'N Sync

'N Sync

BOYS TO MEN
'N Sync Cut Loose on No Strings Attached
Of all the challengers to the Backstreet Boys' squeaky-clean throne, it was 'N Sync who gave the pop princes a real run for boy-band supremacy with a multi-platinum debut and high-profile collaborations with everyone from Gloria Estefan to Alabama. But now the men from Orlando say they want out of the teen idol ghetto. On the appropriately titled NO STRINGS ATTACHED, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Joey Fatone return with an edgier sound that owes more to R&B and dance music than teen-pop. And as they revealed in a recent round-table discussion, their puppet days are over.

Question: Did you feel the pressure of the sophomore jinx with NO STRINGS ATTACHED?

Chris Kirkpatrick: There's always pressure because your second album's the one that establishes you. The first album's the one that people get to know you with.

Q: Are you excited about your Oscar nomination for "Music of My Heart" and about performing the song?

Lance Bass: We're very excited to be nominated for an Oscar. We never imagined that happening. It's one of those [events] that musicians always dream about going to. So it's going to be great. We love performing with Gloria Estefan. Every time we go on stage [together] there's always this magical moment that happens.

Q: How did the collaboration with Gloria Estefan come about?

LB: Gloria Estefan had a role in Music of My Heart, and she asked us to do the theme song with her. Diane Warren and David Foster wrote and produced the track. So we actually recorded the song with them before we even met Gloria. We met her for the first time when we did the video. That was a great opportunity because we knew it would broaden our markets to an older audience. I think we got a lot more respect because of that song.

Q: You worked with Alabama also.

LB: The Alabama track came about because they wanted to cover "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You." They asked if we would come in and do some background [vocals] with them too. We were on tour, but we stopped in to sing with them for a day. It was great, kind of like a jam session. The song was a huge hit for country radio.

Q: How did making this album differ from making the first?

LB: We had way more control than on the first album. We had no record label. It's actually [more of] the music that we like to listen to.

Q: What statement are you making with "Bye, Bye, Bye"?

Justin Timberlake: I think we needed something for the guys. "No Scrubs" and "Bills, Bills, Bills," came out and it was all about dissin' guys. And this song was a throwback at that. Nothing personal [to the ladies]. But it was cool to have a message like that and a dance song, because our other songs like "Tearin' Up My Heart" were about wanting the girl back. But this is like bye, bye, bye.

Q: You have referred to your new style and the direction of the album as "dirty pop."

JC Chasez: The sounds are a little bit dirtier. It's not as polished. Pop is always labeled as being cheesy. But people forget that pop is a very broad sound. It's not just bubble gum. Janet Jackson is pop. Madonna's pop. So you're looking at some very diverse artists -- Madonna especially. And we wanted to do something that was a little more in your face. So when you turn it up in the club, the whole place shakes. Politically, we're not just singing I love you, you love me. We've got some thoughts on what's going on around us right now.

Q: Why did you call your new album NO STRINGS ATTACHED?

CK: We wanted to show that we've been puppets on a string for a really long time now. All these other people have controlled our destiny. But this is the first album that we're going to come clean. Our heart and soul is in this album.

Q: What goals have the group set for this year?

JC: To be consistent. We want to prove to people that we're not a flash in the pan. There are a lot of one hit wonders. Luckily we've already overcome that barrier.

Q: You haven't really discussed your lawsuit with your former record label RCA. Why was this split necessary?

JC: We don't like to air our dirty laundry. We're artists and musicians. And people don't buy our albums because we're business people. We hope they want to listen to our music. We had to leave our label because we really had no choice. We tried to renegotiate a deal. But they didn't want to bend on the points that we wanted. And it was either stay [at RCA] and be in a deal we're unhappy with or make a change - and that's what we did. And luckily it worked out the way it did. Now everybody's happy.

Q: Was there anything that happened while you were recording that changed the direction of the album?

LB: We were going to release the album earlier, like March 11th. We were ready to go to press, and She'kspere [a producer] came to us last minute. He was like 'Wait a minute. I've got this song I want to do for you.' So we pushed the album back and recorded the track the next week. As it turns out, that song, "It Makes Me Ill," is my favorite song on the album.

Q: What artists were you listening to while recording NO STRINGS ATTACHED?

JT: It's been two years since we recorded our first album. So from that time to recording this album, we've listened to so many different types of music. And our taste differs from country to rock to rap. So, all the sounds kind of influenced us. In the past couple years, Lenny Kravitz came out with a great album. And so many good dance records came out. We wanted to bring all those new elements to our sound. And then you put our main style, which is vocal harmonizing, on top of that. It's made for something a little bit different and fresh for the new millennium.

Q: What dance artists do you really like?

JT: I like the Basic Black, BT, and Cassius. The Prodigy of course, is always brilliant. Then there's the Artful Dodger.

Q: What did you guys think of the MTV movie 2GE+HER movie on MTV?

JT: It was hilarious. We actually helped MTV and did a little bit of promotion for that movie. Nigel Dick directed the movie, and he directed the video for "Music of My Heart." A long time ago, they wanted to cast us for that movie. And then they asked us to do a cameo, but we didn't have time.

Q: Are you comfortable with the label "boy band?"

CK: No, we don't like it. When we first came out overseas, we had no idea about a boy band or anything like that. Then of course, a bunch of them started popping up. And the whole integrity of the vocal harmonies was lost because people were just trying to sell T-shirts and put the next big boy band out there. So [the media] started labeling us as a boy band too. We were hoping that we could get rid of [that label] when we came to the States. Because over here, you can't make it unless you earn respect.