Maps of Music

*NSYNC (1997)

Where the lyrics of *NSYNC take you, and where it was really made.

This debut came out in Germany first, and the international version cut five of its tracks.

Key places

Stockholm sessions for the debut (1997)

Recording site Cheiron Studios — The group was sent to Stockholm around July–August 1996 to begin the debut album with producers Denniz Pop, Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson. Cheiron Studios is listed as the recording location. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• NSYNC: debut studio album by American boy band NSYNC
• First released in Germany on 26 May 1997 by Trans Continental Records
• International release on 24 March 1998 by RCA Records
• Reached number one on the Offizielle Top 100 in Germany
• Includes the singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart"
• Has since sold over 15 million copies worldwide

Background

• In 1995, Chris Kirkpatrick met Lou Pearlman to talk about forming a pop group
• Pearlman offered financing if Kirkpatrick found other young male singers
• Justin Timberlake, Joshua "JC" Chasez and Joey Fatone joined the group in turn
• Jason Galasso was first chosen as bass singer and fifth member but dropped out at the last minute
• Lance Bass, a 16-year-old from Mississippi, flew to Orlando to audition and was accepted at once
• Early songs resembled Boyz II Men, but the group changed its sound for the European dance market
• Denniz Pop was drawn to Robyn's sound and combined R&B vocals with pop tracks

Recording

• Demos were recorded in closets; these became "Sailing" and "Giddy Up"
• The group was offered a session at Shaquille O'Neal's house in Orlando after he heard them sing the national anthem
• The band also recorded in producer Veit Renn's studio, which used mattresses for soundproofing
• The group signed with BMG Ariola Munich and was sent to Stockholm around July–August 1996
• Producers on the debut included Denniz Pop, Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich.
• Original members: Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, and Lance Bass.
• The name came from Timberlake's mother's remark on how "in sync" their voices were.

Members

• JC Chasez (melody/1st tenor), Justin Timberlake (melody/2nd tenor), Chris Kirkpatrick (countertenor), Joey Fatone (baritone), Lance Bass (bass).

Career

• Debut album NSYNC (1997) succeeded in Europe before entering the American market with "I Want You Back".
• No Strings Attached (2000) sold a record 2.42 million copies in its first week in the US.
• Celebrity (2001) debuted with 1,879,955 copies in its first week.
• Went on indefinite hiatus in 2002 after Timberlake's departure; reunited occasionally from 2013 onward.
• Released "Better Place" in 2023 for the film Trolls Band Together and reunited with Timberlake for a 2024 appearance.
• Has sold over 70 million records and is among the best-selling boy bands of all time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Sales were mediocre in both the British and American markets at first
• Sales rose sharply after the Disney Channel in Concert special aired in 1998
• The UK version was released on 5 July 1998
• The UK version added the new track "U Drive Me Crazy", written for the British market
• "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart" charted in both the UK and the US

Reappraisal

• Ranked 137th best album of all time on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time
• Sold over 15 million copies worldwide, a figure the article gives as 15,540,000

Records

• Billboard 200 debut at number 82, week of 11 April 1998, with about 14,000 units
• Peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 on 10 October 1998, and stayed on the chart for 109 weeks
• Spent a total of 30 weeks in the top 10
• Three weeks at number 2 from September 1998 to January 1999
• Fifth best-selling record of 1998 in the US, with 4,400,000 copies (Nielsen SoundScan)
• RIAA certified ten times platinum on 5 January 2000, for ten million shipments
• US Diamond certification; 9,854,000 copies in the US per Nielsen Music (as of March 2015), plus 1.5 million at BMG Music Club (early 2003)
• UK debut and peak at number 30 in July 1999, with three weeks on the chart

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Lance Bass was 16 when he auditioned in Orlando and was accepted into the group immediately.
• "Sailing" and "Giddy Up" began as demos recorded in closets.
• The international version cut five tracks, including "Riddle" and "Forever Young", and new mixes were recorded.
• "I Just Wanna Be with You" contains portions of "Family Affair", written by Sly Stone.
• The Disney Channel in Concert special, aired in 1998, is the point when album sales took off.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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