‘NSYNC‘s long-awaited reunion a at the VMAs had fans, including A-listers like Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga, screaming with delight.
For almost a decade, the five members held different opinions about whether they would ever grace the stage together again. But with one phone call from Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award winner Justin Timberlake, they got the group together again.
Now, fans might be wondering how the reunion came together. So MTV News spoke to JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick to get the inside scoop on it. Here are five secrets behind ‘NSYNC’s VMA reunion!
Two Cities, Five Guys And A Reunion
The fivesome didn’t just rehearse their portion of Timberlake’s epic performance in NYC, but also headed to Florida, the same state they formed in, to rehearse. “We were rehearsing at the Fillmore in Miami last week. Justin really wanted it to be a secret and he wanted it to try and be as quiet as possible ’cause he wanted it to be this moment,” Chris recalled. “We tried to keep it as secretive as we could.” Chasez added, “The main thing is just how quickly it came together; it came together just within a matter of days. It started with a phone call just a few days before the VMAs basically. [The rehearsals were] very relaxed, a lot of jokes being passed around at each other’s expense, but again, it was fun.”
Mic Check!
Despite the band not saying anything prior to last Sunday, when an official Twitter account was opened in the band’s name on Saturday, that’s when fans really began to prepare for the rumored reunion. “I’m not sure about the Twitter. I think somebody from our old management started it and I think Lance [Bass] got on it and started doing the little hype thing,” Chris said.
“The only real issue we had was keeping it a secret. The performance aspect, all that stuff, comes naturally to us. The toughest thing was to eventually not let it leak and we didn’t actually do a great job of that,” JC laughed about having to stay mum about the big reveal.
Kickin’ it Old School
Any good ‘NYSNC fan can tell you that the guys love a good game of hacky sack, so they decided to get back into the groove for the VMAs with a rollicking game. “We had already been in rehearsals for two or three days so that was more for laughs more than anything else,” JC said. “We had already found our rhythm. It was more the goofy things we used to and we kind of make fun of it but at the same time we decided to have fun and do it again.”
“We were backstage and we got a hacky like old times. I drove home, had the day off, and I went up into my cabin in this little baseball case this hacky sack we used to use when we were on tour,” Chris said. “I grabbed it and I was like ‘I think we should all get another hacky.’ It was another fun moment with us.”
The Set List
While Timberlake belted a slew of his solo cuts, “Bye Bye Bye,” “Girlfriend” and “Gone” were hand-selected for ‘NSYNC’s part. “Well, we knew we had to do ‘Bye Bye Bye.’ I think Justin really wanted to do ‘Gone’ and ‘Girlfriend.’ It was really his decision. We were just happy to be there,” Chris said. “Those were some of our favorites.”
JC shared: “I thought they were the most appropriate for the performance. I thought those three songs, it fit what he was doing in a good way. It wasn’t distracting from what he was trying to accomplish from his overall performance. Right place, right time, right thing.”
After-Party Chalupas
Timberlake may have wanted a drink post-show, but the guys also found another way to party post-performance. Chris dished, “After the performance, we all went and had a little get-together at a Mexican place. Then afterwards, my fiancée and I hopped in the car with him and Jess[ica Biel] and pretty much stayed out all night with them, went back to their apartment, just talked all night.”
JC noted that while ‘NSYNC may have caused a stir, the night was about JT. He said, “I liked being there for my friend and I liked seeing everybody have a good time. When your friend says, ‘Hey, man, I’d love to do this with you,’ I’m happy to do it.”
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