They're Going To Be Huge... And We Don't Mean Just The Hair!
Bliss May 2000
By Peter Hart (additional reporting by Lisa Smosarski)
*NSYNC's Justin Timberlake is already cross - and we haven't even asked him
any questions yet. "There's a lot of acts out there who don't have a clue
what they're about," he says grumpily, before adding: "They're just out
there to make a quick buck."
Now we don't mean to be rude or anything, but to look at Justin and his
mates, perhaps we could be mistaken for thinking *NSYNC are the ones who
don't have a clue - just look at that hair! The criminal facial furniture!
The way they bounce along to the menacing hip hop on the stereo looking
more like Ali G than Puff Daddy...
And yet it seems that everyone is talking about the five lads from Orlando,
Florida. So what is going on? Well, get this. Stateside, *NSYNC have sold
over ten million albums (published before new record was released) - Yes
that's ten million - which makes them even bigger than the Backstreet Boys.
In fact, last year they made more money than any other group on the planet
- except for the Rolling Stones and Whitney Houston - and who cares about
them? So could it be that *NSYNC are, er, actually quite good then?
Backlash Boys
The Backstreet Boy's record label, Jive, obviously think they're really
good - they've just signed *NSYNC up, and are hoping that we'll grow to
love them just as much as we do the BSB's. So how do Nick, Brian and co
feel about that? "I guess they were threatened by our success" admits Lance
Bass, the 20-year-old country fan who's growing out his highlights.
"Two years ago we were compared to the Backstreet Boys, but now they get
asked about *NSYNC."
"Yeah, they were pissed with us when we signed to their label" adds
co-frontman JC Chasez, 23, who as a kid presented The Mickey Mouse Club TV
show in America wit Justin, Britney and Christina Aguilera. "But I don't
think they're trying to be like us, I just think they're trying to evolve.
And no doubt we'll try and evolve too"
Justin - a 19-year-old Ryan Phillipe clone with mad ginger hair - would
rather skirt around the subject, maybe 'cause he's the baby of the band.
"That's not a part of my world," he drawls quietly,as we wonder - can that
hair be real?
"I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't have time to worry about some other
group's problem. Do you know what I mean?" Oh, we do, Jus.
*NSYNC or swim
Aside from their massive success outside the UK, the guys are fiercely
proud of the fact that they are not just another manufactured boy band.
"It's difficult when people just smile their way to the top," says JC.
"They've got no talent and we've worked really hard to get where we are.
That rubs us up the wrong way"
It's certainly true that the lads have had to claw their way up the fame
ladder from pretty lowly beginnings. Red-haired Joey Fatone, 23, explains
how he mat Chris Kirkpatrick, 28, more than eight years ago when they
worked together at the Universal Studios theme park. Joey then hooked up
with Justin and JC on The Mickey Mouse Club - Joey was an extra dancing on
the closing credits - and then they got to know Lance through Justin's
vocal coach.
After a chance meeting with the Backstreet Boy's manager, they were signed
up as a fivesome in 1996, but it wasn't until 1998 that they hit the US
charts. In other words, it's been a long hard slog and now *NSYNC intend to
relish every minute of their success.
"We know several groups who'd been put together, told what to do, not to
have a drink, not to have a girlfriend," says JC, sprawling out on the
floor of the studio. "The record company tried to tell us not to have a
drink in front of people and we were like, ' yeah, whatever'. We wouldn't
listen"
Snogging Britney
They wouldn't listen about having girlfriends either - though happily, it
sounds like there's hope for any girl hoping to bag an *NSYNC boy. "I do
date," says Joey, "but I don't have anything 100% serious. When I go home I
have a girl that I see, but it's not a huge thing"
JC is even more relaxed about it, "I have a girlfriend that I've been
seeing for about a year-and-a- half. But it's hard, which is why it's not a
proper relationship. We date other people too, and as long as we tell each
other, that's our only rule"
Lance and Justin are single - hurrah! "I get saucy fanmail though," says
Lance with a goofy grin. "Letters stuffed under my hotel door saying 'meet
me in room 253' and that kind of stuff. Marriage proposals, invites to
girls' proms."
And what's this massive rumour linking Justin to Britney? "Things have got
a little out of hand with my personal life being in the tabloids" Justin
smiles, peeling off his T-shirt to reveal an impressive six-pack. "So from
now on I don't comment on who I'm dating or who I'm snogging. I could have
said yes and I could have said no, but it doesn't matter because it all
gets blown out of proportion anyway" Funny he doesn't just deny it, eh?
But what about dating fans? Surely, if the right one came along..? JC's the
only one to confess. "I did it for a while, but it gets kinda' boring" "My
favourite thing is when girls totally beat around the bush and act like
they don't know you," he laughs. "There was this one girl who was following
me around a club all night. Then, about 20 minutes before the lights came
on, she goes: ' oh, I feel so silly. I just realised who you are' And I was
just like: 'Oh, it just hit you did it? Yeah, good one'".
Rock 'n' Roll
As well as liking the ladies, *NSYNC are self-confessed party fiends. "You
went to three last weekend" JC reminds Chris. "Yeah, three in one night" he
grins. "And on Superbowl weekend, I went out Thursday night and woke up
Monday morning with a hangover" Woah, rock 'n' roll.
"When I go back home, I see my buddies all the time" adds Lance. "They all
come over to my house, 'cause I've always got to have a party. My friends
are crazy and like to party a little too much".
That said, they all steer clear of drugs. "We've seen what they've done to
some of our friends," explains JC. "There's no way in hell you'd catch me
in some club sniffing some shit that's gonna kill me... it's a waste"
So the band's fame isn't going to spiral out of control then? Chris insists
not. "We got really big heads at one point," he reveals, "It had got to the
stage in Germany where we'd just walk out in front of a crowd and they'd
all go nuts. So we did this show where we only gave 50%. We were just
eating up the applause and attention." He pauses before adding, "As soon as
we got off, we realised what was happening. So we sat down, checked
ourselves, and started over"
Now it's judgement day again. But, with an attitude like theirs, you just
know that *NSYNC are going to be huge over here too - even if we still
don't get the hair!
