#ThrowbackThursday: “Bye Bye Bye” By *NSYNC

By Craig Clizbe

This week iconic 90s and 2000s boy band *NSYNC is back in the news for a variety of different reasons. The first came on Tuesday when Deadline Hollywood reported that *NSYNC member Lance Bass will be executive producing a documentary telling the story of the group’s disgraced former manager, Lou Pearlman that will be distributed by YouTube Red.

The documentary currently has the working title of The Lou Pearlman Project. Joining Lance Bass in production is Craig Piligian’s Pilgrim Media Group. Piligian is best known for executive producing and creating The Ultimate Fighter, and American Chopper.

The Lou Pearlman Project details the story of the infamous mogul, Lou Pearlman,his remarkable successes as well as his controversial dark side that led to his tragic end while serving a 25-year prison sentence for multiple felony convictions. Pearlman is best known for managing not only *NSYNC, but also Backstreet Boys, O-Town, Take 5, among others.

Featured in the documentary are in-depth interviews with Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean and Nick Carter, former O-Town member Ashley Parker Angel and Aaron Carter. Lance will also be joined by his *NSYNC band mates, JC Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick. Also joining the *NSYNC conversation for the doc will be the two mothers of the group’s youngest members, Lance Bass and Justin Timberlake, Diane Bass and Lynn Bomar Harless.

Lance Bass Of *NSYNC Discusses The Group’s Rise To Fame And Legal Troubles With Lou Pearlman

From Lance Bass Is Walking On Air With The Story Of *NSYNC (2014)

Clizbeats Productions  

In other *NSYNC related news the group has been spending the week gearing up to receive their highly anticipated star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame. As we first reported back in March, *NSYNC will be honored with the 2,636th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Monday, April 30, 2018 at 11:30 a.m. PDT. The star will be dedicated in the category of Recording at 7080 Hollywood Boulevard near the corner of LaBrea. They join other boy bands at that location including: Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, New Kids On the Block, and New Edition.

On March 23^rd *NSYNC tweeted that guest speakers for the ceremony will included former MTV VJ, and current host of NBC’s The Voice, Carson Daly, as well as talk show host and friend to the group, Ellen DeGeneres.

To help celebrate the ceremony *NSYNC has recently launched the “Dirty Pop” Pop up shop, selling official brand new *NSYNC merchandise. In collaboration with merchandise and licensing partner, Epic Rights, visitors can expect to have first dibs on a limited inventory of official merchandise as well as immerse themselves in fun, engaging photo activations that pay homage to iconic visuals from the group’s career.  The experience will also feature authentic props, wardrobe, artwork and photography on display.  Admission to the Pop-Up will be free to the public.  The new line of high-quality branded apparel and accessories will also be made available online as of April 30^th.

The experience will be open at Cinematic Pictures located across from SWEET! at the Hollywood & Highland Center, 6801 Hollywood Blvd Ste 200A, Hollywood, CA 90028 from 12:00pm-8:00pm on April 28, 29, and May 1; and from 4:00pm-9:00pm on April 30.  For more information, visit www.NSYNC.com.

All five *NSYNC members, Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake are confirmed to be attending. During their time together as one of the most popular groups of the late 90s and early 2000’s, they sold over  70 million records worldwide. The group charted with a dozen singles, conquering Top 40, AC, Dance, Latin, Country and R&B charts.

While taking a look back at the group’s achievements together, I have decided to take a closer look at one of the most important songs in the group’s career, one that served as a turning point in the group’s image and opened the doors for the other success that followed. This week’s #ThrowbackThursday tells the story behind *NSYNC’s “Bye, Bye, Bye,” from their blockbuster album, No Strings Attached.

The story behind the song began in 1999 when the group’s future was in question. *NSYNC was fighting for their independence in a lengthy legal battle against their then-management and record label. *NSYNC began recording “Bye, Bye, Bye,” and other songs that made up No Strings Attached independently when fighting their infamous manager, Lou Pearlman, due to illicit corporate practices. As a result of this, the group lost support of management, as well as their then record label, RCA Records. *NSYNC intended to continue their career with their rival, Backstreet Boys’ label, Jive Records. Jive’s founder Clive Calder signed the group unofficially with the belief that their original contract with Pearlman’s Trans Continental and RCA/BMG would be ruled to be void in a court of law.

*NSYNC was allowed to record their parts of “Bye, Bye, Bye” by using Jive’s Battery Studios in New York City. The other aspects of the song’s production was done In Stockholm Sweden by songwriters and producers, Kristian Lundin, Andreas Carlsson, and Jake Schulz,e as part of the same team behind the early Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC music with Dennisz Pop, Cheiron Productions. Kristian Lundin had previously collaborated with *NSYNC for their 1998 hit, “Tearin’ Up My Heart” which was the group’s breakthrough hit in America. “Bye, Bye, Bye” was originally intended to be recorded by English boy band Five, but they rejected the song as they didn’t like it.

After several delays Jive Records was granted the right to release “Bye, Bye, Bye,” as the first official *NSYNC release from the label on January 11, 2000. After their very public legal battle, *NSYNC was allowed to move forward as a group and part ways with Pearlman and as a result also RCA/BMG.

“Bye, Bye, Bye,” was released as the first single from the group’s third album, No Strings Attached. (including their holiday album Home For Christmas) The song proved to be a massive commercial success. It peaked ay #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained in the Top 10 through May 20, 2000, for 12 weeks. More importantly “Bye, Bye, Bye” topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart on March 4, 2000 and stayed there for ten weeks, making it one of the songs with most weeks at number one on that chart. It became the most added pop single to radio of all time, being added to over 200 radio stations in the first week alone. The record was previously held by *NSYNC’s rivals turned Jive label mates, the Backstreet Boys^.

Lance Bass Of *NSYNC Discusses The Success Of Their Albums No Strings Attached And Celebrity

From Lance Bass Is Walking On Air With The Story Of *NSYNC (2014)

Clizbeats Productions  

That momentum helped launch *NSYNC’s album, No Strings Attached to massive record breaking success when it was released on March 21, 2000. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 album chart with first-week sales of 2.4 million copies, setting the record for one-week sales in the country. (a record they held for 15 years, until Adele surpassed the first-week sales record with her third album `25. In 2015) *NSYNC became worldwide superstars. No Strings Attached  eventually became the top album of the decade, selling over 13 million copies. So as *NSYNC gets ready to receive their star of The Hollywood Walk Of Fame, let’s take a look back at the song that made them the stars of the 2000’s,with this week’s #TBT, “Bye Bye Bye.”

Sneak peek boys! @NSYNC Made by our Startist Vince. pic.twitter.com/G4RfYVg0a4

— Ana Martinez (@wofstargirl) April 25, 2018

*NSYNC

“Bye Bye Bye”

From No Strings Attached 

Jive Records