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'N Sync Motivated By Friendly Competition With Backstreet Boys
 "The 'N Sync-versus- Backstreet Boys rivalry may be going strong, but that's only in the minds of the fans, according to 'N Sync. The group harbors no ill will toward its labelmates and says that the two acts are pitted against each other by outside forces, as 'N Sync member JC Chasez tells LAUNCH. "I think everybody puts us in direct competition with them," he says. "We really don't care either way. We just do our thing day to day and we're thankful that we've achieved what we have. We don't want to take anything away from them--I mean, hey, they're just trying to do their thing, so we have nothing against them. We know what it's like to try and make a living at this."
While 'N Sync denies any negative relationship with the Backstreet Boys, there is a healthy sense of competition that produces positive results, as Chasez explains. "I guess people set it up that way, and in a way it's a good thing, 'cause it really kind of helps drive everybody and it motivates everybody to do positive."'N Sync is gearing up for the second leg of its No Strings Attached tour, which will kick off in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 17. The tour will wrap up on December 1 in San Diego, California, after which the group will head into the studio to record its next album. 'N Sync is hoping to have the new project completed by February.

NSYNC Film New Video in San Francisco
 No, that didn't just look like the members of 'N Sync outside of Sinbad's Pier II Restaurant near San Francisco's Embarcadero last Friday, that was Lance,Chris, Joey, J.C. and Justin lip-synching their new song, "I Promise You, "for their new Dave Meyers-directed video. Nevertheless, nosey dinners andpassers-bys were told that it was a rock band named the Melons. The boy band was in the Bay Area for two days to film the video, according to a spokesperson -- the first day in a redwood grove, the second smack dab in the middle of a tourist trap, where not a single person recognized them. Maybe that's a bad thing . . .

'NSync Talks Second Leg Of Tour, New Album, Lou Pearlman
(10/10) from Allstar: On the eve of the second leg of their sold-out No Strings Attached tour, the members of 'NSync entertained select media during a yawn-filled, sarcastic teleconference on Monday (Oct. 9).
    Kicking off in Charlotte, N.C. on Oct. 17 (allstar, Aug. 16), No Strings Attached version 2.0 will feature a few changes from the tour's first go-round (allstar, May 15), but don't expect the world's hottest boy band to stray too far from the proven pop formula.
    "We're going to do a great show again," said Justin Timberlake, who was the main yawning culprit. "A lot of people have seen some of the show but every show we do is different. We add little things here and there to change it up and make it an original show, so hopefully everyone will enjoy it."
    'NSync cites Janet Jackson, for whom the boy band toured with early on in their career, as a major showmanship influence from both and entertainment and evolution perspective. "She is very good at entertaining," says Chris Kirkpatrick. "We learned a lot -- that if people want to hear just the music, they can buy the CD. But it's the whole live aspect of changing the songs every night or the whole theatrical performance that she puts on. She's definitely one of our mentors when it comes to touring and the stage show. Her show told a story, and that's what people like to see."
    In addition to the upcoming tour, which continues through Dec. 1, 'NSync have several new projects set to surface in the coming months. Besides a new home video, Live at Madison Square Garden, a new 'NSync track, "You Don't Have To Be Alone," will surface on the upcoming compilation A Platinum Christmas (see related story, this page). Additionally, Kirkpatrick launches his new clothes line, FuMan Skeeto, in Nordstrom's on Nov. 24.
    On whether or not the members of the band would indulge Kirkpatrick's tastes in clothes by adorning the new line, the entrepreneur vowed to use inducement tactics. "I just threaten them," says Kirkpatrick. "There is a difference between pressuring and threatening. Pressuring is just me bugging them every day about it, threatening them is telling them if they don't do it, I'll beat them up."
    As for the future, 'NSync vows to take everything to the "next level" (or is it the next next level?) on the follow-up to the 9x platinum No Strings Attached, set to surface in 2001. "If we don't adapt, we won't survive," says Kirkpatrick. "We enjoy new music. We don't enjoy stagnant music or somebody doing the same thing that everybody else is doing so we try to change our sound and change our ideas to be innovative."
    "We've been doing a little bit of writing," continues Timberlake. "Some of the tracks that I've heard and that I've done, it's taking the sound to the next level. It's going to be tough because one of our main goals is that we each get 10 tracks submitted and then just pick the best 12 or so from that big pile. We'll have the best pool of where we feel the sound is going."
    Towards the end of the conference, things turned, as usual, to the band's former manager/babysitter Lou Pearlman, from whom the group fought in court to be freed last year (allstar, Nov. 24, 1999). Asked to set the record straight as to what exactly Pearlman did for the group, Kirkpatrick reported the following:
    "He did pay for a lot of the stuff, but it was an investment, like anything," he said. "We said all along, 'Hopefully you will get to make your money back on us.' But the only thing that shreds us about it is when we hear things like, 'Yeah, he used to tell you guys how to sing, he used to tell you guys...' He gave us money. That's it."
    "That's funny, I ask myself that all the time," says Timberlake. "What did he do?"

'NSync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears All On Board For A Platinum Christmas
 On Nov. 14, several of the world's biggest pop stars will relay their Christmas thoughts and feelings through A Platinum Christmas, a star-filled Christmas compilation orchestrated by Jive, RCA, and Arista Records.
    The album will include new tracks by 'NSync, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, R. Kelly, Pink, and Kenny G, as well as previously released tracks by Santana, Toni Braxton, and Joe, among others.
    'NSync's track, co-written by JC Chasez, is possibly called "You Don't Have To Be Alone," on which Justin Timberlake offered up the following terse opinion: "It's a ballad," he said during the 'NSync teleconference on Monday (Oct. 9) (see related story, this page). "It's pretty." As a disclaimer, Timberlake wasn't 100 percent sure that 'NSync Christmas song was surfacing on this compilation.
    Not much more is known at press time by way of additional song titles, etc., but the album is sure to be a must-buy on the Christmas lists of parents worldwide this Christmas.
    A Platinum Christmas will be released by Jive Records.

'NSync talks business during press conference
 The group plans to record a new album in early 2001. After making playful jabs at his fellow members during a 45-minute teleconference with a handful of reporters on Monday (10/9), 'NSync founding member Chris Kirkpatrick turned somber when he said that working with former manager Lou Pearlman was "a life lesson we learned quick."
   "The only thing that kind of shreds us about it is when we hear things like, 'Yeah, he used to tell you guys how to sing.' He gave us money and that was it. We kind of did our own thing," said Kirkpatrick, who was joined on the call by bandmate Justin Timberlake.
   "When he did control the money, he would say things. And we were like, 'This is our group. This is what we do. You're paying us to be 'NSync. You're not paying us to be your people and your puppets. We are a group. We were a group before your money and we'll be a group after your money.'"
   'NSync left RCA Records and Pearlman for Jive Records last year, prompting a $150 million lawsuit by Pearlman, his management team Trans Continental Media, Trans Continental Records and BMG Entertainment, which owns RCA. A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled in November against Pearlman and allowed the band to record for Jive. Shortly after the judge's ruling, the group reached a confidential out-of-court settlement with Pearlman and BMG.
   "It's really sad that it went down like that," Kirkpatrick said. "Because at first he tried to make it like a family: 'I want to be close to you guys. I want you guys to be able to trust me.' But in a business when it comes to money, you can't trust anybody, because the people you start trusting, you never guess that they're the ones that are actually taking all your money. That was really hard for us."
   These are happier times for 'NSync, however. The group is about to embark on the second leg of its sold-out "No Strings Attached" tour, which begins on Oct. 17 in Charlotte, N.C., and ends Dec. 1 in San Diego.
   "We're actually starting the tour on a holiday this year. Oct. 17 is Chris Kirkpatrick Day," Kirkpatrick said. "We're real excited about that. ... And you've only got eight shopping days or so left."
   "Chris' birthday is Oct. 17." said Timberlake. "Please get him something. Because I'm not."
   Besides stages, the group will be hitting TV screens as well. They have scheduled appearances on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" on Nov. 7, "Live with Regis" on Nov. 10 and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Nov. 29. Its concert video "Live from Madison Square Garden" hits stores on Oct. 24.
   Timberlake explained that the second leg of the tour will be basically feature the same show as the first leg--with a few surprises.
   "This tour is so big, we want to give people the chance to see it in person again. That's why we put the extension on the tour. There's stuff that happens every show that's different. Who knows what we'll come up with? We might throw another song in or something. Who knows?"
   When the tour wraps up in December, 'NSync is going to take a break, during which the quintet will embark on "solo ventures," although not necessarily musical.
   "I think when we say 'solo ventures,' they're all different types of things, like business ventures, Timberlake said. "Joey's filming something right now--I'm sorry, I don't know what it's called."
   Lance Bass is also getting involved in film, while Kirkpatrick will bring his Fu.ManSkeeto clothing line into Nordstrom stores the day after Thanksgiving. Timberlake said he wasn't sure what he was going to do.
   "I'll probably just be writing some music, and I don't know, maybe I'll get into some on-screen stuff. Who knows? I'm crazy like that. I'll switch it on you."
   It won't be that long of a vacation, however. 'NSync is planning to return to the studio in early 2001 to record the follow-up to its nine-times-platinum album "No Strings Attached."
   "We haven't had a lot of time but we're doing a little bit of writing," Timberlake said. "... I think one of our main goals is that we all get at least 10 tracks submitted and just pick the best 12 or so from that big pile. We'll have the best pool of where the sound's going or where we feel the sound's going. Once we've all submitted our tracks, maybe everybody else will come in and help produce them up and get the whole 'NSync sound on them."
   Rabid fans who can't wait for the new album, however, will have "A Platinum Christmas," due out Nov. 14, which will feature holiday songs from a variety of acts including 'NSync and Britney Spears. Timberlake admitted he didn't know too much about his band's contribution, however.
   "There's so many different [compilations]. The song is written by J.C. [Chasez of 'NSync]. ... It's called 'You Don't Have to Be Alone.' It's cool. It's a ballad. It's pretty."
   One thing that Timberlake and Kirkpatrick don't find so pretty, however, is "Making the Band," the ABC television series about the boy band O-Town.
   "What do we think about it? It's a piece of crap," Timberlake said. "It's scary to think that that O-Town show, that they're serious. I'm not dissing the boys on the show. God bless them. I'm almost positive that they don't have a clue what's going on, really.
   "I kind of look back and see what we were like: We didn't know what was going on. I don't want to talk bad about anybody but I can't have faith in something that's done by a business partner that we've already had and who was not a very good business partner."

 

*NSYNC Talks Movie, Tour and New Album
 : 'N Sync has long talked about taking its act to the silver screen; the quintet even went to Cannes this year to promote its movie career. The only question that remained was which project the boys were going to pursue. It looks like they may have decided at last.
   "Most likely, it's Grease 3," Lance Bass said in a teleconference today that also included his fellow 'N Sync mates J.C. Chasez and Joey Fatone.
   "Everything just got put on hold because of the [Screen Actors Guild] strike, which was just very bad timing for us. We're going ahead and getting the script written. It's a go from the studios, and we just got to wait until the strike is over, and then we can start filming."
   The group didn't detail which of the band's members would serve as the movie's male lead or who would be tapped to play opposite him. ( Britney Spears, 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake's main squeeze, has also been rumored to be attached to Grease 3.) "I guess it'll be an ensemble," Fatone said.
   "It'll definitely be more written for a group," Bass added. "We've got a great cast in mind right now."
   Despite all the talk of a new endeavor, 'N Sync is not ready to say "Bye Bye Bye" to the concert stage just yet. The quintet is about to embark on a 31-date string of shows, part of its long-running "No Strings Attached" tour, which kicks off in Charlotte, S.C., on Oct. 17. Fans shouldn't look for any new wrinkles in the show (which has already sold out its entire run), just the same scream-inducing mix of pop songs, choreography, and special effects.
   "We're actually going to keep it the same as of right now, due to the fact that there are actually certain cities, a bunch of places that we have not hit yet," Chasez said. "So people that never got the chance to see it yet are actually going to get a chance to see it. If anything, maybe towards the end of [the tour] we might throw a Christmas song in, but we're not even sure if we're going to do that. For the most part, yeah, it's just the 'No Strings Attached' tour."
   The members of the band also addressed such things as their ongoing rivalry with the Backstreet Boys (Chasez doesn't see it as a competition but does think it makes both groups work harder and do positive things), the media and fans prying into their private lives (surprise, they don't like it), and the still-controversial use of taped backing vocals at their shows.
   "We never use them on the lead vocals," Chasez insisted. "Sometimes we might use them on the background a bit. We never use them for a cappellas. For the dance numbers, sometimes we use them in the fast songs, yeah. But that's not what rides in the forefront. Everybody wants to hear how the song itself and the leads and everything like that [sound], and those are always live."
   "When you're performing, you do get sort of winded, as far as doing background vocals, since you're dancing so much," Fatone said. "The good thing about it is, if all else fails, we can sing the background vocals, you know what I'm saying? It's not a big help to us, but it does at least give us a little backing so [the sound is] a lot fuller and a lot thicker."
   If 'N Sync has any spare time these days, it's spent thinking about its next album, which it hopes to finish by February. At this point, the band is still mulling over potential producers to work with and claim that it's likely that Chasez and Timberlake will take a greater hand in shaping the record's direction.
   "We're definitely getting into that side of it more," Bass said. "There's been several people we've been talking about. Maybe getting with She'kspere again, Timbaland, Missy [Elliott]. Even Richard Marx would be great to work with again."
   Even before that, the group is planning to do a song for the country market — Bass declined to disclose who it will work with on it but said that the band has narrowed it down to "a couple of artists" — and will continue to seek out new venues for its music, like the Latin Grammy Awards, which it played last month.
   "We just want to prove that music is music," Bass said.
   "We want to challenge ourselves," Chasez added. "Music, it's fun. It's a journey, and I don't think that any artist likes just one kind of music. They're usually very creative people and they like a little bit of everything. There's part of them that wishes that maybe they could do this, that, and the other, and we've just been lucky enough to push the boundaries and do it, instead of wondering about it."

'NSYNC, Lil' Kim To Toast Mystikal At "Secret" Party form MTV
 'NSYNC, Lil' Kim, and Joe are among the artists planning to "Shake Ya Ass" during a private party in New York City on Tuesday night to celebrate the chart-topping debut of Mystikal's "Let's Get Ready" album. Mystikal moved more than 330,000 copies of "Let's Get Ready" in its first week in stores, beating out 98 Degrees' "Revelation" by more than 60,000 copies, according to SoundScan. Jive Records, home to Mystikal, 'NSYNC, and Joe, will be hosting the event, which will also tout the rapper's appearance on the cover of the November issue of "XXL" magazine, which is on stands now. Other artists and celebrities are expected to turn out for the Manhattan party, which a source close to the event said will have a "secret" theme loosely based on the 1999 Stanley Kubrick film, "Eyes Wide Shut," which inspired the "Shake Ya Ass" video. Music for the party will be provided by a local artist, the Incredible DJ Touchtone.

 

'N Sync To Collaborate With Top Female Country Star
 'N Sync is planning to unite the worlds of pop and country music once again, according to group member Lance Bass.The singer recently shared with Jive Records executive Clive Calder his idea of teaming up with a country artist. "We just released a ballad, 'This I Promise You,' to every market except country," Bass says. "I mean, we did Spanish, everything. I was talking to Clive Calder the other day and I was like, 'Why don't we do a country version, 'cause it's such a country song,' so we are going to get together with a well-known artist and probably collaborate this year." Lance added that the singer will be female. There is no word on when fans can expect to hear the musical collaboration on the radio. "This I Promise You" was written, arranged, and produced by Richard Marx, who also wrote the title track on Shedaisy's new Christmas album, Brand New Year. 'N Sync's first country collaboration was with Alabama on "God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You," which was a top five hit on the country charts in August 1999. 'N Sync is heading to New York City Monday (October 9) to perform "This I Promise You" and "It's Gonna Be Me" on ABC's Good Morning America.

It's Official: Britney Spears And Justin Timberlake An Item 
 Sorry, girls-- Britney Spears has officially confirmed the rumor that she is dating 'N Sync heartthrob Justin Timberlake. In the October issue, Spears tells Elle magazine: "When you're really comfortable with someone you love, the silence is the best. And that's how me and J. are. When we're in a room together, we don't have to say anything. And when we go out to a club, it's like we're the only two people there. It's for real." The 18-year-old singer also tells the magazine that she and Timberlake had a good laugh about the rumor circulating last month that the couple was engaged. "I told him during my show I would wear a big-ass ring just to keep people talking," she quipped. Spears graces Elle's cover wearing an original Givenchy tulle jumpsuit with crystal embroidery.

Justin Timberlake: Cover Boy
From  www.thirsty.com  : "During a live radio interview, the editor of CosmoGirl magazine proclaimed that 'N Sync hottie Justin Timberlake will be on the cover of the November issue. Not only that, but there will also be a "very personal interview," in which he talks about his charity and his personal life. He will also allegedly discuss a period of time in his life when he absolutely hated women.
    Yet the most exciting thing to come is his candid conversation about teen queen and alleged girlfriend Britney Spears. The editor says that he dishes out some very beautiful things about her, and explains what it was like when they first met. Look forward to some "extremely sexy" photos of the boyband wonder, as they are supposedly, "not like any other". All you Justin fans better put away your three dollars now, because the issue hits stands October 2!

Britney, Backstreet, 'NSYNC Record Label Sues MP3.com
Form  MTV.com "Less than one week after a judge handed down a ruling that could cost MP3.com as much as $250 million, Zomba Recording Corporation and Zomba Music Publishing have filed lawsuits against the embattled music Web site.
    Both companies are independently suing MP3.com over its My.MP3.com service, the same database that stirred the ire of the Universal Music Group. Last week, Universal won damages from the site when a judge ruled MP3.com willfully infringed on Universal's copyrights.
    Similarly, Zomba is charging that MP3.com "has adopted a blatant strategy of attempting to unlawfully build a business by misappropriating us and our artists' and writers' goodwill, recordings, and songs."
    Zomba Recording Corp. owns Jive Records, which boasts an impressive stable of pop hit makers including 'NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and R. Kelly.
    My.MP3.com allows users to store music that they have purchased and boasts a database of more than 80,000 albums. MP3.com has battled charges of copyright infringement by noting that the My.MP3.com service only allows users to listen online to CDs that the users themselves have already purchased.
    MP3.com Chairman and CEO Michael Robertson promised to appeal last week's judge's ruling, saying, "We believe that everyone should have the right to listen to the music they purchase, even if it's on the Internet."
    While MP3.com vows to fight on, past legal tangles do not bode well for the Web site regarding the impending Zomba lawsuits. In April, a judge ruled that the My.MP3.com database violates copyright law (see "Court Rules MP3.com Violates Copyrights"), and this summer the site settled lawsuits brought by several record labels including BMG Entertainment, Time Warner's Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and the EMI Group

NSync Headed For The 10 Million Mark Again
Boy band poised to win second RIAA Diamond Award this year as third LP is certified nine-times platinum.
    *NSync have shipped 9 million copies of their third album, No Strings Attached, since its release five months ago, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
    The RIAA designated the album nine-times platinum in its August certifications, which also saw fellow pop stars Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears achieve multiplatinum gains. Aguilera's 1999 self-titled debut reached the 7 million mark, while Spears' second album, this year's Oops … I Did It Again, was certified at 6 million.
    If *NSync's No Strings Attached carries on its sales success, the red-hot LP could give the boy band its second Diamond Award, commemorating sales of 10 million, this year. The quintet's first album, *NSync, hit that mark in January.
    *NSync also have a holiday LP, Home for Christmas, that is certified double platinum. Additionally, the second single from No Strings Attached, "It's Gonna Be Me" (RealAudio excerpt), was certified gold last month.
    The RIAA's certifications recognize the number of records that have been shipped to retail outlets. No Strings Attached has sold 7.7 million units to date, while *NSync has sold 8.2 million, according to SoundScan. Those figures do not include sales for the past week, which will be released on Wednesday (Sept. 6).
    Also among the trade group's August certifications were rapper Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP, at 6 million, and DMX's … And Then There Was X, at 4 million.
    Hip-hop newcomer Nelly received his first gold, platinum and multiplatinum certifications for his debut album, Country Grammar. Lil' Kim's second album, Notorious K.I.M., also was certified gold and platinum.

Explicit Songs?
 "The inside story of 'N Sync's next big song. With 6 MTV video nods, the group has major plans to expand its audience
   Teen popsters 'N Sync, who'll perform on tonight's MTV Video Music Awards (8 p.m.), scored their first No. 1 single this summer with the ubiquitous ditty ''It's Gonna Be Me.'' Not content to rest, the boy band -- who tie their taunting nemesis Eminem for six video award nominations -- are busy making big plans for their next single, ''This I Promise You.'' To maximize the ballad's hit potential, Justin, JC, and the gang have recorded two vastly different versions of the song, which is penned and produced by that big hair '80s crooner Richard Marx.
   First up is a Spanish lyric version (''Yo te Voy a Amor''), which the oft gyrating gringos will premiere during their performance on the Latin Grammy Awards (airing live Sept. 13, 8 p.m., CBS). The guys recorded ''Yo,'' which hits Spanish language radio next week, with the help of a dialogue coach. ''It was something that we had even discussed doing with other singles in the past,'' says Joe Riccitelli, senior VP of pop promotion at 'N Sync's label, Jive, ''because there's such a big audience for Spanish speaking radio.'' Indeed, Riccitelli estimates that 'N Sync will reach an additional 10 to 17 million listeners with this Spanish 101 cut.
   But don't worry: The guys aren't abandoning their Top 40 roots. Because pop radio is increasingly shying away from playing ballads -- (of the top 10 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Airplay chart, only one, Joe's ''I Wanna Know,'' is a ballad) -- the group tapped hot dance club remixer Hex Hector (Madonna, Jennifer Lopez) to do an up tempo version of the song. But there was a problem. The original version was so slow, Hector told them that they'd have to rerecord their vocals to make a faster mix work. If he simply sped up the original vocals to go with the kicky new club beat, the guys would've sounded like the Chipmunks.
   So after their June 20 show in Denver, 'N Sync flew in the New York City based remixer for a daylong recording session. ''I was surprised when they said they'd do it,'' explains Hector, who's currently tweaking Ricky Martin's forthcoming single ''She Bangs.'' ''Because they're such a big act and they were on tour, I didn't think they'd want to come in to re-sing vocals on their day off.''
   Still, as Hector describes the session, it wasn't exactly all work and no play. They'd ''screw around'' between takes, he says, by making up explicit lyrics to go with staple show tunes. ''It would tarnish their wholesome schoolboy image if I told you what was sung,'' Hector says of the impromptu lascivious lullabies of Broadway. Hey, with a matching video, just think of all the airtime they'd get on the Playboy channel.

'N Sync, Chili Peppers, And Eminem Steal Show
'N Sync and the Red Hot Chili Peppers dominated the 17th annual MTV Video Music Awards -- held at Radio City in New York last night -- by taking home three "Moonmen" statues each.

'N Sync was honored for its hit video "Bye, Bye, Bye," nabbing best pop video, viewers choice, and best choreography. The Chili Peppers won the video vanguard award and awards for best direction and best art direction for "Californication."

However, it was Eminem who left the biggest impression at the VMAs with his live performance of "The Real Slim Shady." The video for that song won awards for video of the year and best male video. Jim Carrey introduced Eminem in his own unique style saying, "He scares me a little. I've got to be honest -- I enjoy his music, but he scares me." Eminem went on to perform "The Real Slim Shady" and "The Way I Am" while followed by his huge posse of Eminem wannabes.

Eminem also was one-half of the best rap video award, which went to Dr. Dre and Eminem's "Forgot About Dre." Officially, Eminem won two awards, but one could argue that he really won two-and-a-half. Aaliyah also left with two awards: best female video and best video from a film for "Try Again."

Other two-award winners included Macy Gray and Bjork. Gray won for best new artist in a video for "I Try" and best cinematography in a video for "Do Something." Bjork's remarkable video for "All Is Full Of Love" won best special effects and breakthrough video.

The night was filled with surprises that included Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears holding hands and introducing surprise guest Whitney Houston and hubby Bobby Brown.

One of the most interesting moments of the evening came when Jennifer Lopez and D'Angelo presented the award for best rock video to Limp Bizkit for "Break Stuff." A bit of chaos ensued when Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Bob Commerford sat atop the stage prop behind Limp Bizkit and would not budge. Show security was caught off guard and rushed out to the stage, but they were unable to immediately remove Commerford, who was perched some 15 feet in the air. He was eventually removed when the camera cut away to a commercial.

The WWF's Chynna and Survivor victor Richard Hatch introduced Christina Aguilera, who performed "Come On Over (All I Want Is You)." Towards the end of the song, Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst joined Aguilera on stage for some 15 seconds of a duet.

The show kicked off with Shawn Wayans dead-on impersonation of the comedy stylings of last year's VMA host, Chris Rock. Wayans appeared to hit a sore note at one point with Britney Spears, whose ice-cold stare was caught on camera as Wayans poked fun at her. Shawn's brother Marlon joined him onstage for the show's opening monologue and the two shared hosting duties throughout the night, with mixed results. The biggest laughs by far came at the end of the monologue when Marlon dropped his pants and mooned the audience, and when they screened their hilarious pre-recorded parody of Macy Gray's "I Try" video.

Britney, Eminem, 'NSYNC Get Wild, Weird For VMA Sets
 For the second hour of the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears, Eminem, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and 'NSYNC rolled out performances that ranged from surprisingly sedate to downright bizarre.

Borrowing a page from "Flashdance" -- as well as Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" video -- a suit-and-tied Spears looked as if she had chosen to take a low-key approach for her second straight VMA performance.

After emerging from behind a backlit screen, Spears descended down a spiral staircase and offered up a soulful, if unstirring, rendition of the Rolling Stones' anti-establishment classic, "Satisfaction." But just when it appeared that Britney would be playing it tame, it all came off -- well, almost.

Spears sent the crowd's hormones into a frenzy by tearing off her black suit to reveal a spangled, flesh-toned outfit, and then proceeded to kick into an adrenaline-pumping performance of "Oops!... I Did It Again" that seemed to suggest that perhaps she really was "not that innocent" anymore.

The beauty was then followed by the beast, as rap bad boy Eminem literally took it to the streets for a performance of "The Real Slim Shady." Starting outside the venue, Em began the number by barking the lyrics in front of a group of look-alikes lined up as if they were a batch of new military recruits arriving for boot camp.

Eminem then led his army down Sixth Avenue, in through the front doors of Radio City Music Hall, and down the auditorium aisles, pausing in front of Carson Daly and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst as he delivered the song's infamous line referring to the two and Christina Aguilera.

The rapper then left his posse behind as he mounted the stage and switched gears for a minimalist take on "The Way I Am," a song that he dedicated to "all his critics out there" and which addressed the dual faces Em wears in public and private.

The old school then returned to the stage in the form of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with bassist Flea, guitarist John Frusciante, and frontman Anthony Kiedis all flying the punk rock fashion flag by sporting mohawks.

After being named the recipients of this year's Video Vanguard Award, the Chili Peppers slid into one of its newest (and bluesiest) tunes, "Californication," the band's paean to the same sort of West Coast excesses that threatened to break up the group several times over the course of its near 20-year career.

Perhaps the evening's most bizarre performance was turned in by the guys of 'NSYNC, who admirably (if questionably) attempted to cram mini-versions of three songs, "This I Promise You," "Bye Bye Bye," and "It's Gonna Be Me" into their 4 minute and 15 second set.

Wearing white shirts and sitting on stools that rose out of the floor of the Radio City Music Hall stage, 'NSYNC sang a few bars from its "This I Promise You" ballad. The guys then ripped off their tops to reveal black undershirts and stepped behind TV monitors lowered in front of their heads in a routine that looked like it was lifted from a Grace Jones vi deo or Laurie Anderson performance art piece.

As the monitors displayed images of the respective band member's heads "singing" "Bye Bye Bye," 'NSYNC continued to dance behind the screens, occasionally emerging from behind them as if they were playing peekaboo with the audience.

Things returned to normal during the boy band's incredibly brief finale -- a sped-up rendition of "It's Gonna Be Me" -- during which the band and its cadre of supporting dancers jokingly took a break from its fast and furious performance in order for Joey Fatone to catch his breath.

 

And not always pure of mind, either: One chair over from Fatone, Justin Timberlake may or may not be enjoying his red leather trousers, which are a lesson in style over comfort. "There pants are so tight," the curly-haired heartthrob cracks, "it's like I'm having sex with myself."

Yes, the guys of 'N Sync are definitely fun to be around? Even when they should be dog-tired. After all, the Orlando-based singing group. Timberlake, 19; Bass, 21; Fatone, 23; JC Chasez, 24, and Kirkpatrick, 28â?"is at the tail end of a 52-city North American tour. Last night they performed before a 40,000-plus audience at Foxboro Stadium outside Boston, and in just a few hours, they're going to do it all over again. More than one million people have caught the show, putting an exclamation point on a run of success that began in March when No Strings Attached, 'N Sync's second CD, smashed records for both first-day (approximately one million) and first-week (2.4 million) sales. Six months ago, 'N Sync were merely stars; now they can lay claim to the title of biggest pop group in the country.

Success, of course, breeds activity. This fall the band will continue its North American tour, release an IMAX concert film and start work on a new record, with all five members taking a more active part in songwriting and producing.

'N Sync is also working on a movie, but before any critics start digging up their reviews of "Spiceworld" for possible recycling, consider this: The band will not be playing themselves, and the film won't necessarily feature any music. "We're actually going to make a real movie," Bass says. "We want to challenge ourselves to do something different."

Somewhere in there the boys are due to get a week's vacation, too. But first comes the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. 'N Sync got six nominations, including Best Video of the Year and Viewer's Choice for their "Bye, Bye, Bye" video. They will also perform on the show, which means the pressure is on to top last year's appearance with Britney Spears.

"It was definitely fun performing with Britney," says Timberlake, who is reportedly dating Spears. "I'd do it again."

As in Oops!...I'd Do It Again? Don't get your hopes up. "I wouldn't expect Britney to turn up again," Bass says. "But maybe Eminem. You never know."

Ah, yes. Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady" ,which includes 'N Sync among the many, many things that annoy him. Has also been nominated for six awards. Still, all the members of 'N Sync are huge Eminem fans. "Love him," Timberlake says. "He's a supertalented artist."

While Eminem would like to think that he and 'N Sync are operating in different cultural worlds, the truth is that they're hitting much the same audience. "That's the cool thing about music right now," Chasez says. "People are a lot more open-minded. People are listening to rap, rock, it's just not trends anymore. Hopefully, that makes way for a longer career for us."

Tom Calderone, MTV's senior vice president of music programming and talent, thinks 'N Sync's longevity "is going to be attained by how relevant they stay with their fan base. Right now, they can do no wrong."

Maybe not, but should No Strings Attached end up selling 10, 12 or even 14 million records, statistically speaking, there's nowhere to go but down. "At this point in our career," says Timberlake, "we just want to evolve with our core audience. That's what the Stones did. That's what a lot of legends do."

The 19-year-old pauses, perhaps imagining himself at Mick Jagger's age. "By then," he says, "we probably won't be dancing as much."

****~Could U Be Justin's Dream Girl?~****

Sweet and innocent is just the type of girl that Justin falls for. "For me it's innocence mixed with confidence, you know?" says Justin. "I look for honesty and sensitivity, someone with a sense of humor. And I like independence, It's like she's her own woman, her own person. She's a girl who speaks her mind and takes charge of situations."

In addition to take-charge, Justin is also attracted to girls who share his enthusiasm for sports. "If she's athletic, she's usually got me," he grins. And those of you who love to play his favorite sport have an even better shpt at finding a spot in this hoopsters heart! "I really dig girls who are into basketball," says Justin.

*****~KISS & TELL~*****

Justin tells when he has his first kiss,"It took place in fifth or sixth grade," he says. "It was with my third or fourth girlfriend and it was quite an embarrassing situation," Justin begins. "She was friends  with my best friend's girlfriend and she lived right across the street from him [in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee]."

It happened on night when Justin and his best friend was over at the girls house watching TV. "I knew this moment was going to have to come soon and I wanted it to be this night," recalls Justin. "Then all of a sudden, she turns the TV off, hits the light switch off, it's pitch black, and we're both like , we don't know what to say. So I looked at her, I'm embarrassed, and thought we might as well do it and we did and it was great. I was a happy little guy."

*****~ROMANCING~*****

17-year-old Justin knows all about the effects of "the little things in women". "It's the little things you say and the little things you do that really count to get their attention," he says. From the sound of it, Justin really does know how to sweep a girl off of her feet. One time, instead of taking a girl out to a big fancy restaurant for dinner, he cooked up some pasta alfredo all on his own (too sweet), packed it in a picnic basket and brought it over to her house where they enjoyed the tasty dish lounging on her bedroom floor.

While Justin has no problem showing his soft side, he admits many girls out there aren't used to seeing it. "I totally understand that saying about women being from Venus and men from Mars. I totally understand that," he says. " I think that women are always seen as being softer than guys, but, in some cases, [we] are a lot softer than they are.(Justin, that is so true!)

*****~Justin Scared Silly~*****

Justin admits that when he was a little boy growing up in Memphis Tenn. , he was totally afraid of monsters living under his bed " I saw the movie Grimlins and I thought the grimlins lived under my bed," the cutie recalls, "I remember when I was like 4 or 5 I had to turn the light switch off before I got into bed. So, I'd turn the light switch off and run for the bed. About six feet before I'd get there,I'd leap as far as I could and get on the bed. I always had this fear of having a grimlins arm reach out from under the bed and grab my leg."

Fortunately, Justin outgrown his fear of creatures hiding under his bed. But that doesn't mean he's not afraid of anything else these days. In fact, he confesses that he's creeped out by snakes, spiders, and sharks. "I'm really frightened of sharks," he tells me. "I mean, the stories I hear about sharks attacking people and the fact that it could actually happen to me is scary! And spiders and snakes, they gross me out, I think it's the s's. Snakes, sharks, and spiders."

*****Would He Ever Date A Fan*****

Don't worry, attracting Justin isn't as scary as it seems. You see, just because he's a superstar doesn't mean that he has supermodel taste when it comes to selecting a date. As a matter of fact, beauty and expensive style are the last things that catch this romantics guy's eye. Justin says his ideal gurl is simply "someone who has a sense of humor and is sensitive," so he would practically date anyone!

newst information!

++++\blushing on a date/++++

"I once was on a date and we were having dinner, and the girl had taken a bite of her food. I guess she should have finished chewing, because she started talking and the food fell right out of her mouth onto her plate. She started laughing, it happens to me all the time. I talk with my mouth full. I think that stuff is cute.

++++\family holiday tradition/++++

For 18-year-old Justin Timberlake, as for his 'Nsync group mates the best part about Christmas is being with his family, which includes mom Lynn and step dad Paul, dad Randy and step mom Lisa, and baby bros Jonathan and Steven. "We usually do the big family dinner with my grandpa, my cousins, my aunts," he says. "There's usually like 20 of us!" Not only are there lots of people at Justin's family reunion, but there's also lots of good food. "My grandmother always makes soul food: turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs- the whole nine yards." And to top that off Justin dresses up as Santa, a tradition which, he says, he's just about ready to stop. "I'm getting too old to be walking around in all that," he says moving his hips forward and making a round-tummy gesture....

++++\pranks?/++++

Justin, who says that when it comes to playing pranks, it's always better to be the giver than the receiver. That's why this sly sweetie loves playing tricks on people. Once, Justin even took apart an entire package of Halloween candy to play a prank on someone. "Spree's are my favorite candy and I had a teacher who liked it too," he remembers. "We'd fight over the red ones because they are the best tasting. So I got a package of Spree's and opened it up and took all the red ones out. Then I put it back together again and gave it to her - like, 'Here I got these for you!' She opens it up and she's all 'Justin!'"

++++\wild about basketball/++++

When our boy Justin thinks something is wild in crazy, he describes it by using the word crunk - it's just a nonsense word he made up himself. Well you better believe that nothing gets Justin feeling more "crunk" than an energetic game of his absolute favorite sport, basketball. In fact, Justin is so off -the-wall over the game, his friends call him "Bounce"- after a bouncing basketball. "Whenever I have the chance, I play like crazy," says Justin. Justin's also been known to get a little crazy while watching games on TV. This Orlando boy goes positively crazy over the Orlando Magic, and he actively roots for the team, and the star player, Penny Hardaway. "I've been known to scream and yell at the TV set during a game," Justin admits. "It's not a pretty site. It's usually a good thing for me to watch the basketball games when I'm home alone, so no one else can see me jumping around and screaming.

latest news!

All Access Nsync? Again?

A person I know claimed that Nsync will be taping a segment for a show either called "making the tour" or "all access".

Your ByeX3 remix

make your own "bye bye bye" remixes, you must have plug in.
www.beatnik.com/cgi-bin/g...2502131957

McDonald's Nsync cd? from: John

"Hey! I had to go to work today (McDonald's), and as I
was taking my break one of the other people that worked there was
talking to me and another worker and told us that McDonald's will have
a promotion in which it will sell Britney Spears and 'N Sync exclusive
CD's which would probably only have 4 songs on them each. Just
thought I would prepare everyone.. not sure when they are coming out, I
think August. Hopefully I will be able to snag some of the promotional
posters for that and stuff.. cross my fingers."

Drinking Problems?

The boys went to "Cat Eye" in Scottsdale (a suburb of Phoenix) on Monday (6/5/00) night because it was the only bar in Scottsdale that would let Justin in and that wanted to deal with the crowd of underage girls it might attract. Well sure enough it did attract a crowd of young girls and some of them even snuck in
the bar. Well, guess what? The bar was slapped with a $5,000 fine for Justin and the other underage ppl being in there. This bar usually has a lot of cops circling the area and I'm sure they noticed all the young girls on a late Monday night and decided to randomly search the bar for IDs. I do not know who ended up eventually paying for the fine, but it was not for drinking. It was for age specifications and the fine was written to the bar, NOT JUSTIN OR ANY OF THE OTHER GUYS!!!! There was NO comments on the guys or their drinking habits, it was STRICTLY an age thing!!!!

Sizing up ‘N Sync ( long article)

The boys reach out to broaden their audience

By: Scott D. Pierce
Deseret News Staff Writer
Friday, June 16, 2000

They’ve got no strings to tie them down—and record-breaking *N Sync would have it no other way.

It’s no coincidence that their CD and current concert tour, which blasts into Rice-Eccles Stadium on Saturday night at 7:30, are both titled “No Strings Attached.” That’s what the guys—Justin Timberlake, JC Chassez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass—got when they managed to legally extricate themselves from contracts with their former management and former record company.

“It wasn’t just about ‘No Strings Attached’ to the record company. It was about...people saying, “oh, they’re just another boy band. Look, I’ve seen the show on Friday night and it’s exactly who they are,’” Kirkpatrick said in a recent telephone interview with journalists. “Now they can listen to our album, they can listen to our performance and they can see us on interviews and realize that we’re individuals. We put ourselves together. We’re a totally different group from what people are trying to make us out to be.”

Whether they’ve gotten the respect they want depends on whom you ask. But there’s no doubt that they’re the hottest thing in music, selling 1.13 million copies of their new album the first day, 2.4million the first week and 5 million in five weeks—all records. The current total is something north of 8 million.

“We could only dream of having some sort of goal like that,” Fatone said. “We knew that we were going to sell something but not like that. We really didn’t break the record, the fans did.”

And it appears that ‘N Sync’s audience is broadening–that there are a lot of people other than teenage girls listening to and buying their CDs.

“I think people just need a chance to listen to it,” Fatone said. “People now are starting to see that we enjoy the music. It’s not like we’re just trying to throw something together just to sell the album. It’s something that we put our blood, sweat and tears into—especially this album, because of all the legal issues.

“We’re not just a flash in the pan.”

The ‘N Sync guys are proud of themselves because they’re responsible for the success of “No Strings Attached.” Details of the agreement were not announced, but the band extricated itself from contracts with manager Lou Pearlman and record company Trans-continental. “I don’t think it leaves us bitter. I think it leaves us more aware of everything that’s going on,” Chassez said. “And that it is a music business and not the music fun-time.”

While the band members don’t sound bitter about the experience, they do go out of their way to make it clear that Pearlman’s only involvement in their success was as a financial backer. And they are at least a bit peeved that people think Pearlman guided their career the way he’s shown guiding the careers of the made-for-TV group in ABC’s “Making the Band.”

“When it comes to stuff like that, that’s when we get a little irritated and upset,” Chassez said. “We had to do it all ourselves. We didn’t have anybody there saying, ‘OK, now I’m going to get you a vocal coach.’ We basically had somebody saying, ‘Now, here’s the money. If you guys can do this, let me know.’”

“Lou had a major role in the very beginning,” Bass said. “He was our first supporter. He was the one who put the money behind us. When we wanted to start this group, he knew that we were serious. And so we basically did it with his money.”

On the other hand, Trans Continental “really didn’t support us,” Bass added. “We were kind of the red-haired stepchild there....They just kind of disappeared and really had no role anymore. That’s the reason we got rid of them.”

Oh, they’re also proud of their first album, although they had little creative control. “With the second album, we left the record company and did it independently. That was just us.” Bass said. “We wrote half the album. It’s our baby and we’re very proud of it.”

And it’s not just the album they had control over, it’s the tour as well.

“If we fall on our face, at least we’ll know it’s us falling on our face,” Chassez said. “We pretty much grab the bull by the horns at this point, musically and visually. Our show is our show.”

Band members promise that their longtime fans won’t be disappointed but should expect to see bigger and better things from them.

“We will look a little bit smaller to some of the people in the audience,” Fatone joked about the tour, which is booked mainly into football stadiums. (They recently drew 60,000 to the Rose Bowl, the largest concert in that venue’s history.)

“We just want people to get their money’s worth. WE want people walking away from our shows amazed,” Chassez said.

The past three years of ‘N Sync’s career can be summed up in their Salt Lake appearances alone. In 1998, they appeared at the Fairpark, performing in front of a few thousand fans to pre-recorded tracks. In 1999, they sold out the Delta Center with an impressively mounted show.

And in 2000, they’re back in a 45,000-seat football stadium, which is a different experience for the band as well as the fans.

“It just looks like a sea of people,” Chassez said. “I know it sounds like a cliche, but it’s amazing. You can feel the wave coming all the way from the back to the front of the audience. It’s indescribable, but the energy in a place like that is amazing—that that many people came out to party with you, basically.”

And, while their success may seem to be of the overnight variety, the guys point out that they’ve been together for six years and struggled for the first three.

“We’ve done shows...at high schools. We’ve just sung the national anthem at the Magic games or any baseball games in the area,” Kirkpatrick said. “It really blows us away to see it go from something that small to doing stadiums. It’s just an amazing feeling. When we’re in the small arenas, it’s very intimate and we feel very close to the audience. When we’re in the large arenas, we draw from the whole excitement and it almost feels like a giant intimacy...taking the whole mass and making it one giant thing and drawing off from it.”

‘N Sync spent a month in rehearsals before taking the show on the road—a show mounted on an enormous stage complete with pyrotechnics, flying stunts and what the guys call “gags” specifically designed to accompany each song.

“It’s going to be a good show, I can guarantee it,” Fatone said.

“This tour is going to be physically exhausting,” Chassez said. “I think everybody who watches the show, they’re going to walk away amazed but they’re going to walk away tired. And that includes the fans because it’s such a high-energy show....It’s such a wild show.”

MTV Music Awards 2000 info..

MTV awards return to Radio City
The MTV "Video Music Awards" are set to return to the newly restored
Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The 17th annual ceremony will be
broadcast live from the venue on September 7. Salli Frattini and Dave
Sirulnick will once again serve as executive producers and Alex Coletti
will return as producer. The award nominees will be announced in July.

Craig Kilborn dissed *NSYNC

In his opening monologue, he goes, "no one showed up at the gay pride march because they were all at the nsync concert. meanwhile nsync were not at the concert, they were at the gay pride march."

Top Of The Pops Magazine - June '00

The Last Straw

Always one to keep a cool exterior, what would it take for JUST 'NSYNC to really lose his rag? TOTP investigates!



You spend all evening on your hair making it perfect for the Grammys. You step outside and it's raining. Annoyed?

That happens to me every day! You know, believe it or not, it takes me, like, two seconds to do my hair! I just dump some crap on it and it does what it does. Lately it's just been, like, everywhere. I used to try to straighten my hair when I was younger and that was a big mistake! It just can't be done!

Disney invite you back for a TV special. When you arrive they want you to dress up as Goofy...

Ha! I guess that wouldn't bother me because no one would see me under the suit. I think when you're around Disney you get in the Disney mood. We did a Sesame Street episode and we thought it was gonna be kinda strange, but when you were on the street talking to the puppets it was all so cheesy, you just felt cheesy. You felt like singing a cheesy song! So I'm sure I'd just get in the spirit of things.

JC gets invited to do a duet with Janet Jackson - that must strike a nerve...

Woah! That's major. I'd be kinda jealous. I wouldn't be angry though. I'd try and be happy for him but hey, I'd just do one with Michael Jackson instead!

A fan's mum comes up and asks you to sign an autograph for her sickly daughter. Then she says, "Thanks Brian, we love the Backstreet Boys!"

Ha ha! I think the daughter would be more upset and embarrassed than me. You know what's funny? I had this girl come up to me in the airport and say she was such a big fan. The she said, 'You're that guy from Cruel Intentions right?' I just laugh about it but that's who I really get mistaken for. I have to say though, when I saw the movie, I realised we do look quite similar.

Your support act gets a better reaction on tour than you do. That would put your nose out of joint - right?

No, I don't think so. It's hard to imagine that would happen because you go to see the main act. But if they did, well, good luck to them.

Hmm, OK. One of Five says you can't dance?

Ha ha! Well, let's have a dance contest and sort it out, once and for all.

Actually Justin, some of Five really did say you guys couldn't dance!

What?! They really said that? Five said that we couldn't dance? Well, hey guys, let's put your money where your mouth is! At least we sing live and dance!

This must surely annoy you: Someone insults your mum?

That's crossing the line. My mum is very special to me so anybody that disrespects my Mum, I would probably be very, very mad.

Someone takes the Lord's name in vain...

Oh man! If anyone does that around me I come down on it majorly. It's something that's important to me and I expect people to respect that. So that really would be the last straw!
(Feathers have definitely been ruffled here, readers!)

 

Mcdonalds Commercial

Britney Spears and 'NSYNC made a quick trip to Vancouver last weekend to shoot a McDonald's commercial, much to the delight of about 200 unsuspecting schoolkids who had been chosen as extras.

According to production manager Christian Allen, the casting call went out shrouded in secrecy, and most of the extras, aged six to 14, did not know they'd be seeing the performers until the curtain dropped to reveal Spears at the start of the shoot.

The production had originally been scheduled for Los Angeles, but last-minute union issues saw it move to a suburban Vancouver location. A McDonald's franchise in Surrey, British Columbia, was shut down from Thursday to Sunday as crews built a stage behind the restaurant in the shadow of its golden arches.

During the mock performance, which was staged on Saturday, Spears lip-synced her current hit, "Oops!... I Did It Again," while 'NSYNC did the same to its previous single, "Bye, Bye, Bye."

A spokesperson for the production company Flying Tiger Films told MTV News that the performers were flown in to Vancouver via private planes on Friday following 'NSYNC's performance in Pasadena. The group, who played Oakland, California on Sunday, will return to Vancouver for a concert June 14.

Security at the shoot was extremely tight, and the few members of the media who managed to find the set were kept at arms' length. Freelance photographer Jeff Vinnick told MTV News that he paid the resident of a house next door to the restaurant $300 to allow him to shoot from the balcony, which overlooked the high fences that had been erected around the set. He was soon spotted by the production crew, and according to Vinnick, the crew suspended the operation until a crew member could be dispatched to offer the home owner more money to ask the photographer to leave.

There's no word as yet as to when the commercial will be aired.

LATEST NEWS

Home video
*NSYNC's 2nd official home video is set to be released on October 10th, 2000.

Justin And Britney Not Together

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are neither engaged nor married. The story, Spears' spokesperson says, is completely without merit. Sources in Spears' camp tell launch that as Britney was performing, her crew decorated her tour bus by tying cans to strings and attaching them to the rear end, topping it all off with a "JUST MARRIED" sign! Timberlake was at the Detroit shows, but there's no word on whether or not he knew of the crew's PRANK.

NSYNC's movie will be called "Why Can't I Be You"
According Joey in the latest issue of TWIST mag: "The five of us are going to be doing a movie in August with Tom Hank's film company, Playtone. The movie is called Why Can't I Be You. It's a high school, American Pie-ish kind of thing. We're not playing ourselves, and there are other people in it as well. it's gonna be fun." (OMG America Pie-ish? What the hell?"

*NSYNC CD to be available at McD's
This summer, McD's will offer customers three new CDs featuring popular Jive Records artists Britney Spears, *NSYNC and Joe as well as other major recording label artists such as Sisqo and Carlos Vives.

IGBM shoots to #1 on the charts!
*NSYNC's IGBM CD single was only released in the US one week ago and already the single has shot up the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart earning it the the title of the 'Greatest Gainer in Sales' this week.

 

'Nsync's NYC Week

Whew! 'Nsync had quite a week in the Big Apple, and it wasn't just those four sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden that kept them busy. Here, a recap of their New York reign:

Tuesday, July 25

MTV Video Music Awards press conference
The guys joined Carson Daly and the Wayans Brothers to announce the nominees for this year's awards, which take place on September 7. 'Nsync received six nominations, tying with boy-band spoofer Eminem for leader of the pack.

Press conference at FAO Schwarz to announce the new 'Nsync marionettes
We thought it was NO strings attached! Justin, Chris, Lance, Joey and JC gathered at the midtown toy emporium to launch their new line of puppets.

Performance at Madison Square Garden
Tuesday night was the first of four digital getdowns at the Garden.

Savage Garden party at Lotus
The New York Post reports that the fab five did some post-show partying with Jay-Z, Serena Altschul (who was sporting a new cornrow-and-weave-'do) and Sony Music honcho Tommy Mottola at the new NYC hotspot Lotus. They were also at a party honoring the men of Savage Garden. And word has it that Justin was joined by none other than Britney Spears, who spent a couple off-tour days with Mr. Timberlake.

Wednesday, July 26

Chris Kirkpatrick Child Watch press conference
Chris Kirkpatrick held a press conference at New York's Essex House hotel to announce his involvement in the Child Watch organization. He will serve as spokesman for the group, which helps prevent abductions and provides investigative assistance to the parents of missing children.

Soundcheck party at Madison Square Garden
'Nsync invited a group of underprivileged children to watch their soundcheck and hang out with the guys before the show.

Performance at Madison Square Garden
Night two in their four-night stand at the Square Circle. How do they maintain all that energy? Perhaps Lance goes for a sugar rush: The Post reports that his dressing room was equipped with a case of Mike's Hard Lemonade and a whopping five dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. He likes them so much, in fact, that he's opening his own doughnut shop in Orlando!

Chaos at Chaos?
The New York Post's infamous Page Six column reports that Britney Spears -- who showed up at the club Chaos at 2 a.m. with Justin Timberlake and entourage -- was none too pleased when a tourist tried to take a photo of her in the ladies' room. Her handlers ousted the pushy picture-seeker. While the woman claimed Britney was "drunk and belligerent," the club says that La Spears was drinking nothing stronger than cranberry juice.

Thursday, July 27

Performance at Madison Square Garden
'Nsync spent Thursday preparing for their show that evening, which was broadcast as a super-hyped special live on HBO.

Friday, July 28

"Today" performance
Attendance records were shattered on Friday morning when 'Nsync took the stage bright and early as part of the Today show's Friday concert series. Over 10,000 people descended upon Rockefeller Plaza to see 'Nsync perform, beating the previous record of 6,000 for Britney Spears' recent performance.

Challenge for the Children press conference
'Nsync were joined by Ananda Lewis, Pink, Donell Jones, New York Knick Erik Strickland and others as they held a press conference at Planet Hollywood to talk about Saturday's Challenge for the Children basketball game. It wasn't a love-fest, though: Ananda, who brought along her new puppy in her purse (Justin called it their team's "mascot"), claimed that she wanted to "check Lance hard" on the court.

Performance at Madison Square Garden
After one VERY long day, 'Nsync wrapped up their Garden run with another sold-out set.

Saturday, July 29

Challenge for the Children basketball game
To cap off their whirlwind week in New York, 'Nsync held their second annual Challenge for the Children celebrity basketball game at St. John's University in Queens. Challenge for the Children is an organization that 'Nsync established to benefit various children's charities. Charities that benefitted this year were the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women, Camp Good Days, Child Watch, Nordoff-Robbins Foundation and, of course, The Justin Timberlake Foundation.
The boys didn't perform... they opted instead to focus their energy on the court. Chris and Justin were joined by Beverly Mitchell, Fat Joe, Ananda Lewis, Johnny Wright and more on the Daze team; the Knights consisted of Joey, JC, Lance, Kelly Price, Pink, Jordan Knight (how appropriate!), basketball great Isaiah Thomas and friends. Most 'Nsyncers opted for nicknames on their jersey: Chris was Tricky, Justin was Tennman, Joey was Phat One, JC was Shazan (was that supposed to be Shazam?) and Lance was, well, Lance.
The Daze were leading at the half, boasting 23 points to the Knights' 18. The halftime show wasn't your standard cheerleader fare; guests Eve and Jay-Z looked on as the crowd was entertained by R Angels, Josh Keaton, 95 South, Youngbloodz, Peter Gunz (minus partner Lord Tariq) and Pink, who explained her lack of basketball skills by telling the crowd, "I promise I sing better than I play ball!"
Things got physical in the second half; Queen Latifah bowled over Isaiah Thomas and the benches were cleared when Chris Kirkpatrick got into a brawl with Knights coach Erik Strickland. In the end, the Daze held onto their lead and beat the Knights 41-35.

 

Britney and Nsync in Rio?

'NSYNC and Britney Spears are heading south, far south, to headline Brazil's third annual Rock In Rio For A Better World.

Spears and the teen pop firm of Fatone, Timberlake, Bass, Chasez, and Kirkpatrick will jet to Rio De Janeiro early next year for the weeklong music festival, which kicks off on January 12, 2001.

Brazilian acts Fernanda Abreu, Pato Fu, and Funk 'N Lata have also been confirmed for Rock In Rio, and a total of 98 bands from around the world are expected to play the festival.

This time around, AOL is backing the fete, which has expanded its title from "Rock In Rio" to the more charitable "Rock In Rio For A Better World." Proceeds from the 2001 event will benefit educational projects from Viva Rio, a preeminent social services organization in Rio helping 11,000 young people.

A staff of 3,000 workers is being brought on to accommodate the roughly 1.5 million people that organizers are expecting over the seven days of the festival. Concertgoers will find more than 40 hours of music each day spread across three stages.

Tickets for the event will go on sale in October, and organizers are hoping to reach close to 1 billion people in 50 countries through various TV licensing deals.

Justin and Britney Clubbin Together? From Tvguide.com

Pop princess Britney Spears had a camera-toting tourist tossed out of downtown NYC hotspot Chaos early yesterday morning.

Spears's security detail sprang into action when Kathryn Anderson, of Miami, snapped a paparazzo-style pic of the teen temptress with a glass in her hand.

Within seconds Anderson, 31, says she was surrounded by Spears's beefy bodyguards, who gruffly demanded that the out-of-towner cough up the camera.

Anderson says she refused, and was escorted out by Spears's handlers. Anderson says she first tried to snap a picture of Spears in the ladies' room, but the normally sweet-as-sugar songbird snapped at her.

"She was drunk and belligerent," Anderson claimed to Page Six. But club reps say that Spears, 18, drank only soda and juice.

"She said to me, 'I don't want any pictures... I don't look good enough right now.' That made me mad, so I followed her out to the club and took another picture of her with a drink in her hand."

Spears, clad in a white lace top, tight blue jeans and sultry black eye makeup, showed up at 2 am with beau Justin Timberlake of 'N Sync, her brother Bryan, singer Jive and two bodyguards.

The Britney brigade declined to hang in the upstairs VIP room and instead took over a large banquette in the downstairs "Portrait Room," alongside the club's Wednesday night promoters and pals Kiki, Dimitri and Unik.

Chaos spokesman Ron Alan says the club served Spears cranberry and sodas all night and Timberlake, 19, who danced up a storm with his busty beau, guzzled nothing stronger than bottled water. "If Britney was drinking, she wasn't doing it at Chaos," Alan says.

The club's security director, Frank McHugh, said Spears and other underage clubgoers must wear a pink neon bracelet, which bars them from drinking booze.

"It's bright," he said. "You wouldn't mistake it for a Harry Winston bracelet." Brazilian stunner Giselle Bundchen, 19, has also sported the accessory.

Spies tell us a bottle of Absolute vodka was being passed around at Britney's banquette, but no one saw her partake.

"She seemed fine and was very graceful to our staff," Alan said. "She had a great time dancing with Justin and didn't leave until 3:30 am. From what we can tell, her good-girl reputation is still intact."

An Engaging Mishap With Justin & Johnny
From www.thirsty.com   Our thirsty sources have just given us a new twist on the ongoing (and often annoying) Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. According to our sneaky sleuths, the origin of the entire engagement marriage rumor came from a trip that Justin took to a jewelry store with his manager [Johnny Wright] who was allegedly ring shopping for his girlfriend [now fiancé].
   When they left the store, the jewelry store owners assumed the ring was for Britney and began spreading the rumor. According to the morning disc jockeys on Q102 radio, one of their staff members was sitting behind Justin's manager and his fiancé at a recent award ceremony, and overheard Justin's mom commenting on how beautiful the ring was. "Oh, this is nice, but it's a shame it caused my son so much trouble, though." No official word on if this is true, but we here at www.pop.thirsty.com to make sure you know everything."

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