nsync tour

Is NSYNC Going on Tour? Justin Timberlake Reunites the Band for First Performance in 10 Years

J.T. gave Los Angeles fans the surprise of their lives when he brought out the members of NSYNC during his latest concert. Find out if they're going on tour together.

NSYNC fans rejoice! The beloved boy band reunited for their first performance since 2013 during his latest Los Angeles concert on March 13, 2024. Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass , Joey Fatone,   and  Chris Kirkpatrick brought the crowd to tears as they sang some of their biggest hits, like “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me,” “Girlfriend” and their latest single “Paradise.” Last year, the group dropped “Better Place” as part of the Trolls Band Together  soundtrack on September 29, 2023. While it’s not certain what other projects will come of the reunion, it’s certainly exciting to seesinging together again. Not only that, but the band collaborated on the song titled “Paradise” on Justin’s 2024 album, Everything I Thought I Was .

Along with the new music, fans are clamoring to see the boy band take the stage again! It’s been over a decade since the group’s last musical reunion, and it’s been even longer since their last full-blown tour. Lance did hint that there was some hope for an NSYNC reunion in an appearance in the online game show Rent Free .  Hollywood Life has all the details for you, below.

The full moment leading up to @NSYNC coming out 😭😭😭 I’m not ok pic.twitter.com/YTQyG7mlJ1 — 🪩 Ashley 🪩 (@ashleyhollabakk) March 14, 2024

NSYNC Reunite for New Music

Reports that NSYNC had gotten back in the studio for the new song had surfaced back in August. Before announcing the track, the boy band took the stage at the 2023 MTV VMAs to present   Taylor Swift   with the Best Pop award. “Over 20 years ago, we were just kids when we won Best Pop Video for ‘Bye Bye Bye.’ It was our first VMA, and it meant the world to us. It validated our hard work,” Justin said at the start of the presentation.

Ahead of the official track announcement, the band had lip-synced along to the audio from a Friends  scene asking “Do you know something?” It was later revealed that “Better Place” would be a part of the  Trolls Band Together  soundtrack. Snippets of the band singing the new track can be heard in the trailer . Justin voices the Branch character in the movie.

Justin also dropped the track list for his 2024 album, which includes one collab with NSYNC titled “Paradise.”

Is NSYNC Going on Tour?

While nothing official has been announced, Lance did hint that he hoped to have more to tell fans in the near future during the  Rent Free  appearance, per  Page Six .  “Look, we are talking about it — and I hope to have some good news, at some point,” he said when talking about the reunion.

Joey Fatone had spoken to Hollywood Life about the possibility of a reunion in an exclusive interview in November. He said that he hoped to have a definite answer for fans in the near future. “I don’t mind answering, because of the fact that hopefully soon, I will get an answer,” he said. “Whether it be yes, whether it be no, I hate saying, ‘I don’t know yet,’ but it is true.”

Joey also expressed some hope for a reunion so that his daughters could get to experience what the band was like. “My kids have never really seen me perform with NSYNC. So for people that are fans that grew up listening to us, I feel almost the same way. It sounds weird, but it is true because I want my kids to see what I did,” he said.

Earlier, Lance said that the quintet isn’t planning on a reunion tour, in an Entertainment Tonight   interview. As the interviewer mentioned that fans have been clamoring for a tour, he said that there’s nothing on the horizon. “Hopefully in a perfect world, that might happen one day, but again, no plans right now,” he said.

While there’s nothing set in stone, Lance did seem open to the idea. He admitted that the group were listening to the fans. “I’ve been telling the fans: we don’t have solid plans right now, because we’re waiting for the strike to end. We’ve got things to do, but they’re definitely shaping our future,” he told  ET. Ahead of Lance’s interview, a report from TMZ   said that they didn’t plan on touring, releasing an album, or doing a residency.

Most recently, Justin appeared on  The Kelly Clarkson Show   on January 30, 2024, and confirmed that he and his pals have been working on new music together. “And also as it pertains to harmonies… I’ve spent some time with four other guys doing a lot of harmonies,” he said during the talk show appearance.

J.T. also touched on their 2023 reunion. “That was fun,” he said to Kelly Clarkson . “It’s kind of crazy, like, there’s so much that just picks up right where it left off as far as the chemistry.” Additionally, Justin reassured NSYNC fans that something is coming soon. “We’ve been in the studio, so there may be a little something in the future, too,” he added. Despite the exciting tease, Justin did not reveal if he and his bandmates will release a new album or if they will head on tour this year.

Less than two months later, Justin invited his bandmates to perform with him during a concert in L.A., fueling rumors that there could possibly be a tour in the near future. Nevertheless, they haven’t confirmed the rumors.

Earlier NSYNC Reunions

While NSYNC split up in 2005, the boy band has gotten together on a handful of occasions over the years for both musical and non-musical reunions. When Justin earned the Video Vanguard award at the 2013 MTV VMAs, the group was part of his medley performance, singing “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye.”  When the group was given a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2018, they all got together for the ceremony and appeared on Ellen  together.

The group has also had a few occasions that they’ve had partial reunions. All of the members except Justin joined  Ariana Grande   on stage for her 2019 headline set at Coachella, where they sang her song “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” and their own “Tearin’ Up My Heart.” In April 2022, Joey, Lance, and Chris gave an impromptu performance at Ryan Cabrera   and  Alexa Bliss’  wedding.

When Was the Last Time NSYNC Toured?

While there have been a handful of performances since the group split up, the boy band’s final tour was in 2002 to promote their album Celebrity. The tour ended in April 2002, and the band began a hiatus, which they never returned from. The members’ final appearance as NSYNC was in 2005 at the “Challenge for the Children,” but they didn’t perform. They released a greatest hits album that same year.

While the band has not toured together in over 20 years, Justin has set out on numerous tours as a solo artist. His most recent time on the road was in 2019 for his  The Man of the Woods  tour. 

Fans want an NSYNC reunion tour — but they'll have to settle for the band's first live performance since 2013 for now

• NSYNC fans are amped for a reunion tour after the band's recent appearances.
• In 2023, the group reunited at the MTV Video Music Awards before releasing their first single in 21 years.
• On Wednesday, the band joined Justin Timberlake onstage during his free Los Angeles concert.

NSYNC performed live for the first time in over a decade, raising questions about whether the band will return for a reunion tour.

On Wednesday, JC Chasez, Lance Bass , Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick made a surprise appearance during Justin Timberlake's free "One Night Only" concert in Los Angeles. The fivesome then performed together for the first time since 2013, running through their popular tracks "Gone," "Girlfriend, "Bye Bye Bye," and "It's Gonna Be Me." 

—Courtney McKinney (@CourtAnne1225) March 14, 2024

The band also performed "Paradise," a new NSYNC song that will appear on Timberlake's upcoming album, "Everything I Thought it Was."

—steven j. horowitz (@speriod) March 14, 2024

While many NSYNC fans might see this as a sign of the band's intention to reunite, it may not be that simple. 

In September 2023, when the five band members appeared onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards to present the award for best pop video to Taylor Swift , fans also took this as a sign that the band might be planning a reunion tour.

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Even Swift had questions when she collected her award, asking the group: "Like, are you doing something? What's going to happen now? They're going to do something and I need to know what it is."

Two days later, NSYNC announced via a video post on their Instagram account that they would release their first single in 21 years. But the song, "Better Place," was just part of the soundtrack to a new animated movie, "Trolls Band Together," in which Timberlake stars.

"Better Place" started at No.25 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of its release in September 2023 before sinking down and disappearing after six weeks.

NSYNC also appeared on the YouTube interview series "Hot Ones" to promote the new track, but no reunion announcement arrived after the movie.

Plus, Timberlake's concert was organized to promote his upcoming album, which will be released on Friday, so the reunion could have been a tactic to promote it.

The last time the complete NSYNC band performed together was during Timberlake's 12-song medley at the 2013 VMAs after he received the Video Vanguard Award.

But the group performed without Timberlake in 2019 when they joined Ariana Grande for a surprise appearance during her Coachella set.

As of yet, there has been no announcement about a reunion tour, but at least NSYNC fans will now have two new songs.

NSYNC's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

Watch: Taylor Swift went to Target to buy her new album, and her fans absolutely lost it

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‘Ladies & Gentlemen, We Are *NSYNC’: Inside Justin Timberlake’s Historic One-Night-Only LA Concert

Here are Billboard 's 7 best moments from a concert that will go down in history for giving fans the boy band's first performance in more than a decade.

By Katie Atkinson

Katie Atkinson

Executive Digital Director, West Coast

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It finally happened.

Following all the rumors and cryptic memes last fall that led to an MTV VMAs appearance and a red-carpet group photo thanks to *NSYNC ’s new song for the Trolls Band Together soundtrack, fans were left desperate for a live performance from the boy band. After all, it was a band that made its name with performative music videos, blockbuster stadium tours and iconic choreography, so when fans think “*NSYNC,” they think performance. Fans were clamoring for a full tour, sure, but they really would have settled for the band singing live together just one more time.

Justin Timberlake Reunites *NSYNC at Warm-Up Concert In Los Angeles

Well, on Wednesday night (March 13), we got that one more time. More than a decade after they last performed together at the 2013 Video Music Awards as part of Justin Timberlake ’s VMA Vanguard Award medley, they once again hit JT’s stage, this time for a one-night-only concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles ahead of the Friday (March 15) release of his sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was .

It all started with a trip down memory lane, when DJ Andrew Hypes played a series of hit Timberlake features, including Timbaland’s “Give It to Me,” Jay-Z’s “Holy Grail” and 50 Cent’s “Ayo Technology.” Justin had included this segment in his other two pre-release shows as well, at his hometown concert at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre on Jan. 19 and his show at New York’s Irving Plaza on Jan. 31. Hypes had also played a handful of *NSYNC songs at those concerts, but on Wednesday night, when he dropped the first *NSYNC song — “Gone” from 2000’s Celebrity — the curtains opened behind Timberlake to reveal his four bandmates singing harmony on the chorus.

“Ear-piercing” doesn’t properly describe the volume of the fan reaction in the room. Maybe eardrum-shattering. Or “book an appointment for your ENT to investigate the possibility of shriek-induced hearing loss” levels. This was 15 songs into an already epic concert, which included three of Timberlake’s five Billboard Hot 100 solo No. 1 hits and pretty much every other song that comes to mind when you think of Justin. But there was truly a before and after point of the concert from that moment on.

“I don’t know what to do after that,” Timberlake admitted once he was alone again onstage, before saying, “But this” and giving us one final song (what more could this crowd possibly ask for?), ending the night with 2013’s “Mirrors.”

So let’s take a step back and look at all the highlights from this concert, lest it go down in history as an *NSYNC reunion and nothing more. In fact, there were two other surprise guests who popped up during the nearly two-hour show and a host of other special moments. Below, find all the best moments – yes, of course including the reunion – from Billboard ’s vantage point as a lucky crowd member at the history-making show.

Tobe Nwigwe Is the First Surprise Guest

Looking all the way back to the night’s first song, Timberlake kicked things off with “Sanctified” – the Everything I Thought It Was track he performed with Tobe Nwigwe on Saturday Night Live in January . While JT also kicked off his Irving Plaza show with “Sanctified,” that crowd didn’t get a cameo from the Nigerian-American rapper, and it was amazing to see their electric dynamic in person. While we’ve now gotten two performances of the holy-rolling duet, fans are still waiting to hear the recording of the song when the album arrives on Friday since it hasn’t yet been commercially released.

‘VIP (Go ’Head Be Gone With It)’

Timberlake gave his A-list friends in the crowd a shout-out with a certain lyric in “SexyBack,” which was the second song of the night — and you know you’re in for exclusively hits when “SexyBack” is second up. “VIP (go ’head be gone with it),” he sang while pointing up to the balcony, where John Legend and Chrissy Teigen were sitting in the front row among other famous friends and family. Before the show, Billboard spotted the couple in the balcony singing and dancing to DMX’s “Ruff Ryders Anthem.” (Later in the night, Teigen made sure to upgrade to the floor for the *NSYNC surprise, posting Instagram Stories from just outside the pit with the captions “Oh my f—ing god @justintimberlake” and simply “dead.” )

JT’s Advice for Son Silas

Timberlake is notoriously private about his family life, especially when it comes to his two kids — 8-year-old Silas and 3-year-old Phineas — and both JT and his wife, Jessica Biel, keep their boys’ faces off social media and out of the spotlight. But the proud dad did let the crowd know between songs that Silas was attending Wednesday night’s concert. “It’s also a very special night: My son is here,” Timberlake announced to supportive cheers. “He’s up with his friend, his buddy. My other one [Phineas] is too young. He can’t; he’s in bed. Son, I just want you to know how much I love you. I want you to – and this is for everybody here: Always dare to dream. Because you never know where you might end up.”

Coco Jones Gives Her Best Beyoncé as Next Surprise Guest

Newly minted Grammy winner Coco Jones arrived onstage at the tail end of Timberlake’s “Until the End of Time,” which was released as a 2007 duet with Beyoncé, and she filled in for just a taste of Queen Bey’s wordless vocal runs to wrap the song. After sharing an onstage hug, Timberlake prompted the crowd: “Do you know about this voice up here? Don’t act like you don’t know about this voice!” That led into the first live performance of Jones’ “ICU” remix with Timberlake – yet another perk for a crowd that still didn’t know just how lucky they were.

A Backstreet Boy Supporting *NSYNC

The first inkling that something special might be happening came when AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys materialized just behind the pit and posted up to get a clear view of the stage during the throwback DJ set. A lot was made of the rivalry between BSB and *NSYNC back in their heyday, but in the decades since, they’ve spoken highly of each other, collaborated together and basically just lifted up their boy-band brethren. So it was sweet to see McLean front and center for this bit of TRL -worthy history.

‘Ladies & Gentlemen, We Are *NSYNC’

Timberlake spoke those heart-warming words after the quintet rocked with DJ tracks of “Gone” and “Girlfriend” before giving mini-performances of arguably their most enduring hits: “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me.” But that was just the beginning.

“So we did those,” JC Chasez said of the four classics. “But you have an album coming out tomorrow. And on that album, there’s a song…”

“… By *NSYNC,” Timberlake said to finish his sentence.

“We’ve practiced the song,” Chasez said, to which Timberlake added: “Y’all wanna hear the new song?”

The new song was the lilting ballad “Paradise,” and it got its world debut on Wednesday night at The Wiltern, following a snippet posted to Timberlake’s socials earlier that day. The chorus couldn’t have had more fitting lyrics for the fans who had hoped for this very performance: “’Cause I waited/ I’ve been waiting forever/ Right here for this moment/ Between you and I/ Everything has happened/ It’s just what I imagined/ Imagined it would feel like/ Paradise.”

“I love you guys so much,” Timberlake said as he hugged his bandmates on their way offstage.

Who knows what the future holds for the blockbuster boy band, but one thing is certain: They are now well aware of how much they’ve been missed since going on hiatus more than 20 years ago. Will this lead to a new album? A tour? We’ll just have to settle for this little slice of “Paradise” for now.

Full Setlist

Sanctified (with Tobe Nwigwe) SexyBack LoveStoned Like I Love You My Love No Angels Selfish What Goes Around…Comes Around Señorita Summer Love Rock Your Body Suit & Tie Until the End of Time (with Coco Jones) ICU remix (with Coco Jones) Cry Me a River

DJ set -Holy Grail (Jay-Z) -Carry Out (Timbaland) -Give It to Me (Timbaland) -Ayo Technology (50 Cent)

*NSYNC set -Gone -Girlfriend -Bye Bye Bye -It’s Gonna Be Me -Paradise

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Is *NSYNC Really Going on Tour? Lance Bass Says…

After releasing a song for the first time in two decades earlier this year, *nsync had fans hoping for a reunion tour. now, lance bass is addressing the possibility..

If you've been tearin' up your heart waiting for an *NSYNC  reunion tour, you might need to wait just a little longer.

On the heels of the band getting back in the studio to put out their first song in over 20 years ,  Lance Bass   is addressing whether or not the reunion will also see them hitting the road together. 

"Look, the door is always open," the former boy band member exclusively told E! News of the possibility for a tour and album. "And I think especially now. I'm game and you know we will be talking at some point. So hopefully, fingers crossed something will work out."

The 44-year-old also shared on what it was like to be back in the studio with his fellow alums— Justin Timberlake ,  JC Chasez ,  Chris Kirkpatrick   and  Joey Fatone —after more than two decades apart. 

"I mean have a little worry going into a project like that," Lance shared. "We haven't made new music in 23 years, so I was a little scared of, 'Do I still have it in the studio?' But we went in and I swear, it was like yesterday we were together."

He continued, "It was even better than it would have been normally. And it was the quickest we've ever recorded a song. Like just in hours." 

Millennials everywhere rejoiced earlier this year when *NSYNC reunited on stage for the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards following the release of their song "Better Place,"  which was recorded for the upcoming movie  Trolls Band Together . 

But despite hopes that their on-air appearance would also include a performance of the new single,  there's one important reaso n the band chose to forego one for now. 

"It was kind of bittersweet because we did have bigger plans for this song," Lance—who recently teamed up with Boursin Cheese to prepare cheese lovers with everything they need ahead of the holidays—previously told E! News in Sept. of their MTV reunion. "Unfortunately, there is a SAG strike and, in solidarity with WGA and SAG, we're not able to promote the film and song. We were supposed to perform it."

But now, with both Hollywood strikes being over and Lance's answer that wasn't an outright no—maybe there's hope the band isn't totally saying bye bye bye for now. 

So in the meantime, keep reading to get your *NSYNC fix with some fun facts about the iconic boy band. 

1. After Chris Kirkpatrick , 23 at the time, was passed over for the  Backstreet Boys —the first instance of shady impresario Lou Pearlman  capturing boy band lightning in a bottle—he dusted himself off and told Pearlman he was still interested in being in a group.

Pearlman agreed to put up the money if Kirkpatrick would do the work of actually finding other talented guys to join him, and so the sifting through demos and watching countless hours of tapes began. They eventually happened upon  The All New- Mickey Mouse Club alum and aspiring singer  Justin Timberlake , 14, who recommended fellow former Mouseketeer JC Chasez , 19. ("JC was the cool older guy, and Justin wanted to be just like him," co-star Christina Aguilera remembered fondly to Rolling Stone .) 

They continued the search in Orlando, and Kirkpatrick thought of Joey Fatone , 18, who he knew from his days performing at Universal Studios—and who Chasez knew from his time living in Florida when he was working for Disney. But they still needed a deeper voice.

Timberlake's vocal coach advised them to check out this kid from Mississippi,  Lance Bass , who flew down to Florida on Oct. 1, 1995. Pearlman and Timberlake picked the appropriately named 16-year-old up at the airport in the former's black Rolls Royce.

Backstreet Boy Howie Dorough , who knew Kirkpatrick way back when, gave himself a little pat on the back later on for all this serendipity, telling Pop Crush  in 2015 that BSB asked Pearlman "to help [Chris] out in any way that he could and still fulfill his dream. He went back with Chris and formed a group and little by little that spun off to eventually be 'N Sync."

2. But wait, Lance wasn't the first fifth member of 'N Sync!

That role was originally played by Jason Galasso , who had known Fatone from choir in their high school days and was dabbling in the singing-group arts when he got a page (1990s, FTW) out of nowhere from his old acquaintance. Coincidentally, he also knew Chasez because, as Galasso explained on The Digital Get Down  podcast in 2019, he "used to kind of hang out with  The Mickey Mouse Club " stars like Chase Hampton and Keri Russell .

After they "locked in perfectly" on a rendition of Boyz II Men 's "End of the Road," that was it, he was in the as-yet unnamed group. "I remember I'm like, 'Dang, Justin's young!'" he recalled. "But then I heard him sing, I'm like 'Oh, it doesn't matter how old he is, he can sing his butt off."

At the same time, however, the bass singer was also in a three-man group called Unreal, "so I'm still trying to decide, you know, what I want to do, what direction I want to go in as far as which group I want to go with," Galasso, who's in the mortgage loan business these days, recalled. "Because I remember, the first time Lou Pearlman brought over some music, he was thinking about the type of music that we would be doing, and I come from an R&B, hip-hop background. That's my love, my heart, my soul."

So when Pearlman came over with "this European-style techno, I was just like, 'Hmm, okay.'" So, he went ahead and traveled with the other guys in Unreal to Atlanta to cut a demo, which he thought turned out great.

Meanwhile, 'N Sync was starting to fashion a look and they were talking about putting a showcase together for Disney's Pleasure Island. They even took a field trip to Shaquille O'Neal 's house to check out his home studio in Orlando, but they had not yet recorded any music. And, more consequentially for Galasso, they hadn't yet signed any contracts.

Pretty soon, both groups were trying to get him to sign. Galasso said he took the dueling contracts to a lawyer and, while the deal with the trio was pretty standard issue, Pearlman had himself written into the 'N Sync contract as a sixth member, and that contract was "thick as a phone book." He felt that the other members of 'N Sync were more gung-ho than he was about the deal—which was true, because they all proceeded to sign it, whether they truly understood what it entailed or not.

So Galasso ultimately went with the group that wasn't 'N Sync.

3. Aside from Timberlake's mom complimenting that they sounded so "in sync," the group's name—sometimes NSYNC, other times *NSYNC, but for our purposes, 'N Sync—incorporates the last letter of their first names: Justi n , Chri s , Joe y , Jaso n and J C .

Oh, wait...The guys asked Lance if he wouldn't mind tweaking his name a bit to make the whole 'N Sync thing still work. And so, Lanceton was born. "They did call me Lanceton for a good year, just basically as a joke," Bass told EW.com in 2015. "I think it was Justin who first was like, 'Okay, Lanceton.' Then it kinda faded out once we got a deal and then came out. It didn't stick very long. It was either Lanceton or Landon."

4. After a couple of years in which their biggest following was in Germany, ahead-of-their time fans of the  Max Martin -penned "I Want You Back" and "Tearing Up My Heart" ("In Europe, we were on the cover of every magazine," Bass recalled), 'N Sync finally got its big break in the U.S. when the Backstreet Boys turned down a "Disney Channel in Concert" gig.

Instead,  NSYNC   in Concert  came out in 1998 and—thank you, cable—Disney Channel aired it over and over again. "The Disney Channel concert really changed our career," Bass told  20/20 . "It was incredible, and that one gig right there, to me, is what made us in America." 

5. While they were all in Miami to play in their Challenge for the Children charity basketball game, the guys ordered room service to their hotel room not long before they were due at a press call. Fatone showed up at least 15 minutes late because, as it turned out, he had been waiting for a fresh burger—because the one on his plate had a bite taken out of it! But it wasn't delivered that way, Bass  recalled  on the  Inside of You With Michael Rosenbaum  podcast. Timberlake had totally taken a bite out of it to screw with his pal.

"It was so funny. I've never seen Joey get so upset about something like that," Bass said. He "was probably tired or something," but "we make fun of him all the time for that outburst. All the time."

6. Fatone may have blown up over a partially eaten burger, but Bass admitted he wasn't always the picture of patience. He told Rosenbaum that he sometimes lost his cool when Kirkpatrick would take his resident funnyman persona too far during interviews. "Chris, you know, he's very animated," Bass said, "and he's funny and he's always cracking a joke. But when someone is always cracking the joke in every single interview, and you do like 20 a day and there's five guys, your days get long and long and long."

"So, there have been many times I'm like, 'Shut up. Just answer the question so we can move on because we are so tired right now.' So, he would always make all our interviews at least double the time."

7. At one point they were too busy to even stop by a barbershop for haircuts (or bleach jobs), so, Bass said, "that's when I started just kind of getting this bleach and putting it in my hair and just putting my fingertips in it, and that's how the frosted tips were born."

Now you know.

8. In 2000, to celebrate the diamond-selling status of their 1997 debut  'N Sync , meaning 10 million copies sold, their manager  Johnny Wright  (who had previously been the road manager for  New Kids on the Block  along with his wife  Donna ) gifted the five with diamond-and-platinum pendants. "We are diamond," Timberlake announced, mostly facetiously,  according to  Rolling Stone . "Screw all of you. I'm done. Forget this boy-band thing."

9. The members of 'N Sync did get rich—but not right away, and not until they took matters into their own hands. As it turned out, Pearlman, who died in prison in 2016 while serving a 25-year sentence for money laundering and other crimes committed in the running of a Ponzi scheme, was seemingly screwing them  and  the Backstreet Boys (and  O-Town  for that matter) out of money.

Talking to ABC News'  20/20   in 2019, Bass recalled Pearlman flying the members of 'N Sync and their families to Los Angeles in 1998 for a promised check-presentation party. The amount: $10,000 apiece.

"I was in the biggest band in the world and selling millions of records…but I can't even afford my apartment in Orlando. I couldn't even get a car," said Bass, who tried to be polite but then ripped up his check when he got back to his hotel room. Added Kirkpatrick, "With all the success you would think that we were making hand-over-fist money and we were printing money and whatever, and it just wasn't the case."

After realizing their contracts, like the members of BSB, treated Pearlman as a sixth member, meaning he got one-sixth of the group's profits as well as management fees, 'N Sync jumped ship for Jive Records—and were promptly sued by TransContinental Records and RCA parent BMG Entertainment, which had distributed their first album. It was a $150 million lawsuit, but Pearlman's big goal was to prevent them from continuing to use the name 'N Sync. They countersued for $25 million and settled for an undisclosed amount in 1999—and, most importantly perhaps, they retained the right to press on with their name intact.

10.  No Strings Attached , their smash-hit sophomore album released in March 2000, was metaphorical AF.

" No Strings Attached  just became the theme," Kirkpatrick, who thought of the concept after "I've Got No Strings" from Disney's  Pinocchio  popped into his head, told  20/20 . "It became our battle cry of, 'We don't owe anybody anymore…we have no ties to anything but each other...and our fans."

Chasez, who won a talent show in the seventh grade singing  Richard Marx 's "Right Here Waiting" only to have Marx write and produce "I Promise You" for  No Strings , told  Rolling Stone , "This album is really in your face. Nothing is sang passively; everything is chopped and punched. You can definitely hear a  Michael Jackson  influence in the way the words chop off—that's the way Michael delivers a line."

Added Timberlake, "We're pissed off now—that's what it is. We're angry white boys who didn't get our props. No, I'm kidding—I'm kidding."

Moreover, they were musically homeless for most of the time they were making it, unhappy with TransContinental and not yet ensconced at Jive, whose artists included Timberlake's then-secret (albeit a poorly kept one) girlfriend  Britney Spears  and the Backstreet Boys.

No Strings Attached  sold 2.4 million copies in its first week out, including 1.1 million on day one.

11. A year later, Jackson was delivering  on stage with them— first at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, appearing just as 'N Sync was winding down its performance of "Pop" and sending the crowd into a frenzy even though he didn't sing—and then for real all together days later on "Dancing Machine" at the  Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration . The two-day concert event held at Madison Square Garden aired on CBS that November.

In 2016, Bass  revealed on  The Meredith Vieira  Show  that Jackson didn't speak to him for a year after the MSG show because, when Jackson insisted that Bass and Fatone (who had a movie premiere to attend) stay until the end for a group rendition of "Heal the World," saying it was "for the children," Bass giggled, not realizing the King of Pop was perfectly serious.

12. Once they all had more money in the bank, naturally they started spending it. In March 2000, Timberlake bought a Mercedes jeep (his first big purchase) and a BMW M Roadster, and would add a Dodge Viper, an Audi TT, a Porsche 911 and a Cadillac Escalade to his collection by the following year. Fatone treated himself to a black Cadillac truck and homes and cars for his parents and siblings. Several of them purchased homes in Orlando, and Kirkpatrick bought a house for his mom, too. Bass got a house in Orlando, one in his home state of Mississippi, and one in the border area known as Floribama.

"There's a white grand piano, a white couch and a tapestry of knights on horses, and I have this beautiful acrylic statue of a nude man and woman that my friend got me," Timberlake described the decor in his Orlando bachelor pad to  Rolling Stone . "It's a beautiful piece: You shine a light on it and it shines right through. I've got a game room that we call the  Jimmy Buffett  room, because it's Orlando tropical, and I have a country kitchen to remind me of where I grew up. The bedroom is a whole safari motif, with a Japanese screen and a big sleigh bed."

The following year, Chasez revealed he'd become a red wine aficionado, and had sprung for a $2,500 book of Helmut Newton photographs.

13. In 2000, just before No Strings Attached came out, Kirkpatrick was dating the girlfriend he'd had for about a year before 'N Sync became a global phenomenon. They weren't meant to be, as he married Karly Skladany in 2013 after three years together, with all of his former bandmates in attendance. 

Timberlake was still playing coy about whether he and Spears were actually dating ("Britney's a good friend of mine"), informing  Rolling Stone , "If I do decide to have a personal relationship with someone, I think it's best to keep it that—personal."

Bass had previously dated  Boy Meets World Star Danielle Fishel , even accompanying her to her high school prom. He'd choose to wait until 2006 to publicly come out as gay, and he's now been married to Michael Turchin since 2014.

Fatone had been on and off with high school sweetheart Kelly Baldwin since 1993—but they were decidedly back on when they welcomed daughter Briahna in March of 2001. They got married in 2004 and had second daughter  Kloey Alexandra  in 2010, but as of 2019 they were divorcing and Fatone was dating Izabel Araujo .

Chasez, meanwhile, usually had girlfriends around (in 2001 he was dating Bobbie Thomas , who was  inspired to start her own blog when she saw how the media treated Spears), but he has kept an impressively tight lid on his private life.

14. By 2000, Bass had started Freelance Management, hoping to develop country artists. Timberlake launched his eponymous foundation to benefit music and arts education in public schools. Chasez was producing music for girl group Wild Orchid and Kirkpatrick had started his own fashion and music production company called Fuman Skeeto.

15. Legions of screaming tween fans aside, they weren't  trying  to be extra adorable to appeal to as many kids (and their moms) as possible.

"We don't try to make ourselves do cute, we just are who we are," Timberlake told  Rolling Stone  in 2000. "We're boys. We burp and fart, just like boys."

16. Kirkpatrick considered himself the stereotypical guy's guy among them, telling Rolling Stone in 2001, "I'm like a bunch of college guys got together and said, 'Let's make a dude, a crazy dude.' And they made me."

The writer described Bass as a "supernice, humble, patient guy who's so pretty he almost looks like a girl, and who never, ever stops smiling." Chasez was said to be the one whose offstage personality was furthest from his onstage persona, "the one most likely to meander right past you so silently you wouldn't even notice him."

Fatone was "a giant wild boy with a rambunctious electricity bubbling constantly beneath his skin, as if he's about to make a party break out anytime, anywhere." 

17. During rehearsal in New Orleans in 2001, a platform shot up too early and Fatone's lower leg was caught between it and the stage, somehow not breaking the bone but exposing a  lot  of the interior of his leg.

"There was a hole," Bass told  Rolling Stone . "You could see the bone, you could see everything. So we applied pressure on it, and the fat was coming out, and it was not good. He can take pain good, but he was in pain. Oh, he screamed. It looked like a bullet went through his leg."

Added Chasez, "He ended up going to the hospital and they cut a piece of his leg out and had to rinse the metal out because his leg was caught between two pieces of metal. I don't know how it didn't break. He's a tough kid."

A few weeks later, Fatone, who had been using a cane to get around, was back on stage dancing. "He's in pain," Chasez observed. "But Joey's got great showmanship. He knows how to cover his steps 'cause he's been onstage longer than any of us."

18. When you think about it, 'N Sync had a relatively tame run. They're first to admit they had their fun, but they were  not troublemakers, nor did trouble have a habit of "finding them." Bass liked a Jack and Coke, but would more likely volunteer to be the evening's designated driver.  "If some twelve-year-old sees on the news that I got arrested for cocaine, that affects a lot of people," he told Rolling Stone . "I remember when I was ten and I caught my sister drinking. It was so devastating to me." He added, "I can have water and feel like I'm getting drunk."

19. Fame hadn't come overnight, but once it did, it was a whole new world.

"You realize what hard work it is and that it's not glamorous," Bass told  Rolling Stone . "It's like going to Disney World, going into the tunnels and seeing Cinderella smoking a cigarette. The whole magic is gone."

Timberlake admitted, "It's been a little tough There's definitely been times when I was totally depressed. But, you know, my spirituality helped me through that. I just feel like there's two of me: the public-eye me and the guy-who-brushes-his-teeth-twice-a-day me. They're getting along all right now. Sometimes brush-his-teeth doesn't get enough attention, but it's worth it."

"You don't want to say or do too much," acknowledged Fatone. "You know, it's like breaking the fans' hearts if there's something out there that they don't know about and might get upset about."

20. In case anyone was under the impression that 'N Sync was composed of five disparate parts who just got lucky, they'd be wrong.

"We started out as best friends, and you know, I think it shows—it shows in everything we do," Kirkpatrick, sitting down on CNN's  Larry King Live   with the rest of the group, said in January 2001. "From when we're on stage, when we're clowning around, we do, like, so many shows that each show is so different because of the interaction amongst each other. And we'll goof around with each other."

In response to King's observation that a lot of band members don't really get along behind the scenes, Timberlake added, "Well, the chemistry we have is unreal. I can't tell you, you know even with this tour last summer, I could just look at Chris and it could say 10 things at the same time, and he would know exactly what I meant just by looking at him, because we've been together...Even before everything took off, we were together, some of us working 9:00 to 5:00. But every day, singing, and you know, trying to get our act together."

21. The channeled their misgivings about living life in a fish bowl to varying effect with their third album, 2001's  Celebrity .

By then, Timberlake was openly dating Spears ("When we get together, that's just my girl, and I love her, and that's it. I don't think about what everybody's thinkin' about. She makes me happy. She's like salvation," he  told  Rolling Stone ; Bass added, "They're so perfect for each other, it's scary") and the group was making a reported $2.5 million a night on their PopOdyssey stadium tour.

22. In 2000, Timberlake told  Rolling Stone , talking about the influx of boy bands onto the music scene, "I think the next couple of years will separate the boys from the men. What worries me is the oversaturation of the market."

Well, the other boy bands wouldn't have to worry about it for long.

23. 'N Sync went on so-called "temporary hiatus" in 2002 after wrapping up their Celebrity Tour, mainly so Timberlake could focus on his solo career, and that turned out to be it. Though no one came right out and said it and the group never officially announced that they were disbanding. One Direction fans know the concept well.

"After you do something for a certain amount of time, you get into a rhythm of it and then new things spark your curiosity; you need new brain food," Chasez, who had a solo hit that year with "Blowin' Me Up (With Her Love),"  reflected to Huffington Post in 2019. "At that time, we just felt like we had exhausted every kind of idea for what we were doing and we just felt like, 'OK, let's do something different.' So, that's what we did." 

As for Bass, he said, "me and the guys were never on bad terms at al...The thing I was most disappointed in was not just Justin leaving the band. 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.

"So, for three years, I'm sitting there getting ready for a new album as everyone else knows we're moving on."

24. The guys from 'N Sync pretty much went their separate ways as they embarked on their solo aspirations and Timberlake became a superstar in their own right (though that's not why none of them went to JT's wedding in Italy when he married Jessica Biel in 2012), having released  Justified  in November 2002 and never  really  looking back.

So could their reunion performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards have  been  more hyped?!

It was short but sweet, and their moves were intact.

25. Reflecting on why he didn't come out while he was in 'N Sync, Bass said at the group's Hollywood Walk of Fame induction in 2018 that "at the time, I thought that I would never be able to tell anyone because not only was I terrified of the lasting rejection—I was certain that that would happen—but more than that I didn't want to jeopardize the careers of these guys up here, much less the hundreds of amazing people who worked tirelessly to bring 'N Sync to the world."

Bass continued, "I thought if I had come out, 'N Sync would be over. So I kept my secret. And our wildest dreams were coming true and we were so incredibly thankful—and I still am. But so many nights onstage, I'd see so many young, gay fans singing their hearts out and I wanted so badly to let you know, I was you. I just didn't have the strength then. But I do today and so let me say loud and proud to all my LGBT brothers and sisters, who embrace me and show me the way to be who I am, thank you so much."

We can only imagine he's gained plenty of new fans since going public with his true self. And if he lost any, those people never deserved him in the first place.

An ’NSync Reunion Tour? The Timing Couldn’t Be Better

By Andy Greene

Andy Greene

Taylor Swift spoke for millions of ’NSync fans all across the globe last week when the reunited quartet presented her with the Best Pop Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. “Are you doing something?” she asked them. “What’s going to happen now? There’s something they’re going to… They’re going to do something. And I need to know what it is.”

“Better Place” also invites an obvious question: Are they going to tour? If Timberlake decides to do that, since it’s fairly clear the matter rests entirely in his hands, the reunited band would pack arenas and possibly even stadiums all over the world. We also think it would be a very good idea for everyone involved. Here are eight reasons why.

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Even after the public apology, Timberlake’s reputation took a definite hit . An ’NSync reunion tour is a perfect chance to remind people why they fell in love with him in the first place. The moment they kick into “Tearing Up My Heart” on night one, a warm bath of nostalgia will wash away any mixed feelings for the fans in that room. He’ll once again be the Justin that Taylor Swift and millions of others from her generation had pinned to their bedroom walls.

They’re Still Friends

View this post on Instagram A post shared by *NSYNC (@nsync)

The Twenty-Year Rule of Nostalgia Is Kicking In

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View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake)

It Doesn’t Need To Be All About the Past

When Paul Simon finally folded and agreed to a Simon and Garfunkel reunion show in 1981, he didn’t want it be a strict Sixties nostalgia affair. That’s why they played Simon solo songs from more recent years, like “American Tune,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Late in the Evening” and even “The Late Great Johnny Ace,” a brand-new one. Simon found a way to incorporate Garfunkel’s voice into his solo work, and he gave Garfunkel a moment of his own to sing his solo song “A Heart in New York.” Beyonce did something similar when Destiny’s Child reunited at Beyonce’s 2013 Super Bowl halftime show, where Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams joined Beyonce for a wild rendition of “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Imagine ‘N Sync lending their voices to Justin solo favorites like “Rock Your Body,” “My Love,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — or maybe even a new hit. Doesn’t that sound fun?

It Would Be Great for the Other Four Guys , Too

It Could Even Lead to a New Album

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Comparing ’NSync to Pavement is absurd for about 78 different reasons. Let’s do it anyway. Stephen Malkmus first reunited with Pavement in 2010 after a decade-long break. They took off another 12 years before going back out in 2022 for their second reunion tour, which just wrapped. This didn’t mean he walked away from his solo career at any point. He kept making albums and touring on his own the entire time. It’s possible to have a musical career on two different tracks, with one focused on the past and the other focused on the present. And the Pavement reunions have done nothing but remind fans of Malkmus’ genius. They’ve rewarded fans of his old work and helped boost his solo career too. The same thing could happen with ’NSync. As soon as their reunion tour ends, Justin would have a ton of momentum he could transfer to his solo career. It would be a genuine win/win.

They Could Just Keep Going

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‘N Sync fans demand a reunion tour as band shares new video with throwback photo

Fans are still clamoring for 'N Sync to do a stadium reunion tour after the band announced they're dropping a new song together.

The '90s boy band, made up of Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, released a snippet of the track after reuniting onstage for the first time in a decade at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 12.

Since then, Google searches about an 'N Sync reunion tour have skyrocketed with fans desperate to know if they’ll be able to see the beloved boy band perform live and the band has leaned into the speculation and fan fervor by teasing on social media that they have a secret to share.

Fans realized that the band reunited in the studio when it previewed their new song — their first in more than 20 years — for the upcoming film “Trolls Band Together," starring Timberlake. On Sept. 14, 'N Sync released the 40- s econd snippet of the song “Better Place,” which is set to be released in full later this month.

The song is intended to be a "love letter" to 'N Sync fans, Timberlake revealed in an Instagram video of the group recording the song.

But the track and their public appearance has left fans wanting more.

"You know what’s also a love letter to fans? A whole reunion tour," one fan commented on Timberlake's post.

"new *NSYNC song on the Trolls whatever soundtrack??? oh, we are SO getting a reunion tour!!!" someone said on X.

“I really hope *NSYNC didn’t get me all hyped up- to just be coming out (with) a Trolls song I need a damn reunion tour,” another person tweeted.

The band has not announced any plans for a reunion tour, and representatives for the band did not respond to TODAY.com's request for comment.

Universal Pictures previously confirmed to TODAY.com that the band only recorded one new song for the movie.

The growing hype around the return of 'N Sync started after Timberlake posted a video on Instagram Sept. 13 of the group in an elevator talking and laughing. The other four members also posted it on their accounts.

"So five guys walk into an elevator..." Timberlake captioned his post.

He removed the audio from the video, but fans are convinced they're talking about new music and a reunion.

"FIVE GUYS NEED TO WALK INTO A STADIUM AND SING SOME HITS!!!!" someone rebutted in the comments.

"Y’all better be makin’ music in that elevator," Will Smith commented.

"Millennials, start defrosting. It’s our fkin time," another person wrote.

"SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN! All of us 30 something year old Mom’s need to know when we need to find babysitters ASAP!?!?" a third said.

In another video posted to social media, band members used audio of a 1991 scene from "Friends" to say in so many words that if one of them does have information about something, they cannot disclose it until another member does. They mouthed the words as the "Friends" audio played.

"Do you know something?" Timberlake mouthed, to which Fatone mouthed the same question back to him sharply.

"I might know something," Kirkpatrick chimed in, prompting Chasez to quickly slip in, "I might know something too."

"What's the thing you know?" Bass asked everyone.

"Oh no, I can't tell you until you tell me what you know," Timberlake quipped.

"I can't tell you what I know," Fatone rebuffed.

"Well then I can't tell you what I know," Kirkpatrick declared.

Fans who commented on Timberlake's TikTok post of the video say they see right through the cryptic video.

"UGGGGHHHH!!! All y'all be teasing us SOOO BAD!!! just go ahead & announce the tour already! We got ADULT $$ to spend now," someone said.

"They don't know, we know, they know......." someone commented, again referencing "Friends."

"Don't play with our millennial hearts!!" another wrote.

Then on Sept. 19, Timberlake shared a video set to the tune of Simple Plan's "I'm Just a Kid."

In the video, which can be seen here , 'N Sync gathers around and strikes a pose before the clip cuts to them around 20 years ago, posing in the same way.

While the tease videos seemingly hint at the band’s reunion for the new song, fans have pointed out that 'N Sync has also increased their social media presence, and there's now a verified TikTok account under the band's name .

"No cause *Nsync launching a TikTok, getting more active on Ig and Twitter, then updating their website? I know this isn’t just for this damn Trolls movie!" one fan tweeted.

Randi Richardson is a reporter for NBC News' TODAY.com based in Brooklyn.

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Backstreet Boy, *NSYNC member on tour together, bringing 'legendary' show to Columbus

By the time fans leave Mershon Auditorium on Friday night, AJ McLean hopes their faces hurt.

Whether it's from smiling, laughing, singing or screaming, McLean said he hopes fans who come to see him and Joey Fatone perform have two hours where they can forget the world.

"I want their bodies to be just reinvigorated. I want them to leave on a paved cloud," McLean said.

McLean, 46, and Fatone, 47, members of the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, respectively, are touring together, stopping at the Mershon Auditorium, 1871 N. High St., on Friday night for their "A Legendary Night" tour .

The show includes songs from both iconic bands' discographies , as well as several solo songs from McLean's upcoming debut solo album.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

"This is a great launching platform to establish myself as an individual," McLean said. "I’m doing this under my real name, Alexander James . AJ is a persona and a Backstreet Boy, but I want the world to get to meet Alex."

McLean has been vocal about his struggles with sobriety and mental health, particularly in the early days of the band's success. His song "Arizona," which is featured in the show, addresses those issues head-on in a "pull at the heartstrings."

Each show on the tour also provides for plenty of comedy, crowd interaction and, of course, the hits.

"This is literally for the fans, by the fans and we keep adding more dates because the fans want it. We hope we can keep doing this as long as we possibly can until both guys get busy again," he said.

McLean said it still feels surreal after more than 30 years of the Backstreet Boys to have fans singing the words back at him — and to have fans of both *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys — singing along, making new memories and friends in the process.

More music: What shows are coming to Columbus this summer?

"To be able to have music that transcends generations is huge. I have lots of friends who have a 5-year-old or a 25-year-old and they’re both fans. They're either starting them out young or the Gen Zers are looking at us like we’re vintage. That’s just really cool," he said.

"I still pinch myself when I hear us on the radio or you look out in the audience and you’re seeing both bands' fans singing the other bands' songs and coexisting and making new friendships, that's really, really cool."

While *NSYNC recently reunited and released new music earlier this year, the Backstreet Boys are taking a break after wrapping up their "DNA World Tour." However, McLean teased a "massive" announcement from the band toward the end of 2024 that has been "seven years in the making" for who else but the fans.

"We truly do love to do what we do. We’re five hams, we’re in our element and even we forget about what we’re dealing with in our lives five minutes before the show. And we really, really do love each other. We’re the closest now we’ve ever been," McLean said.

But for now, McLean and Fatone are enjoying each other's company (McLean said the rivalry cooked up by the music industry as both bands hit stardom was largely a façade) as fellow girl dads and with shared life experiences.

Photos: Justin Timberlake in Columbus: From NSYNC to Man of the Woods, a look back at past performances

"You never know what you’re going to get at the show," he said. "We'll take you down memory lane. It’s for the ladies, you can have a nice ladies night and leave your man at home or you can bring your man and he’ll have a damn good night too."

At a glance

Fans are advised to come early to the show, with doors opening at 6:30 for a 7:30 p.m. start. Tickets are still available, starting at $55, through Ticketmaster .

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NSync members fuel reunion rumors. Will they tour? Release a new album? Here's what we know.

Justin timberlake called nsync's new song "a love letter to our fans." will the band give fans more.

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

NSync's reunion at the MTV VMAs has left fans wanting more. The good news is, they're going to get it — but just how much more remains to be seen.

The boy band — consisting of Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake — was onstage together Tuesday for the first time in 10 years. While fans speculated they would perform, the reunion was to present Best Pop Video to Taylor Swift. While Swift tried to get details about a possible reunion, it was two more days until Timberlake confirmed they're releasing their first single in 22 years. "Better Place" will be featured in Trolls Band Together, the franchise Timberlake loans his voice to.

But is NSync going to tour? Drop an album? Here's what's official and what's not...

A single? Yes! As mentioned, their first song in over two decades will be released on Sept. 29 — nearly two months before Trolls Band Together comes out on Nov. 17. Timberlake shared a behind-the-scenes look at the studio session featuring the fab five and called it "a love letter to our fans."

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Justin Timberlake (@justintimberlake)

An album? No. While Chasez told a paparazzo over the weekend that "anything is possible" in terms of a reunion on the heels of this single, there are no official plans for an album — yet. Their last studio album was 2001's Celebrity. The band paused in 2002 and then two years later Timberlake dropped his first solo album, Justified , and became the breakout megastar, also going on to have a film career. That really spelled the end of NSync.

While there are no official plans for an album, even the band members seem to be dropping teases of what's to come. A video shared by Bass and Fatone on Sunday — with a Christmas theme — has led to speculation there could be a holiday album coming. Their mentions of pie in the clip has others wondering the hypothetical album could be Pi Day release, on March 14. Neither is official, but we'd hope if anything happens, it would be on May 1 , for obvious reasons.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lance Bass (@lancebass)

A tour? Not yet. Fatone was at '90s Con in Florida over the weekend and told the eager crowd: "And no, I don’t know if there is a tour!" He went on to say, "If the fans want it that much, yell at the record company, yell at Sony, yell at RCA, yell at them to say that they need an NSync album. Because Justin's gonna be coming out with his album," which Timberlake producer Timbaland already confirmed was completed and ready for release. "So he's probably going to be doing a tour... Then we're going to hopefully — cross our fingers, can't promise — but hopefully do something together."

Here is part pic.twitter.com/KJ599Mfz0V — Anna (@aehorne1) September 17, 2023

According to a Page Six report, Timberlake is planning a big U.S. tour for 2024. However, seeing as his image has taken some hits over the last few years , a career reboot with his old pals could be the even better move. And it would bring in big bucks for all: Billboard reported that an NSync tour could bring in up to $100 million.

Band basics: The boy band was formed by Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Fla., in 1995. The five-member group rose to superstardom with hits including "Bye Bye Bye," "It's Gonna Be Me" and "This I Promise You." They put out four studio albums and were nominated for eight Grammys before they went on hiatus in 2002. Timberlake peeled off to do his own thing two years later, with such success, made it a permanent thing. The group members have remained friendly, however, and all reunited for a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018 before their reunion this month at the VMAs.

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Justin timberlake’s anti-drinking psa with *nsync goes viral after dwi arrest.

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“This I Promise You” — *NSYNC’s anti-drinking PSA didn’t age well.

The boy band’s 2001 commercial has gone viral in the wake of Justin Timberlake’s DWI arrest early Tuesday morning in Sag Harbor, NY.

In the Super Bowl ad, the fivesome stood on a father’s porch and introduced themselves.

“We are just going door-to-door to say thanks,” Timberlake told the dad, who did not know who they were.

Joey Fatone added that they were expressing their gratitude to parents “talking to [their] kids about drinking.”

JC Chasez chimed in, “With all our success, you are still a bigger influence on your kids than we are.”

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With the video resurfacing online this week, social media users can’t decide whether it has “aged poorly” or “aged better” since Timberlake, 43, was taken into custody .

One troll referenced one of his songs by tweeting that “what goes around comes around.”

The “SexyBack” singer was pulled over after partying at the American Hotel with friends and blowing through a stop sign.

While he insisted he only had one martini and refused to take a breathalyzer test , the arresting officer stated in a criminal complaint obtained by Page Six that Timberlake’s eyes were “bloodshot and glassy.”

The young cop, whom we were told did not recognize the singer, also wrote that Timberlake “was unable to divide attention” and had “slowed speech.”

The pop star’s lawyer said in an exclusive statement to Page Six on Wednesday that he plans to “vigorously defend” his client.

The attorney “will have a lot to say at the appropriate time” but “is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office.”

Timberlake, who was released without bail later Tuesday morning, has yet to address the scandal. Meanwhile, his wife, Jessica Biel, is continuing to film “The Better Sister” in Manhattan.

Although sources told Page Six on Tuesday that the Grammy winner has struggled with “a real drinking problem” for years, he does not have plans to go to rehab.

Timberlake is, instead, “pressing forward” with the Forget Tomorrow World Tour he began in April, another insider told us.

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• justin timberlake

Justin Timberlake breaks silence at Chicago concert following DWI arrest: 'It's been a tough week'

Timberlake takes stage again Saturday for a second night of "Forget Tomorrow" world tour in Chicago.

CHICAGO -- Justin Timberlake returned to the stage Friday night for his first concert since being arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Sag Harbor, New York on Tuesday.

"It's been a tough week, but you're here and I'm here, and nothing can change this moment right now," Timberlake told a cheering crowd at the United Center in Chicago. "I know sometimes I'm hard to love but you keep on loving me and I love you right back."

Timberlake will hit the stage again Saturday for a second night of the "Forget Tomorrow" world tour in Chicago.

Sag Harbor police said Timberlake was observed "operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition," around 12:37 a.m. Tuesday morning after visiting a local hotel restaurant and bar. He was driving a 2025 BMW when he allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign and failed to maintain in his lane of travel, police said.

Timberlake had told police he "had one martini and followed my friends home," according to court records.

A Sag Harbor Village Police Department officer described him as "unable to divide attention," adding "he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests."

Timberlake rejected a chemical test three times. He was placed under arrest and held overnight for arraignment, according to police. He was released without bail and his next court appearance is scheduled for July 26.

CNN reached out to representatives for Timberlake for comment.

After this weekend's shows, Timberlake is scheduled to return to New York with his tour for performances at Madison Square Garden on June 25 and 26, before heading to the TD Garden in Boston. Concerts will be held in several countries, then the world tour will make its way back to the US and end in Missouri in December.

(The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

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SNYDE | Justin Timberlake world tour may be disrupted…

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SNYDE | Justin Timberlake world tour may be disrupted by court dates for DWI charges

The “Selfish” singer , 43, whose mugshot was released Tuesday afternoon after his arraignment, is scheduled to appear in court on July 26, Us Weekly reports.

July 26 also marks the first of two consecutive shows the NSYNC alum is slated to perform in Kraków, Poland as part of his “ Forget Tomorrow World Tour.” No word yet on the fate of those two shows, as well as those in Berlin the following week.

Timberlake was arrested early Tuesday in Sag Harbor, after sailing past a stop sign in his  2025 gray BMW UT. The singer was pulled over just blocks from where he’d reportedly been partying at The American Hotel.

The pop star repeatedly refused to take a chemical test behind bars and failed numerous field sobriety tests, according to court filings obtained by the Daily News.

“I had one martini, and I followed my friends home,” the “Cry Me a River” singer told cops, according to prosecutors.

“It was ascertained that the defendant was operating said vehicle in an intoxicated condition,” read the filing. “His eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot and he performed badly on all standardized field sobriety tests.”

Per the court docs, the pop star was read his Miranda rights and refused to speak to officers but remained calm.

Timberlake was arrested just ahead of shows scheduled for Chicago’s United Center on Thursday and Friday, as well as June 25 and June 26 performances at Madison Square Garden — none of which has yet been canceled.

Timberlake has had a rough go of it in recent years, beginning when he was photographed in late 2019 getting cozy with co-star Alisha Wainwright , despite his marriage to Jessica Biel, and their young family .

Last year, Timberlake was taken to task in ex-girlfriend Britney Spears’ explosive memoir, “The Woman in Me,” for the abortion she says she underwent during their early aughts relationship, as well as allegedly cheating on the “Toxic” singer.

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Justin Timberlake: What's next after his DWI arrest. Will he continue his tour?

One day after Justin Timberlake was arraigned on charges of driving while intoxicated, tickets remain on sale for his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour .

The " Selfish " singer was apprehended by police in the Hamptons at 12:37 a.m. Tuesday, according to a press release from the Sag Harbor Village Police Department. Sag Harbor is part of the Hamptons, about 100 miles east of New York City.

Timberlake was pulled over in his 2025 BMW after failing to stop at a stop sign and "maintain his lane of travel." "Upon investigation it was determined that Mr. Timberlake was operating his vehicle in an intoxicated position," according to the Sag Harbor Village Police Department.

What was Justin Timberlake intoxicated with?

Timberlake told police he had one martini, according to a report by The New York Times .

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The singer was held overnight following his arrest and was released without bail following his Tuesday morning arraignment. Timberlake didn't submit to an alcohol test.

USA TODAY has reached out to Timberlake's representatives for comment.

When is Justin Timberlake's next court date?

Timberlake's next court date is July 26.

Will Justin Timberlake cancel his tour?

The 43-year-old's arrest comes ahead of two concerts on The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Chicago this weekend.

As of Wednesday, tickets were still available for the two Chicago shows, but Stubhub reported tickets for the Friday and Saturday shows were "selling fast."

The "Mirrors" singer, actor and former member of the boyband NSYNC announced the tour in January , his first in five years. The North American leg of the tour kicked off in April at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, with stops including cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and the U.K.

Timberlake's return to the stage follows the release of his sixth album,  "Everything I Thought It Was ." He has also performed several free shows , including a stop in his hometown of Memphis, New York City and Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles show in March included a surprise performance of his song "Paradise," which features his NSYNC bandmates.

Videos on social media  showed Timberlake standing as the curtain behind him slowly revealed  Lance Bass ,  Joey Fatone ,  Chris Kirkpatrick  and  JC Chasez . The crowd instantly went wild, screaming louder than the group as they began singing.

The group performed "Paradise" and "Bye Bye Bye" together, bridging their new music with their classic hit. The night marked their first performance with all five band members since their 2013 VMAs reunion.

Contributing: Jay Stahl and KiMi Robinson

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Justin Timberlake's Arresting Officer Reportedly Didn't Know Who He Was — and the Internet Can't Stop Laughing

"Justin said under his breath, 'This is going to ruin the tour.' The cop replied, 'What tour?' Justin said, 'The world tour,'" a source reportedly told Page Six

The police officer who recently arrested Justin Timberlake for driving while intoxicated reportedly didn't know who the Grammy winner was — and the internet can't stop laughing.

Shortly after Timberlake, 43, was pulled over and arrested on Long Island, New York, after leaving The American Hotel in Sag Harbor on June 18, the New York Post 's Page Six reported that the cop wasn't aware of his fame or occupation.

"The cop didn’t know who he was at first," a source reportedly told the outlet. "Justin said under his breath, ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’ The cop replied, ‘What tour?’ Justin said, ‘The world tour.'”

The source quotes sent social media into a frenzy, with many users finding humor the *NSYNC member allegedly assuming officials would be aware of his ongoing Forget Tomorrow World Tour.

Kevin Mazur/Getty

"i already feel like 'this is going to ruin the tour. the world tour' is gonna enter my vocabulary for the next six months," wrote one X (formerly Twitter) user.

"Gonna start saying ' this is going to ruin the tour ' as a response to every slight inconvenience in my life," said another person on the platform.

"'This is going to ruin the tour,' I whisper when my PTO request gets denied," read a viral X post with more than 121,000 likes.

Other memes about the reported exchange made references to the Trolls franchise and Adam Driver's infamous Marriage Story wall punch, while some social media users also poked fun at Timberlake's DWI arrest with jokes about him completing field sobriety tests.

Timberlake's arrest occurred in the morning on June 18 after he was "hanging out with friends" at the establishment, a source told PEOPLE at the time. "Nobody was hurt," added the insider.

Timberlake was charged with one count of DWI and two citations — one for running a stop sign and one for failure to keep in lane.

Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty 

According to  his arrest report  obtained by PEOPLE, the hitmaker told authorities, "I had one martini and I followed my friends home."

After an officer initiated a traffic stop, they noted that Timberlake's "eyes were bloodshot and glassy, a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests," per the arrest report.

Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock

The following day, attorney Edward Burke Jr. released a statement obtained by PEOPLE, saying, "Mr. Burke looks forward to vigorously defending Mr. Timberlake against these allegations. He will have a lot to say at the appropriate time. He is currently awaiting full discovery from the DA’s office."

Timberlake has not yet spoken publicly about his arrest. He has two stops scheduled in Chicago on June 21 and June 22 amid his world tour , and two scheduled in N.Y.C. on June 25 and June 26.

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