'N Sync
Encyclopedia
'N Sync was an American boy band
formed in Orlando, Florida
, in 1995 and launched in Germany
by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake
, Lance Bass
, Joey Fatone
and Chris Kirkpatrick
. After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager Lou Pearlman
and former record label Sony BMG, the group's second album No Strings Attached sold over one million copies in one day and 2.42 million copies in one week. In addition to a host of Grammy Award
nominations, 'N Sync preformed at the World Series
, the Super Bowl
and the Olympic Games
, and sang or recorded with Elton John
, Mandy Moore
, Aerosmith
, Mary J Blige, Britney Spears
, Nelly
, Michael Jackson
, Phil Collins
, Stevie Wonder
, Celine Dion
, and Gloria Estefan
.
While 'N Sync announced a "temporary hiatus" in spring 2002, the band has not recorded new material since. The group's official website shut down in the summer of 2006, and in 2007, Lance Bass confirmed that the group has "definitely broken up." In March 2010, the group's website was relaunched to keep fans updated on the various members' projects.
met with Lou Pearlman
to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone
, a friend he had met while working at Universal Studios. Then, Fatone and Kirkpatrick approached Lou Pearlman for more suggestions. Pearlman looked through some tapes they had, and one of Justin Timberlake
from the Mickey Mouse Club
caught their eye. Timberlake soon joined the group and recommended his friend JC Chasez, who also was a cast member on the Mickey Mouse Club
. Soon, they decided to even out their sound by finding a bass singer. Initially, their fifth member was to be Jason Galasso. 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
was never a goal of his. In need of a bass, the group auditioned several people without success. Timberlake soon called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from Mississippi
named Lance Bass
. Bass flew to Orlando to audition and was immediately accepted into the group.
The group got their name after Timberlake's mother commented on how "in sync" their voices were. The group's name was also a play on the last letter of each member's first names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. The band later nicknamed Bass "Lansten" so as not to throw off the last-letter theme of their name. From there, Pearlman set the five boys up in a house in Orlando, where they rehearsed constantly, learning dance routines and vocal parts, and working on promotion for their first public performance at Pleasure Island on October 22, 1995. Pearlman hired Johnny Wright, manager of the BackStreet Boys, to manage the group. 'N Sync sent him a two-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 Bass's dancing abilities, 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 debut album with the help of producers such as Denniz Pop
, Max Martin
and Andreas Carlsson
. The album's official lead single
, "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 territories. Their self-titled debut album
was initially released by BMG Ariola Munich on May 26, 1997, in Germany, and peaked at number one in the second week after its release,. The group soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe. The album also charted successfully in both Switzerland and Austria eventually selling 820,000 units in GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) region and Eastern Europe. The group released its second and the third singles, "Tearin' Up My Heart
" and "Here We Go", both of which managed to reach the top-10 in numerous countries in Europe. 'N Sync captured the attention of Vincent DeGiorgio, an A&R rep for RCA Records
. 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 U.S. market.
" on January 20, 1998. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
. An album called *NSYNC
followed on March 24, 1998. Album sales were sluggish, debuting at #82 on the Billboard 200
, but were helped when the Disney Channel
aired a concert on July 18, 1998. The concert was first offered to the Backstreet Boys
but they turned it down. Three weeks before the concert, the album sat at #85 on the albums chart. Three weeks after the concert, the album reached number nine. Six months after the release of its debut album, the group was in the Top 10. The group released its second single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", in April of that same year. It was the top of radio airplay charts and was played on MTV
and on Total Request Live
. It peaked at #2 in October 1998. They toured regularly, including an opening spot on Janet Jackson
's The Velvet Rope Tour
. The album got a Diamond Certification for sales of over 10 million by the RIAA.
The group appeared on the television series Sabrina The Teenage Witch
on February 5, 1999, performing "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You
." 'N Sync also performed the track "Somewhere, Someday," for the soundtrack of Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
. 'N Sync's 1998 hit, 'Tearin' Up My Heart' was also featured as #30 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 90's" in 2007, nine years later. On November 10, 1998, the group released a holiday album, Home for Christmas. The album peaked at #7 and sold 2 million copies. With this, 'N Sync achieved the rare feat of having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time. 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 #8 in February 1999. Country group Alabama
later re-recorded the song and released it as a single that featured vocals from 'N Sync. The fourth and final single from the album, "I Drive Myself Crazy
", was a modest chart hit, but a mainstay on Total Request Live
. In September 1999, the group collaborated with Gloria Estefan
on a song for the soundtrack for her movie Music of the Heart
. The track "Music of My Heart
" reached #2 on Billboard's Top-100 single chart and served as a stopgap between album releases.
In 1998, *NSYNC had a publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part. 'N Sync sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defrauding
the group of more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits. The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue 'N Sync for US$
150 million and the use of the name. Pearlman's request for a preliminary injunction against the band was denied. After reaching a settlement out of court, 'N Sync signed with Jive.
", 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
. They performed at the Latin Grammy show in 2001 singing the Spanish version of their song, This I Promise You, "Yo Te Voy Amar."
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 both the best-selling album of the decade and top-selling album of 2000. No Strings Attached is currently the eighth best selling album of the SoundScan era which received a Diamond Certification 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
", became the group's first #1 single in US. The third and final single, "This I Promise You
" reached the Top-5 on Billboard's Top-100 single chart. The group also embarked on a World 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 #1 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.
, released on July 24, 2001, produced three singles: "Pop
" (#19 US), "Gone
" (#11 US) and "Girlfriend
" (#5 US). The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, especially Chasez and Timberlake, who wrote and produced several of the tracks. The album was also notably more heavily influenced by hip-hop than the group's previous releases. As such, rapper Nelly contributed a verse to a remix of the single "Girlfriend". The album was generally well-received, but album sales were substantially less than previous releases.
To help support the Celebrity album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the Pop Odyssey Tour
. The outing began in May, two months before the CD's release. Over two million fans attended the concerts. The success of the tour prompted the group to extend the tour and add 33 extra shows that was called the "Celebrity Tour". A video of the concert was later released on home video, Pop Odyssey Live.
. It included one song, "I'll Never Stop", that had previously not been released in America. In January 2010, they released another album called The Collection
that consisted of singles only released in the UK.
The group was featured on an episode of Seth Green
's stop-motion sketch comedy show Robot Chicken
in 2005, but only Lance Bass and Joey Fatone voiced their own characters in the episode. Justin Timberlake was voiced by Breckin Meyer
.
Lance Bass told People magazine that "We're definitely itching to do some music," but the only thing that's really stopping a reunion is that "It's gonna be hard to get Justin to calm down and get off tour, he's a workaholic". Despite the fact that Timberlake has not released an album since 2006 and his last tour ended in 2007, he continues to be very busy with his own career. Timberlake has recently turned his attention to film and has produced a successful acting career. Joey Fatone has been featured as a host for reality game show The Singing Bee that aired on NBC and is announcer on Family Feud
with Steve Harvey
. Lance Bass has done some producing jobs and small film cameos.
, which included commercials featuring the group and Spears, along with a CD and a video that featured behind-the-scenes footage from the making of 'N Sync'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.
As supporting act
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
formed in Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, in 1995 and launched in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Lance Bass
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
, Joey Fatone
Joey Fatone
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
and Chris Kirkpatrick
Chris Kirkpatrick
Christopher Alan "Chris" Kirkpatrick is an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and voice actor who is best known as a founding member of the pop group 'N Sync in which he sang counter tenor. He has provided the voice for many kids shows, including the voice of Chip Skylark on The Fairly Odd...
. After heavily publicized legal battles with their former manager Lou Pearlman
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
and former record label Sony BMG, the group's second album No Strings Attached sold over one million copies in one day and 2.42 million copies in one week. In addition to a host of Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations, 'N Sync preformed at the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
and the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, and sang or recorded with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Mary J Blige, Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, Nelly
Nelly
Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. , better known by his stage name Nelly, is an Grammy Award winning American rapper and actor. He has performed with the rap group St. Lunatics since 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in 2000 with his debut album...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Phil Collins
Phil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, Celine Dion
Celine Dion
Céline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
, and Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
.
While 'N Sync announced a "temporary hiatus" in spring 2002, the band has not recorded new material since. The group's official website shut down in the summer of 2006, and in 2007, Lance Bass confirmed that the group has "definitely broken up." In March 2010, the group's website was relaunched to keep fans updated on the various members' projects.
1995–1998: Group formation and debut album
In 1995, Chris KirkpatrickChris Kirkpatrick
Christopher Alan "Chris" Kirkpatrick is an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and voice actor who is best known as a founding member of the pop group 'N Sync in which he sang counter tenor. He has provided the voice for many kids shows, including the voice of Chip Skylark on The Fairly Odd...
met with Lou Pearlman
Lou Pearlman
Louis Jay "Lou" Pearlman is a former impresario of the successful 1990s boy bands such as The Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Take 5, O-Town and US5. In 2006, it was discovered that Pearlman had perpetrated one of the largest and longest-running Ponzi schemes in American history, leaving more than $300...
to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone
Joey Fatone
Joseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
, a friend he had met while working at Universal Studios. Then, Fatone and Kirkpatrick approached Lou Pearlman for more suggestions. Pearlman looked through some tapes they had, and one of Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
from the Mickey Mouse Club
Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that began in 1955, produced by Walt Disney Productions and televised by the ABC, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers. The Mickey Mouse Club was created by Walt Disney...
caught their eye. Timberlake soon joined the group and recommended his friend JC Chasez, who also was a cast member on the Mickey Mouse Club
Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that began in 1955, produced by Walt Disney Productions and televised by the ABC, featuring a regular but ever-changing cast of teenage performers. The Mickey Mouse Club was created by Walt Disney...
. Soon, they decided to even out their sound by finding a bass singer. Initially, their fifth member was to be Jason Galasso. 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
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
was never a goal of his. In need of a bass, the group auditioned several people without success. Timberlake soon called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
named Lance Bass
Lance Bass
James Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
. Bass flew to Orlando to audition and was immediately accepted into the group.
The group got their name after Timberlake's mother commented on how "in sync" their voices were. The group's name was also a play on the last letter of each member's first names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN, and JC. The band later nicknamed Bass "Lansten" so as not to throw off the last-letter theme of their name. From there, Pearlman set the five boys up in a house in Orlando, where they rehearsed constantly, learning dance routines and vocal parts, and working on promotion for their first public performance at Pleasure Island on October 22, 1995. Pearlman hired Johnny Wright, manager of the BackStreet Boys, to manage the group. 'N Sync sent him a two-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 Bass's dancing abilities, 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 debut album with the help of producers such as Denniz Pop
Denniz Pop
Dag Krister Volle , better known under the artistic name Denniz Pop , was a Swedish DJ, music producer and songwriter....
, Max Martin
Max Martin
Martin Karl Sandberg, known professionally as Max Martin, is a Swedish music producer and songwriter. Raised in Stenhamra, a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, he broke through as a producer and songwriter in the mid to late 1990s after crafting a string of hits for pop artists like the Backstreet Boys,...
and Andreas Carlsson
Andreas Carlsson
Andreas Carlsson is a Swedish music producer, composer, and pop songwriter.-Biography:Carlsson was part of the Cheiron Studios team until the studio was closed down in 2001....
. The album's official lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, "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 territories. Their self-titled debut album
*NSYNC (album)
-Background: 1995-1997:In 1995, Chris Kirkpatrick met with Lou Pearlman to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers to be with him in the band. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone, a friend he had met...
was initially released by BMG Ariola Munich on May 26, 1997, in Germany, and peaked at number one in the second week after its release,. The group soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe. The album also charted successfully in both Switzerland and Austria eventually selling 820,000 units in GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) region and Eastern Europe. The group released its second and the third singles, "Tearin' Up My Heart
Tearin' Up My Heart
Tearin' Up My Heart is the second single from boy band 'N Sync's self-titled debut album. It is the second single worldwide. In 2007, Tearin' Up My Heart peaked #30 at VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of '90s...
" and "Here We Go", both of which managed to reach the top-10 in numerous countries in Europe. 'N Sync captured the attention of Vincent DeGiorgio, an A&R rep for RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
. After seeing the group perform in Budapest, he eventually signed them to RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
in 1998. The American label had the group record some new tracks to adjust their album for the U.S. market.
1998–1999: Breaking the American market and legal battle
The group released its American first single, "I Want You BackI Want You Back ('N Sync song)
"I Want You Back" is the first single released from 'N Sync self-titled debut album. This single is also included on 'N Sync's Greatest Hits. It has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The song won a Billboard award for "Best New Dance Clip". It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the single...
" on January 20, 1998. It reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. An album called *NSYNC
*NSYNC (album)
-Background: 1995-1997:In 1995, Chris Kirkpatrick met with Lou Pearlman to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers to be with him in the band. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone, a friend he had met...
followed on March 24, 1998. Album sales were sluggish, debuting at #82 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, but were helped when the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
aired a concert on July 18, 1998. The concert was first offered to the Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...
but they turned it down. Three weeks before the concert, the album sat at #85 on the albums chart. Three weeks after the concert, the album reached number nine. Six months after the release of its debut album, the group was in the Top 10. The group released its second single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", in April of that same year. It was the top of radio airplay charts and was played on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. It peaked at #2 in October 1998. They toured regularly, including an opening spot on Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
's The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope Tour
The Velvet Rope World Tour is the third concert tour by American recording artist Janet Jackson. Launched in support of her sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , the tour embarked on an international trek that included Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, New Zealand and Australia.Due to the fact...
. The album got a Diamond Certification for sales of over 10 million by the RIAA.
The group appeared on the television series Sabrina The Teenage Witch
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (TV series)
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch is an American sitcom based on the Archie comic book series of the same name.The show stars Melissa Joan Hart as Sabrina Spellman, a teenager with magical powers, who lives with her aunts Hilda and Zelda , and their magical talking cat Salem...
on February 5, 1999, performing "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You
God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You
" A Little More Time On You" is the sixth and final single released from 'N Sync's self-titled debut album. While the previous singles were released in Europe, this one was not, and subsequently only charted in Australia and the US, reaching #46 and #8 respectively...
." 'N Sync also performed the track "Somewhere, Someday," for the soundtrack of Pokémon: The First Movie – Mewtwo Strikes Back
Pokémon: The First Movie
Pokémon: The First Movie, originally released as , is a 1998 Japanese animated film directed by Kunihiko Yuyama, the chief director of the Pokémon television series. It is the first theatrical release in the Pokémon franchise...
. 'N Sync's 1998 hit, 'Tearin' Up My Heart' was also featured as #30 on VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of The 90's" in 2007, nine years later. On November 10, 1998, the group released a holiday album, Home for Christmas. The album peaked at #7 and sold 2 million copies. With this, 'N Sync achieved the rare feat of having two albums in the Billboard Top 10 at the same time. 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 #8 in February 1999. Country group Alabama
Alabama (band)
Alabama is a country music and southern rock band from Fort Payne, Alabama, United States. The band was founded in 1969 by Randy Owen and his cousin Teddy Gentry , soon joined by Jeff Cook...
later re-recorded the song and released it as a single that featured vocals from 'N Sync. The fourth and final single from the album, "I Drive Myself Crazy
I Drive Myself Crazy
Thinking of You is the seventh single released in the German market and the fourth from American boyband 'N Sync's self-titled debut album. The track was also featured on the group's seasonal studio album, The Winter Album. The single did not perform as well on the charts, selling less than...
", was a modest chart hit, but a mainstay on Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. In September 1999, the group collaborated with Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
on a song for the soundtrack for her movie Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart is a 1999 dramatic film. This film was produced by Craven-Maddalena Films and Miramax Films, and distributed by Buena Vista Distribution.The film stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Estefan, and Angela Bassett...
. The track "Music of My Heart
Music of My Heart
"Music of My Heart" is a song by Cuban American recording artist Gloria Estefan featuring American pop band 'N Sync. The teen pop song was written by Dianne Warren and produced by David Foster, for the Wes Craven directed movie "Music of the Heart" . It was released as the first single from the...
" reached #2 on Billboard's Top-100 single chart and served as a stopgap between album releases.
In 1998, *NSYNC had a publicized legal battle with Lou Pearlman, due to what the group believed were illicit business practices on his part. 'N Sync sued Pearlman and his record company, Trans Continental, for defrauding
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
the group of more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits. The group threatened to leave and sign with Jive Records, which prompted Pearlman and RCA to countersue 'N Sync for US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
150 million and the use of the name. Pearlman's request for a preliminary injunction against the band was denied. After reaching a settlement out of court, 'N Sync signed with Jive.
2000–2001: Groundbreaking success and No Strings Attached
With their legal woes behind them, *NSYNC refocused and worked on tracks for its second album. In January 2000, the group released "Bye Bye ByeBye Bye Bye
"Bye Bye Bye" is the first single released from American boyband 'N Sync's second album, No Strings Attached. Released in early 2000, it is a reference to the group's break from their manager Lou Pearlman and their record label, RCA...
", an upbeat dance track, which shot into the top 5 of the Hot 100 and spent 5 weeks atop the Hot 100 Airplay
Hot 100 Airplay
The Hot 100 Airplay chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures radio airplay, and is one of the three component charts, along with the Hot Singles Sales and the Hot Digital Songs charts, that determine the chart positions of singles on the Billboard...
chart. The song is often considered the group's signature song
Signature song
A signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
. They performed at the Latin Grammy show in 2001 singing the Spanish version of their song, This I Promise You, "Yo Te Voy Amar."
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 both the best-selling album of the decade and top-selling album of 2000. No Strings Attached is currently the eighth best selling album of the SoundScan era which received a Diamond Certification 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 ('N Sync song)
"It's Gonna Be Me" is a song by 'N Sync, released as the second single in the US and third in Europe from their 2000 album No Strings Attached. The lyrics are addressed to a woman with apparent attachment issues, connected with bad experiences from previous relationships. The singer assures her...
", became the group's first #1 single in US. The third and final single, "This I Promise You
This I Promise You
"This I Promise You" is a ballad by 'N Sync, released as the third single in America and the fourth single in Europe from their fourth studio album, No Strings Attached, in 2000...
" reached the Top-5 on Billboard's Top-100 single chart. The group also embarked on a World No Strings Attached Tour
No Strings Attached Tour
The No Strings Attached Tour is the third concert tour by American boy band, 'N Sync. Primarily visiting North America, the tour supported the band's second studio album, No Strings Attached. Beginning in May 2000, the trek became an instant success, selling out all dates within the first day of...
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 #1 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
Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in three cities: Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Lisbon in Portugal and Madrid in Spain.Four incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, 2001 and 2011, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010....
" concert. The group also released Live From Madison Square Garden, a home video release of its HBO Special.
2001–2002: Celebrity and "Pop"
The group's third album, CelebrityCelebrity (album)
Celebrity is the third and final studio album by the pop boy band 'N Sync. It was released on July 24, 2001, by Jive Records. The label was heavily criticized for releasing singles that involved Justin Timberlake on lead vocals, and none which involved JC Chasez performing or co-writing...
, released on July 24, 2001, produced three singles: "Pop
Pop (song)
"Pop" is the first single by *NSYNC from their third studio album, Celebrity. It was written by Wade Robson and Justin Timberlake and produced by BT using his famous "stutter edit" sound. The song's subject focuses on contemporary criticism of boy bands and pop music, and assures the public of...
" (#19 US), "Gone
Gone ('N Sync song)
"Gone" is the second single from 'N Sync's third studio album, Celebrity. The single debuted on the band's 2001 Pop Odyssey World Tour, during the summer of 2001. The commercial release of the single didn't occur until Summer 2001. In 2002, Bachata group, Aventura covered the song on their album,...
" (#11 US) and "Girlfriend
Girlfriend ('N Sync song)
"Girlfriend" is the third and final single from 'N Sync's third studio album, Celebrity, released on April 15, 2002. It was the last single the group ever released.-Background:...
" (#5 US). The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, especially Chasez and Timberlake, who wrote and produced several of the tracks. The album was also notably more heavily influenced by hip-hop than the group's previous releases. As such, rapper Nelly contributed a verse to a remix of the single "Girlfriend". The album was generally well-received, but album sales were substantially less than previous releases.
To help support the Celebrity album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the Pop Odyssey Tour
Pop Odyssey Tour
The PopOdyssey Tour is the fourth concert tour by American boy band 'N Sync. Sponsored by Verizon Long Distance and Chili's, the tour promoted the band's third studio album, Celebrity. The tour's name is defined as "an adventurous journey towards popularity, beginning as just a dream and ending in...
. The outing began in May, two months before the CD's release. Over two million fans attended the concerts. The success of the tour prompted the group to extend the tour and add 33 extra shows that was called the "Celebrity Tour". A video of the concert was later released on home video, Pop Odyssey Live.
2002–present: Hiatus and Breakup
In April 2002, after the group's Celebrity tour, they went on a break. They originally intended to resume recording in September of that year, but they decided to extend their hiatus because Timberlake wanted to focus on his solo career. The group still went to award shows and events together, and regrouped at the 2003 Grammy Awards to sing the Bee Gees Medley in tribute to the Bee Gees. It was the group's last televised performance. The last public performance for 'N Sync was at the group's 2004 Annual Challenge for the Children, where the members performed "The Star Spangled Banner". It was a fitting final performance considering "The Star Spangled Banner" was the first song the five of them ever sang together. In 2005, the members regrouped one last time for the last 'N Sync Challenge for the Children, but did not perform. In the fall of 2005, 'N Sync released a greatest hits albumGreatest Hits ('N Sync album)
Greatest Hits is the first compilation album released by Boyband 'N Sync. Released on October 25, 2005, the album debuted at #47 on the Top 200 Albums Chart...
. It included one song, "I'll Never Stop", that had previously not been released in America. In January 2010, they released another album called The Collection
The Collection ('N Sync album)
The Collection is the second compilation album boy band 'N Sync. The album was released on January 25, 2010, nearly five years after the release of the band's Greatest Hits...
that consisted of singles only released in the UK.
The group was featured on an episode of Seth Green
Seth Green
Seth Benjamin Green is an American actor, comedian, voice actor, and television producer. He is well known for his role as Daniel "Oz" Osbourne in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as Dr. Evil's son Scott in the Austin Powers series of comedy films, Mitch Miller in That '70s Show, and the voice of Chris...
's stop-motion sketch comedy show Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken
Robot Chicken is an American stop motion animated television series created and executive produced by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. Green provides many voices for the show...
in 2005, but only Lance Bass and Joey Fatone voiced their own characters in the episode. Justin Timberlake was voiced by Breckin Meyer
Breckin Meyer
-Early life:Meyer was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Dorothy Ann , a travel agent and former microbiologist, and Christopher William Meyer, a management consultant. As a child of divorced parents, he lived in California, Texas, West Virginia and New Jersey. He has an older brother,...
.
Lance Bass told People magazine that "We're definitely itching to do some music," but the only thing that's really stopping a reunion is that "It's gonna be hard to get Justin to calm down and get off tour, he's a workaholic". Despite the fact that Timberlake has not released an album since 2006 and his last tour ended in 2007, he continues to be very busy with his own career. Timberlake has recently turned his attention to film and has produced a successful acting career. Joey Fatone has been featured as a host for reality game show The Singing Bee that aired on NBC and is announcer on Family Feud
Family Feud
Family Feud is an American television game show created by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. Two families compete against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey question posed to 100 people...
with Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...
. Lance Bass has done some producing jobs and small film cameos.
Marketing
The group licensed their likenesses on large number of merchandise, including board games, microphones, lip balm, marionettes, books, key chains, bedding, clothing, video games, and various other articles. The group also had a deal alongside McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, which included commercials featuring the group and Spears, along with a CD and a video that featured behind-the-scenes footage from the making of 'N Sync's music video. The vocal group also had a deal with Chili's Grill & Bar
Chili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
in which the members appeared in commercials for the restaurant, while Chili's helped sponsor the group's tour.
Members
- JC Chasez – Lead Vocals/First TenorTenorThe tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
- Justin TimberlakeJustin TimberlakeJustin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
– Lead Vocals/ High Tenor - Chris KirkpatrickChris KirkpatrickChristopher Alan "Chris" Kirkpatrick is an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and voice actor who is best known as a founding member of the pop group 'N Sync in which he sang counter tenor. He has provided the voice for many kids shows, including the voice of Chip Skylark on The Fairly Odd...
– Vocals/ CountertenorCountertenorA countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble... - Joey FatoneJoey FatoneJoseph Anthony "Joey" Fatone, Jr. is an American singer, dancer, actor and television personality. He is best known as a member of the boyband, 'N Sync, in which he sang baritone. In 2007, he came in second place on the ABC reality show Dancing with the Stars...
– Vocals/ BaritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... - Lance BassLance BassJames Lance Bass , best known as Lance Bass, is an American pop singer, dancer, actor, film and television producer, and author. He grew up in Mississippi and rose to fame as the bass singer for the American pop boy band 'N Sync. 'N Sync's success led Bass to work in film and television...
– Vocals/ BassBass (voice type)A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
Discography
- 1997: *NSYNC*NSYNC (album)-Background: 1995-1997:In 1995, Chris Kirkpatrick met with Lou Pearlman to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers to be with him in the band. This prompted Kirkpatrick to call Joey Fatone, a friend he had met...
- 1998: Home for Christmas
- 2000: No Strings Attached
- 2001: CelebrityCelebrity (album)Celebrity is the third and final studio album by the pop boy band 'N Sync. It was released on July 24, 2001, by Jive Records. The label was heavily criticized for releasing singles that involved Justin Timberlake on lead vocals, and none which involved JC Chasez performing or co-writing...
Tours
Headlining- For the Girl Tour (1997) (also known as the "I Want You Back Tour" in the fall of 1997)
- 'N Sync in Concert'N Sync in ConcertN Sync in Concert is the second concert tour by American boy band, 'N Sync. Primarily visiting North America, the tour supported the band's debut studio album, *NSYNC...
(1998-2000) (also known as the "Second II None Tour" in the winter of 1998, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now Tour" in the spring of 1999, "Boys of Summer Tour" in the summer of 1999 and "The Winter Shows" in the winter of 1999) - No Strings Attached TourNo Strings Attached TourThe No Strings Attached Tour is the third concert tour by American boy band, 'N Sync. Primarily visiting North America, the tour supported the band's second studio album, No Strings Attached. Beginning in May 2000, the trek became an instant success, selling out all dates within the first day of...
(2000-01) - PopOdyssey Tour (2001-02) (known as the "Celebrity Tour" in 2002)
As supporting act
- The Velvet Rope World Tour (supporting Janet JacksonJanet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
) (1998)
Awards
The group has multiple RIAA awards. These include two Diamond Awards, four platinum home video releases, and multiple platinum awards for the group's records.See also
- List of best selling music artists in U.S.
- List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
- Boy bandBoy bandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...