Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC team up for epic Pride performance
AJ McLean, Nick Carter, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone also presented a cryptocurrency check for £1m in $TKINU tokens to LGBTQ youth nonprofit The Trevor Project
Words: Alastair James; pictures: RCA Records/Jive
Backstreet’s back, alright! Well, they never really went away, even scoring a number two US album in 2019…
But two members of the 90s boyband are, in a sense, back, and uniting with two members of *NSYNC to create what could be the biggest boyband mashup since McBusted.
Yes, ‘Back-SYNC’ are officially a thing. And it’s all in the name of Pride.
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Otherwise known as the BB’s AJ McLean and Nick Carter and *NSYNC’s Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, Back-SYNC took to the stage for the first time at LA’s The Grove last Friday.
The guys performed special renditions (including choreo) of *NYSYNC’s ‘Bye Bye Bye’ and BB’s ‘I Want It That Way’ for Bingo Under the Stars – an evening benefitting LGBTQ youth and suicide prevention nonprofit The Trevor Project and LA Pride.
Best of all? The foursome presented a cryptocurrency check for $1m in $TKINU tokens to The Trevor Project, according to Variety.
“An amazing cause”
Speaking to the outlet about the performance, AJ said: “This has been a long time coming. Everybody’s wanted us to do something together and now we get to come together for an amazing cause.”
And in regard to the possible return of Justin Timberlake, AJ added: “Fans still want a Backstreet/*NSYNC tour, but it’s got to be all 10 of us. It’s the only way to make it work, so I think he’d [Justin] be sleeping on it if he didn’t do it, but he’s a dad doing his thing and I completely respect that. This four is a dream team right now.”
“I finally feel validated”
A video shared to Nick’s TikTok account shows the guys rehearsing for the event. Unsurprisingly fans loved it with one asking: “Did yall just wake up one day and decide, lets break the internet.”
We’re guessing that’s how it worked.
@nickcarter Rehearsals for ##BackSync @lance @ajmcleanofficial @joeyfatone ##byebyebye How’d AJ and I do?
In another video, also uploaded to Nick’s TikTok, the guys are seen performing for real and executing the moves perfectly. One fan commented: “When I was a teen I refused to pick a side, and now at almost 40, I finally feel validated”
The Backstreet Boys are made up of Nick and AJ plus Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, and Kevin Richardson. Meanwhile, *NSYNC was comprised of Joey, Lance and Justin plus Chris Kirkpatrick and JC Chasez.
@nickcarter From rehearsals to the real thing. ##BackSync ##byebyebye ##tsukisavestheworld ##PrimeDayDealsDance @lance @ajmcleanofficial @joeyfatone
While the bands had a strong rivalry back in the 90s, we’re loving this new collaboration and fingers crossed for more Back-SYNC to come!
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