in 1984. It is presented by MTV for "outstanding contributi ...
. Their introduction included vocal elements of "Gone" in the background. After the performance, Bass said that the group did not have any plans at the moment for a reunion tour or new music.
On July 29, 2014, a compilation of NSYNC's hits and unreleased songs titled '' The Essential *NSYNC'', was released. Bass said of the album on his radio show, ''Dirty Pop'': "There's a lot of these songs I don't think I've ever heard, I remember recording them but I've never heard them before, so I'm interested in just hearing them." Chasez tweeted about the album's release, stating: "I had the strangest dream last night that some old friends and I had a top 10 record on iTunes. Crazy right..." Kirkpatrick said of the album; "It's great to release some of the songs that had never made a record before. I'm glad our long time fans get some new music." Fatone also said; "Pretty interesting this album comes out, which I really had no idea, and it's in the top of Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology company
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek myth ...
and iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
... we owe it to our fans. Thank you." Fatone and Kirkpatrick starred in '' Dead 7'', a western zombie film written by Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter. The film premiered on April 1, 2016, on the Syfy channel.
On April 30, 2018, NSYNC reunited to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
. To celebrate the occasion, all five members appeared on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. The show ran for nineteen seasons from September 8, 2003, to May 26, 2022, in which it broadcast 3,339 episodes. It was produced by ...
''. On April 14, 2019, Chasez, Fatone, Bass, and Kirkpatrick reunited, for a performance with Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
during her headlining performance at Coachella
Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...
. They performed " Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored", "It Makes Me Ill" and "Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
". Timberlake was unable to make the reunion due to finishing up his The Man of the Woods Tour the night before. On April 19, 2021, Bass, Fatone, and Kirkpatrick reunited for a Progressive Insurance commercial known as "The 3/5ths of NSYNC".
On September 12, 2023, following weeks of teasers and speculation regarding a potential reunion, all five members appeared together at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey on September 12, 2023. The show was hosted by Nicki Minaj, marking her second consecutive year in the role. This was the first time the ...
to present the Best Pop Award. On September 14, it was confirmed the group recorded a new song titled " Better Place" for the DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal as part of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios, Inc, Universal Stud ...
film '' Trolls Band Together''. The song was released on September 29, 2023, reaching No. 1 on the US and Canadian iTunes Charts, No. 4 on the Global and European iTunes Charts and No. 25 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. To further promote the single, the band appeared together on a 2023 episode of the YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
talk show Hot Ones.
In the wake of the release of "Better Place", Joey Fatone said that, depending on the success of new music from the band and the continued involvement of Timberlake, they could record a new album together within the next two years.
On March 13, 2024, NSYNC performed together for the first time since the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of ...
at Timberlake's One Night Only (ONO) concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. They performed "Girlfriend", "Bye Bye Bye", and "It's Gonna Be Me" and debuted their new song, "Paradise", which was released two days later as a track on Timberlake's sixth studio album, ''Everything I Thought It Was
''Everything I Thought It Was'' is the sixth studio album by American singer Justin Timberlake. It was released through RCA Records on March 15, 2024. The album serves as the follow-up to his previous album, '' Man of the Woods'' (2018), and fea ...
''. The same year, " Bye Bye Bye" resurged in popularity after it was featured in the 2024 Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
film ''Deadpool & Wolverine
''Deadpool & Wolverine'' is a 2024 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Deadpool and Wolverine (character), Wolverine. Produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed ...
''.
Regarding the band's future, Chasez made a statement during a podcast appearance in November 2024, stating: "Right now everybody's focused on different projects. But we're always talking in the background, and it only takes like one idea to pop, so anything's possible."
Artistry
Their debut studio album '' 'N Sync'' (1997) featured four-on-the-floor Europop
Europop (also spelled Euro pop) is a style of pop music that originated in Europe during the mid-to-late 1960s and developed to today's form throughout the late 1970s. Europop topped the charts throughout the 1980s and 1990s, with revivals and ...
beats with midtempo singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart", that recalled a production similar to Ace of Base
Ace of Base is a Swedish pop group formed in 1987, originally consisting of siblings Jonas, Linn, and Jenny Berggren, with Ulf Ekberg.
They achieved worldwide success following the release of their debut album, '' Happy Nation'', in 1992. L ...
. '' No Strings Attached'' (2000) was noted as "an incremental step away" from teen pop
Teen pop is a sub genre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards Preadolescence, preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop". About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Often, the artists themselves are teenagers during their break ...
's "softer side", as it featured ballads written by 80s adult contemporary singer Richard Marx
Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
Marx's first number one success as a songwriter came in 1984 with " What About Me?", which was recorded by Kenny Rogers ...
and prolific songwriter Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren (born September 7, 1956) is an American songwriter. She has won an Academy Honorary Award, Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, two Golden Globe Awards and three consecutive ''Billboard'' Music Awards for Songwriter of the Year from 19 ...
. Primarily a pop album, it comprised a blend of new jack swing
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...
revivalism, uptempo R&B and hip-hop influences. Lyrically, the lead single " Bye Bye Bye"'s kiss-off message and self-assurance saw the group departing from the "lovesick" formula of their debut. ''Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
'' (2001) was mainly a pop/R&B record with electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
elements.
Marketing
The members licensed their likenesses on a great variety of merchandise, including board games, microphones, lip balm, marionettes, books, key chains, bedding, clothing, video games, and various other articles. The group was immortalized in wax in Madame Tussauds New York wax museum in 2002; all five members of NSYNC were present the day of the unveiling. The group also had a deal alongside McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
, which included commercials featuring the group and Britney Spears, along with a CD and a video that featured behind-the-scenes footage from the making of NSYNC's music video. The vocal group also had a deal with Chili's Grill & Bar in which the members appeared in commercials for the restaurant, while Chili's helped sponsor the group's tour. A video game was released based on the band by Infogrames for the Game Boy Color
The (GBC or CGB) is an 8-bit handheld game console developed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on October 21, 1998, and to international markets that November. Compared to the original Game Boy, the Game Boy Color features a color TFT scre ...
titled ''*NSYNC: Get to the Show'' in 2001. In April 2018, a free, limited-run shop called "Dirty Pop-Up" centered in NSYNC opened on Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles.
Legacy
''Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ranked NSYNC as the best boy band of the 1990s and 2000s; editor Madelne Boardman stated, "the group has a spot in pop history more than a decade late." ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' stated it was one of the two boy bands "that dominated the late '90s and early '00s." According to ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', ''No Strings Attached'' was the top album of the 2000s (decade), with ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' listing it among the albums "that marked the decade." ''Billboard'' also ranked the group at number four on their list of the biggest boy bands (from the period 1987–2012) according to chart performance, with the staff writing, "despite having one of the most short-lived boy band careers, 'N Sync was arguably the most famous."
In a retrospective article for ''No Strings Attached''s 20th anniversary, NPR's writer Maria Sherman said the album marked "the sound of a new millennium" and an "industry peak" commercially, while describing the group as "one of the last artists to benefit so greatly from the industry bubble before its spectacular burst," referring to the following post-9/11 era. Sherman also noted their sophomore album to be relevant to the pop market of 2020: "a union of Swedish pop songcraft with R&B and hip-hop's flow and bounce; an eagerness to explore mature themes and styles; an understanding that dance and visual presentation can turn stars into icons." ''Billboard'' stated that their sophomore album's production and writing "represented a sonic shift for all of pop music at the turn of the millennium," while noting, "before ''No Strings Attached'', none of the major teen pop albums of the era had featured guest rappers or name producers from the R&B world, and virtually every one that came after did." Writer Al Shipley commented that although NSYNC was not the first act to build an album "around the theme of taking control of their career", the group took this theme a step further with the ''No Strings Attached'' cover art and the " Bye Bye Bye" music video. Shipley further stated the album's pop, hip hop, and R&B elements helped NSYNC "climb to the top of the boy band heap."
A ''Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' article noted the group "were deeply ingrained within the '' TRL'' universe", the MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
fan-voted video countdown where they had the most number-one videos for a group and second-most overall, which became "ground zero" for "America's adolescent culture war." The website's editor commented, "to be a teenager at the turn of the millennium was to be inundated with boy bands and pop princesses, and *NSYNC were among the most dominant of them all." As NSYNC propelled the solo stardom of Timberlake, '' Consequence'' noted, " issolo success is the exception, not the rule", as other contemporary boy bands "failed to produce a solo star." Several acts have cited the group as an influence, including Kelsea Ballerini
Kelsea Nicole Ballerini (born September 12, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. A five-time Grammy Award nominee, she began having success in the 2010s, being honored with the Academy of Country Music Awards#Special awards, Ge ...
, Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...
, Meghan Trainor
Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...
, and Why Don't We
Why Don't We, shortened to WDW, was an American boy band consisting of Jack Avery, Corbyn Besson, Zach Herron, Jonah Marais and Daniel Seavey. They formed in 2016 and released two studio albums and six extended plays. Because of a lawsuit, the gr ...
. Hayley Williams stated she learned harmonies
In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...
through listening to the group in her teenage years. Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Known for her autobiographical songwriting, artistic versatility, and Cultural impact of Taylor Swift, cultural impact, Swift is one of the Best selling artists, w ...
called the band "pop personified" upon accepting the Best Pop Award from the group at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2023 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey on September 12, 2023. The show was hosted by Nicki Minaj, marking her second consecutive year in the role. This was the first time the ...
.
Awards and nominations
NSYNC has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
. Among their awards, the group has won three American Music Awards
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
, five Billboard Music Award
The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a Billboard charts, music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annu ...
s, seven MTV Video Music Award
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
s, and they held the Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
for the "Fastest-selling pop album in US History" from 2000 to 2015. NSYNC has the record second fastest-selling album in the USA and the fifth-fastest-selling album worldwide. NSYNC received a Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nomination at the 2025 Grammy Awards in Best Song Written for Visual Media for the song " Better Place".
Band members
* JC Chasez
Joshua Scott "JC" Chasez (; born August 8, 1976) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer. He started his career as a singer, actor, and dancer on '' The All-New Mickey Mouse Club'' before rising to prominence as a ...
– Melody/1st tenor (1995–2004; 2023–2024)
* Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Pop", ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' honored him as the b ...
– Melody/2nd tenor (1995–2004; 2023–2024)
* Chris Kirkpatrick
Christopher Alan Kirkpatrick (born October 17, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, music producer, podcaster, and actor. He founded the pop group NSYNC, in which he sang countertenor. The band has sold over 70 million records, becomin ...
– Countertenor (1995–2004; 2023–2024)
* Joey Fatone – Baritone (1995–2004; 2023–2024)
* Lance Bass
James Lance Bass (; born May 4, 1979) is an American singer, actor, and producer. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the Bass (voice type), bass singer for the boy band NSYNC. The band has sold over 70 million records, becoming one of ...
– Bass (1995–2004; 2023–2024)
Former member
* Jason Galasso – Bass (1995)
Discography
Studio albums
* ''NSYNC
NSYNC ( ; also stylized as *NSYNC or N Sync) was an American vocal group and pop boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. The group consists of Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, ...
'' (1997)
* '' Home for Christmas'' (1998)
* '' No Strings Attached'' (2000)
* ''Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
'' (2001)
Filmography
Concert films
* ''NSYNC: Live From Madison Square Garden'' (2000) (Legacy Studio Recordings)
* ''NSYNC: Bigger Than Live'' (2001)
* ''NSYNC: Pop Odyssey Live'' (2002)
Documentaries
* ''NSYNC: N the Mix (The Official Home Video)'' (1998) (RCA Records) (Also: ''NSYNC: N the Mix (The Official Home DVD)'' (1999) (RCA Records))
* ''NSYNC: Making the Tour'' (2000) (Jive)
* ''The Reel NSYNC'' (2002) (Trauma Records)
* ''NSYNC's Challenge for The Children: Daze vs Knights'' (2003)
Compilation
* ''NSYNC: Most Requested Hit Videos'' (2002) (Sony Legacy)
Movies (fiction)
* '' Longshot'' (2001)
* '' On the Line'' (2001) (Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake)
* '' Trolls Band Together'' (2023)
TV specials
* NSYNC In Concert (1998); filmed at Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Br ...
at Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort is an destination resort, entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Wa ...
for Disney Channel in Concert.
* Holidays In Concert (1998); performed songs from '' Home for Christmas'' as well as " God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You" from their debut album.
* NSYNC 'N Concert (1999); pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
concert filmed in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
during NSYNC's Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now Tour.
* Walt Disney World Summer Jam Concert (1999); performed along with Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
, Tyrese Gibson and 98 Degrees
98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American vocal group consisting of brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre. Their first Christmas album '' This Christmas'' has sold over two million copies and is widely recognized ...
.
* NSYNC: Live From Madison Square Garden (2000); a concert special presented by HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
during the No Strings Attached Tour.
* Walt Disney World Twas The Night Before Christmas (2000); performed along with 98 Degrees
98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American vocal group consisting of brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, and Justin Jeffre. Their first Christmas album '' This Christmas'' has sold over two million copies and is widely recognized ...
, Monica, Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Johnson (née Simpson; born July 10, 1980) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. After performing in church choirs as a child, Simpson signed with Columbia Records in 1997, aged seventeen. Her debut studio album, '' ...
, Billy Gilman and many others.
* NSYNC Ntimate Holiday Special (2000); a Christmas special on FOX where NSYNC sang songs from '' No Strings Attached'' plus "You Don't Have To Be Alone" from the soundtrack to the film '' How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' and "O Holy Night" from their album ''Home for Christmas''.
* NSYNC: The Road to Celebrity (2001); an MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
special from San Diego, California where NSYNC sang and previewed songs from their third album ''Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
''. The special also included a countdown of the best NSYNC moments on MTV.
* *NSYNC: Live From Atlantis (2001); a Thanksgiving concert special on CBS filmed from Atlantis Paradise Island which aired before an airing of The Rugrats Movie & included duets with & a performance from special guest Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy McGraw (born May 1, 1967) is an American country singer and actor. He has released 17 studio albums (11 for Curb Records, five for Big Machine Records and one for Arista Nashville). 10 of those albums have reached number one on ...
.
Guest appearances on TV shows
* '' 1998 Miss Teen USA'' (1998) Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
was performed.
* ''Sabrina the Teenage Witch
''Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' is a comic book series published by Archie Comics about the adventures of a fictional American teenager named Sabrina Spellman. Sabrina was created by writer George Gladir and artist Dan DeCarlo, and first appeared ...
'' (1998) Episode: "Sabrina And The Pirates"
* '' Clueless'' (1999) Episode: "None for the Road"
Note: "Tearin' Up My Heart
"Tearin' Up My Heart" is a song by American boy band NSYNC, from their debut album, '' 'N Sync'' (1997). The song was written by Max Martin and the producer Kristian Lundin. It was released by BMG Ariola in Germany on February 10, 1997, and b ...
" was performed in those shows.
* ''Touched by an Angel
''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...
'' (1999) Episode: "Voice of an Angel" (Also sang an a cappella version of " (God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You")
* ''Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational television, educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation, and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Worksh ...
'' (2000) Episode: "Elmo in Numberland". Sang a song called "Believe in Yourself"
* ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
'' (2000) Episode: Joshua Jackson/NSYNC. As guest performers and in sketches including as fake boy band No Refund
* ''The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' (2001) Episode: " New Kids on the Blecch" Season 12 Episode 14
Tours
Headlining
* For the Girl Tour (1997)
* NSYNC in Concert (1998–2000)
* No Strings Attached Tour (2000)
* PopOdyssey Tour (2001)
* Celebrity Tour (2002)
As opening (supporting) act
* The Velvet Rope Tour (supporting Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
) (1998)
See also
* List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
* List of best-selling music artists in the United States
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
External links
*
*
*
Facebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:N Sync
1995 establishments in Florida
2002 disestablishments in Florida
American boy bands
American dance music groups
American pop music groups
American contemporary R&B musical groups
Avex Group artists
Dance-pop groups
Teen pop groups
Jive Records artists
Justin Timberlake
Lou Pearlman
Musical groups established in 1995
Musical groups disestablished in 2002
Musical groups from Orlando, Florida
American vocal groups
Child musical groups
MTV Video Music Award winners
RCA Records artists
Sony BMG artists
Vocal quintets
MAMA Award winners
Musical groups reestablished in 2023