We Want You Back: ‘NSync Appear, But Don’t Perform, at VMAs
‘NSync surprised fans at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards with a brief onstage reunion that found the classic boy band presenting the first award of the night, Best Pop, to Taylor Swift. The group in its entirety — yes, with Justin, too — introduced the category with a story about their own history with the awards show, throwing it back to their win for “Bye Bye Bye” in 2000. And even Swift couldn’t help but fangirl over the rare bit of pop nostalgia taking place.
“I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this, like I had I had your dolls,” Swift said, calling the five-piece “pop personified” as she accepted her award. She asked: “Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?” She’s manifesting a performance like the rest of us.
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The VMAs appearance marks the first time all five members of ‘NSync have been together since they earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 2018. It also comes amidst heightened rumors of a full-fledged reunion, or at least some new music, likely tied to the next movie in the Trolls franchise (in which Timberlake voices a main character).
In recent weeks, posters for Trolls Band Together — which appears to have some kind of boy band plotline — started popping up, emblazoned with part of the classic ’NSync logo (the letter “N” preceded by a star). A QR code on the poster linked to a website (TakeYouToABetterPlace.com) that also featured the logo, five troll heads (including one with a very Chris Kirkpatrick-esque hairdo), and a snippet of a whistled tune. If a new song does come, it’ll be ‘NSync’s first new music since the 2002 “Girlfriend” remix featuring Nelly.
‘NSync effectively disbanded in 2004 when Timberlake left to launch his solo career. In the nearly 20 years since then, the group has gotten back together on a handful of occasions, most notably — and maybe not so coincidentally — 10 years ago at the 2013 VMAs. At that show, Timberlake welcomed his former bandmates onstage to perform “Girlfriend” and “Bye Bye Bye” as part of his career-spanning set celebrating his Video Vanguard Award.
While the whole band hasn’t been together since the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony in 2018, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, and Kirkpatrick made a surprise cameo at Coachella 2019, joining Ariana Grande for “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” — and the ‘NSync song it interpolates, “It Makes Me Ill” — as well as “Tearin’ Up my Heart.”
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