Iconic boy-band NSYNC reunited for the first time in almost exactly a decade with a surprise appearance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards – leaving fans completely stunned.
Justin Timberlake, 42, JC Chasez, 47, Joey Fatone, 46, Lance Bass, 44, and Chris Kirkpatrick, 51, all took the stage at the VMAs to present the first award of the night – Best Pop, nearly a decade from their reunion performance at the 2013 VMAs.
The NSYNC appearance was revealed just hours before the show, and when they took the stage together, it caused pop icon Taylor Swift to leapt to her feet, completely stunned.
She was seen mouthing, ‘Are you joking?’ before covering her mouth in shock, as all five members took the stage – all donning tie-less suits of different cuts and colors.
Timberlake bowed to the crowd, who gave them a raucous ovation, as they showed a stunned Swift again…
Decade in waiting: 90s and 2000s pop group NSYNC reunited for the first time in almost exactly a decade with a surprise appearance at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards
Old times: NSYNC bandmembers Chris Kirkpatrick, Joshua ‘JC’ Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Justin Timberlake in 1999
Reunion: Justin Timberlake , 42, JC Chasez, 47, Joey Fatone, 46, Lance Bass , 44, and Chris Kirkpatrick, 51, all took the stage at the VMAs to present the first award of the night – Best Pop, nearly a decade from their reunion performance at the 2013 VMAs (above)
Stunned: The NSYNC appearance was revealed just hours before the show, and when they took the stage together, it caused pop icon Taylor Swift to leapt to her feet, completly stunned
‘Hello VMAs! Over 20 years ago we were just kids won Best Pop Video for Bye-bye bye. It was our first VMA it meant the world to us,’ Chasez said.
Kirkpatrick added, ‘That award validated our hard work and, well, we might have won again for Pop,’ before asking, ‘You guys remember that?’
Bass added, ‘A lot has changed in the past two decades, but the one thing that remains the same is that a creative boundary-pushing video leaves a lasting mark for decades.
Fatone said, ‘We just wanted to say thank you, MTV, and especially all of you guys. Thank you so much, each and each and every one of you, for supporting your favorite musical artists. Thank you guys.’
They presented the award for Best Pop, which Taylor Swift won for Anti-Hero, beating out Demi Lovato (Swine), Dua Lipa (Dance the Night), Ed Sheeran (Eyes Closed), Miley Cyrus (Flowers), Olivia Rodrigo (Vampire) and P!nk (Trustfall).
Timberlake announced the winner as, ‘The unstoppable Taylor Swift,’ as she took to the stage, giving each of the NSYNC members a hug, clearly still stunned, with Lance Bass even giving her a custom friendship bracelet.
‘I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this. I had your dolls. Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now? They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is,’ Swift said of group, presuming they are reuniting to announce another tour or album.
‘You guys are — you are pop personified so to receive this from your golden pop hands is… really, it’s too much. Thank you for the friendship bracelets,’ she added.
Reunion: While the group didn’t offer any details during the VMAs, it was announced in August that they were all reuniting on the upcoming film Trolls Band Together
Loving it: Fans of the band were stunned after watching the unexpected reunion, with some demanding they go on tour
20 years: ‘Hello VMAs! Over 20 years ago we were just kids won Best Pop Video for Bye-bye bye. It was our first VMA it meant the world to us,’ Chasez said
Thanks: Fatone said, ‘We just wanted to say thank you, MTV, and especially all of you guys. Thank you so much, each and each and every one of you, for supporting your favorite musical artists. Thank you guys’
Bracelet: Timberlake announced the winner as, ‘The unstoppable Taylor Swift,’ as she took to the stage, giving each of the NSYNC members a hug, clearly still stunned, with Lance Bass even giving her a custom friendship bracelet
Pivoting: ‘ I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this. I had your dolls. Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now? They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is,’ Swift said of group, presuming they are reuniting to announce another tour or album
Elevator: The group also shared a brief video of them all in an elevator before their show-stopping appearance
Say cheese: The band-members posed for photos backstage at the event on Tuesday
How it was: The NSYNC boys posed with an MTV Award back in their late ’90s glory days
‘I love making pop music, I love making pop music videos, I also love making country. I love slinking around different genres and the only reason I’m allowed to do that is because you, the fans, gave me the opportunity to do that,’ she said to applause.
‘It’s all just one big adventure and it’s all so much to challenge myself to make music that’s different than what I made last and I just love you for it. But I really love making pop music, so thank you so, so, so much,’ Swift concluded.
While the group didn’t offer any details during the VMAs, it was announced in August that they were all reuniting on the upcoming film Trolls Band Together.
Timberlake will return as Branch, with the other four members featured in acting roles as well, with their first song in 20 years – Take You To a Better Place – slated to be featured on the film’s soundtrack.’
The group also shared a brief video of them all in an elevator before their show-stopping appearance.
