Gone by 'N Sync

When ‘N Sync broke on the scene with hits like “I Want You Back” the Backstreet Boys had already started the boy band resurgence of the 1990s.



To me and many others, ‘N Sync was simply another copy cat group trying to cash in on the trend that the Backstreet Boys had started. ‘N Sync’s first album, wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t nearly as good as Backstreet Boys first album. When the Backstreet Boys released Millennium in 1997 with the monster hit “I Want It That Way” it seemed clear that the Backstreet Boys had set the standard for what boy bands were and could achieve. ‘N Sync returned the next year with No String Attached which was a great success selling millions of copies however Millennium sold more selling more than 13 million copies.

It seemed that the Backstreet Boys had won this round but the next one would change everything. The Backstreet Boy’s next album Black & Blue released in 2000 sold a record breaking 1.6 million copies in the first week of sales. The following year, “N Sync surpased them with Celebrity selling 1.9 million copies in the first week breaking new sales records.

Yes, sales are everything. Just because something sells more doesn’t mean its better. However in this case, the sales reflected the future of popular music. Black & Blue was an album that didn’t look forward or reflects modern trends. It was the work of an artisan creating something that he knew he could sell, doing a fantastic job creating his product but not taking any chances. The biggest song off of this album “Shape of My Heart” reflects this which is basically a rehash of “I Want It That Way.”



‘N Sync’s first single “Pop” from Celebrity was a fresh sounding commentary on institution of the American celebrity utilizing distorted vocal stuttering effects.



It was at this time that people became to notice one of ‘N Sync’s members transformed from a cute boy that pre-teen girls screamed to one of the most important voices in popular music: Justin Timberlake.

Justin’s processed voice on “Pop” had a intense style, and infectious energy but it was the following single “Gone” that established Timberlake as a force to be reckoned with.

“Pop” may talks about the glory of pop music but “Gone” exemplifies it.



“Gone” exists within the canon of popular music reflecting the greatest and most important influences in popular music, melding them into a single piece of popular art. The introspection of “Yesterday” the first great pop ballad, combined with a hip-hop beat that has no business being used at them tempo combined to create a sparse yet effective texture. With silences throughout the song, this sense of loss, something being gone comes clear through.

While the acoustic guitar combines with synthesized strings, the backup singers harmonize and respond with Motown style harmony. Right front center is Justin Timberlake channeling the pop styling of Michael Jackson and the grit of Sam Cooke.

Earlier I've did a post about Sexyback (which I made plenty of jokes about) and it's amazing to see how far Justin Timberlake has gone. There have been boy bands throughout popular music history and most of them are simply a flash in the pan but every once in a while a boy band breaks the mold. Every once in a while an artist comes out of a group and changes popular music.

'N Sync proved to the world that any stereotypes or expectations we place on boy bands are truly gone.

. . . and Thank God, because it was really rough there for a while without sexy before Justin brought it back.