*NSYNC reunion at the 2023 VMAs – The Hollywood Reporter
NSYNC reunited at the 2023 VMAs to announce the Best Pop winner.
Nicki Minaj introduced the band, which consists of Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, during the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday night, calling their reunion an “iconic moment.” When they took the stage, they left the audience and other celebrities like Taylor Swift in complete shock.
“We were just kids over 20 years ago when we won Best Pop Video for ‘Bye Bye Bye,'” they said. “It was our first VMAs and it meant a lot to us. This award is a validation of our hard work.”
They continued: “A lot has changed in the last two decades, but one thing remains constant: a creative, boundary-pushing video leaves a lasting mark for decades. Now we just wanted to say thank you, MTV and especially all of you.”
NSYNC then awarded the night’s first prize for Best Pop, which went to Taylor Swift for “Anti-Hero.” Other nominees for the award included Demi Lovato for “Swine”, Dua Lipa for “Dance The Night (From Barbie The Album)”, Ed Sheeran for “Eyes Closed”, Miley Cyrus for “Flowers”, Olivia Rodrigo for “Vampire” and Pink for “TRUSTFALL”.
As Swift approached them on stage, she still couldn’t believe what she saw. “I don’t feel comfortable deviating from that [NSYNC reunion]in addition [winning best pop]said the singer. “As if I had your dolls. …Are you doing something? What will happen now? They’re going to do something and I need to know what it is. You guys are pop personified, so to have this out of your golden pop hands is really too much.”
NSYNC dominated the music industry in the late ’90s and early 2000s with hits like “Bye Bye Bye,” “It’s Gonna Be Me” and more. They also scored one No. 1 song and six Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.
The 2023 VMAs aired live from the Prudential Center in New Jersey on Tuesday. The full list of winners can be found here.
