*NSYNC Just Broke The Internet With A Nostalgic Post That Has Fans In Stitches
They're literally tearin' up our hearts and souls.
Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock; Macrovector, Dean Drobot, and George Lovic via Canva The early 2000s ushered in an era of bubblegum pop and spiked, bleached tips, low-rise flares and butterfly clips. That sticky-sweet intersection of fashion and music was heightened by the widespread presence of teen magazines, featuring photospreads of whoever wore the crown for heartthrobs-of-the-moment.
Middle school girls papered their lockers with those photos. We dissected every angle of every jawline, debated the meaning behind half-smiles. We maybe even practiced kissing with those photos, pressing lip-glossed mouths to glossy paper.
There was nothing stronger than the unrelenting devotion of a teen girl to the boyband of the moment, and now it seems like that love is surging back for many millennial women.
*NSYNC broke the internet with a nostalgic post that has fans in stitches.
The 5 members of *NSYNC made the hidden teen hearts of 30-to-40-year-old women across the world beat faster when they recreated a scene from a photo they took at the height of their fame. The band posted a reel of themselves on Instagram, a move that shows they truly are millennial icons.
The short, sweet post was made on *NSYNC’s official Instagram. The clip started with JC Chasez and Lance Bass deep in conversation, and then the camera panned back to reveal Justin Timberlake in a light beige suit. He leaned over to shake Chris Kirkpatrick’s hand, who stood beside him. Then, Joey Fatone entered the frame, and it was on.
In an instant, as though it were part of their collective muscle memory, the members of *NSYNC crouched down in classic boy band formation, and struck a pose that’s now at least 20 years old. The reel ended with the original photo and, if you listen, you can hear hormonal squeals of joy, a noise none of us thought we’d ever make again.
“Who had us pose like that?” read the caption, gently poking fun at the early-aughts aesthetic that *NSYNC encapsulated.
*NSYNC fans freaked out at the photo recreation, showing just how much sway pop nostalgia has over the millennial crowd.
“Listen,” wrote one woman. “There is only so much we can take here before we LOSE IT.”
“Please go on tour while I still have moveable joints, please,” wrote someone else.
“This fills me with so much serotonin,” exclaimed one comment. “This heals my inner child,” stated another.
If typed words could shriek, the comments would have been screaming in unison — Reunion Tour.
*NSYNC did recently get back together for a night — not to sing, but to present an award at the MTV VMAs. Even Taylor Swift, current queen of pop, was completely starstruck.
When Justin, JC, Lance, Chris, and Joey walked out on stage, Swift jumped out of her chair and lifted her arms in victory, representing anyone who’s ever loved the members of a boy band who were never really boys to begin with.
So, now, the band is made up of middle aged men, which is totally cool, because their millions of teen girl fans grew up, too.
We have silver hair threaded through our ponytails, and the faint creases of age by the corners of our eyes. We have decades of emotional growth behind us. Still, nothing makes us feel quite as joyful as recalling such a pivotal part of our teen dream years.
Oh, one last thing. We also have big-girl jobs, with actual paychecks. We drive cars that don’t belong to our parents, and now, we have no curfew.
So, just say the word, *NSYNC. We’re ready for you.
Alexandra Blogier is a writer on YourTango's news and entertainment team. She covers celebrity gossip, pop culture analysis and all things to do with the entertainment industry.