The beloved ’90s boy band NSYNC, who last released new music in 2002, reunited on the VMAs stage to present Taylor Swift with the award for best pop video.
The 33-year-old pop star — who, as it turns out, is a longtime fan of the band — was flustered as she accepted the award, which was the first to be presented during the main show at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
Every NSYNC member — Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick — appeared on stage together after they were announced by host Nicki Minaj and, before she even won the VMA, Swift could barely contain herself at the sight of the long-awaited reunion.
“Hello VMAs. Over 20 years ago we were just kids when we won best pop video for ‘Bye Bye Bye,'” Timberlake said as the audience roared. “It was our first VMA and it meant the world to us — that award validated our hard work.”
The group went on to present “the unstoppable” Swift with the award for her “Anti-Hero” music video as the singer’s BFF Selena Gomez clapped in the crowd. The band also gifted Swift with beaded friendship bracelets.
The Midnights singer began her acceptance speech by saying that she was having a difficult time processing the reunion and the award at the same time. “I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this,” she said.
“I had your dolls,” she fangirled. “Like, are you doing something? What’s going to happen now … They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is.”
She continued, “You’re pop personified, so to receive this from your golden pop hands is really … it’s too much. Thank you for the friendship bracelets.”
With both her award and new bracelets in hand, the singer went on to thank her fans for allowing her to make music across genres. “I really love making pop music so thank you so, so much,” she concluded her speech.
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NSYNC were catapulted into pop stardom with their self-titled US debut album in 1998, following years of success internationally in Germany.
Throughout their tenure, they released three studio albums and a holiday LP, concluding with 2001’s Celebrity. By 2002, the band went on hiatus, and Timberlake began a successful solo career, with Chasez, Fatone, Kirkpatrick, and Bass exploring other avenues in film, music and television.
Over the years, the band has had few reunions. In 2013, the quintet teamed up once again to honour Timberlake and his Video Vanguard Award at the MTV VMAs.
Another reunion took place at Coachella in 2019 when Chasez, Fatone, Kirkpatrick and Bass made a surprise appearance during Ariana Grande’s headlining set.
