NSYNC fans rejoice! The beloved boy band reunited for their first new song in over 20 years. 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 see Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick singing 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.
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.
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.