In 1995, JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake, former co-stars of the American children's TV show Mickey Mouse Club, were in Orlando, Florida, working on solo album projects with the same writing team. Across town at the Universal Studios theme park, Brooklyn native Joey Fatone was appearing as a dancing/singing werewolf in the Beetlejuice Graveyard Review, while Chris Kirkpatrick was belting out doo-wop tunes in one of the park's eateries.
NSYNC's early career
Looking to form a group, Chris called Justin, whom he had met previously at auditions. Justin called JC, and the trio ran into Joey at a local club. Justin's vocal coach in Memphis recommended a fifth member, James "Lance" Bass. After signing with RCA/BMG Germany, the boys took off for the requisite European tour where their first single, I Want You Back, became a club mainstay. Selling out concerts in Europe, Asia, and South America, the band returned Stateside in April 1998 for the release of their eponymously titled debut album. An opening slot on Janet Jackson's Velvet Rope tour followed, along with appearances on the Jay Leno Show, the Ricky Lake Show, and Total Request Live forerunner, MTV Live.
When the Backstreet Boys backed out of a planned Disney Special in July 1998, Disney called on 'N Sync to fill the programming void. 'N Sync 'N Concert aimed directly at pre-teen girls made them teen magazine staples overnight. They weren't just tearing up hearts, however, they were ripping through records. No Strings Attached hit shelves on March 21, 2000, moving an incredible 1.13 million imprints in one day.
By week's end, Justin Timberlake and co had sold 2.4 million copies, shattering the previous record held by the Backstreet Boys' Millennium. No Strings was the highest-selling album of 2000 and has notched up sales of over 13 million to date. So, after a 300-day tour to promote their eponymously titled debut album, the band were back on the road with the follow-up. A million tickets were snapped up in a single day, with every venue selling out immediately - except Nashville's Adelphia Coliseum, which sold out the following day. The relationship with Lou Pearlman turned sour, however, and in July 1999, NSync left their former financial backer and his Trans Continental Records and jumped ship from RCA to teen-friendly Jive Records home of Justin's ex-girlfriend Britney Spears and rival band Backstreet Boys.
In response, BMG hit them with a $150-million-dollar lawsuit, claiming all rights to the group's moniker. The boys fought the case and emerged triumphant, more in control of their burgeoning profits and owners of their name. Celebrity, featuring the single Pop, sold 1.88 million copies in its first week of release.
NSync's later career
The group disbanded circa 2002 after the release of their third album Celebrity and their subsequent tour. By the end of 2002, Justin Timberlake had begun working closely with famed producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams for his debut solo effort, Justified – which earned four Grammy nominations and to this day has sold over 10 million records. The record helped cement the singer's success as a solo artist. More solo albums followed including FutureSex/LoveSounds and The 20/20 Experience and Justin is now considered one of the most successful artists ever.
In 2023, the music world was shocked when NSYNC reunited to appear as a group on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards. They then released a track, Better Place, which featured on the Trolls movie soundtrack.
