Fans aren’t ready to say “bye, bye, bye” to ‘NSync — and the boy band is well aware of the desire for a reunion.
Members Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick have alluded to a reunion for decades since they first went their separate ways in 2002. However, their messages have been mixed from time to time.
“The answer is no,” Chasez exclusively told Us Weekly in December 2017 when asked if they were getting back together. “I know people want to hear a different answer, but we felt like we did what we set out to do.”
The boy band, which formed in 1995 and released its first album two years later, has reunited on occasion for special events. They performed a tribute to Timberlake at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards and sang with Ariana Grande at Coachella in 2019 — without Timberlake.
In 2023, all five members collaborated on a new song, “Better Place,” for Trolls Band Together, sparking more interest in the group’s future. Fatone exclusively told Us in September 2023 that the track was “100 percent” a love letter to their fans, while Bass said a tour, or any other reunion would have to happen “naturally.”
Scroll down to see what ‘NSync has said about a possible reunion:
‘No’ for Now
Chasez told Us in December 2017 that the former bandmates are “all still friends” and they do “talk about” reuniting on stage. While he insisted it was a “no” for now, he hinted that the singers could change their minds on a tour.
“Whatever we do together we have to do it because we are inspired to do it. It’s authentic. And I feel like that’s part of why we had a connection with our audience,” he explained. “[We want] to continue to be honest with our audience and fans. I would never want to take anything from anyone that didn’t feel genuine. That’s just kind of the way we approach everything that we do.”
Chasez noted that when the crew did their 2013 VMAs performance for Timberlake’s Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award honor it was “for the right reason,” and thought out. “When your friend is being honored and you’re a part of their lives and this was a big part of his life we wanted to share that and we wanted to support him in that moment,” he added. “It was fun.”
A Tour Without Justin?
Fatone revealed in June 2019 that a tour without Timberlake wasn’t off the table after fans had a positive reaction to their partial reunion at Coachella that spring.
“You know, we haven’t had a conversation about anything yet, at the moment. So, never say never, or yes or no,” he told Us. “I know a lot of people since we did the Coachella thing, people are like, ‘What are we doing?’ So it’s one of those things to find out, do we want to do something or do we not? So we haven’t had that conversation yet. Hopefully soon, at some point.”
Fatone explained that future tours were on everyone’s mind. “We have to have the conversation, even without Justin. The whole thing about it is it’s really awkward. It’s not awkward, but it’s weird,” he said. “People will be like, ‘If Justin doesn’t do it, the group’s not gonna do it.’ That wasn’t even the case. That’s not even the conversation. Everyone’s heads are in different times and different places in our lives.”
‘Never Say Never’
Bass told Billboard in February 2023 that he will “never say never” to hitting the road again with his bandmates. “I think it just has to be the right time; we all have to be inspired in the moment. But I do think the world needs something again from ‘NSync,” he shared.
The singer confessed: “I always feel bad that there was no ending, because we didn’t have a final show, we didn’t have a final tour, because we didn’t know it was the final days. I think we owe it to the fans to give them something at some point. I just hope it’s before I’m 80 years old.”
The Talks Are Ongoing
Bass exclusively told Us in September 2023 that he was taken aback by fans’ excitement over the group’s surprise appearance at the 2023 MTV VMAs. The five singers took the stage to present Taylor Swift with the Best Pop Award and caused a stir among their fans.
“It was a very natural thing. The last 23 years, we’ve all kind of discussed maybe doing something here, maybe doing something there,” Bass exclusively told Us in September. “We did Coachella and we did the VMAs 10 years ago, so it just made sense at that time.”
‘Better Place’ Sparked Inspiration
Fatone pointed to the band’s 2023 song “Better Place” as a catalyst for more discussions about their future. “It was just one of those things, like, ‘Wow, OK, we’re doing this.’ So we are just very happy to see what happens,” he teased to Us in September 2023. “I mean, again, it’s been 25 years since we really put something or anything out there. So just to be able to be in the studio together [and] have these vibes, it’s really cool.”
They ‘Have to Get It Right’
After ‘NSync surprised fans at the 2023 MTV VMAs, Bass said it sparked even more discussion about a real reunion.
“We have to get it right this time,” he told Entertainment Weekly in November 2023, noting the group “had so much fun” on stage. “I don’t see this as our last thing,” Bass added. “I feel like we owe it to the fans again to rectify this and do something else.”
Bass said that he “did not expect that many people to really care” about the group being together in one place. “We love to put on a show, that was our favorite, favorite thing,” he shared. “We spent every dime that we made on our tours — which, [in] hindsight, I probably would’ve changed a little bit — so I think it would be fun to remind everyone what we do in our shows.”
Studio Tease
“We’ve been in the studio, so there may be a little something in the future, too,” Timberlake revealed during a January 2024 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
He recalled having “fun” with his former bandmates while working on the Trolls Band Together soundtrack. “It’s kind of crazy, like, there’s so much that just picks up right where it left off as far as the chemistry,” Timberlake shared.
