Taylor Swift called it when she accepted the VMA for Best Pop from the members of *NSYNC earlier this week. She insisted that the reunion of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick must mean that new music was coming from the ‘90s heartthrobs, and she was right. The boy band is releasing its first new music in 20 years with “Better Place,” which will appear in the upcoming movie Trolls Band Together, and while *NSYNC fans are most assuredly excited for some new dirty pop, what’s really gotten them talking is Chasez’s real name.
*NSYNC’s reunion at the MTV Video Music Awards caused quite a stir with Will Smith and a slew of other celebrities, but the reaction to JC Chasez’s post on X that showed the band members’ VMA passes drew some hilarious reactions from fans. Who knew JC’s real first name was Joshua? See for yourself:
pic.twitter.com/IgD222qUwOSeptember 13, 2023
I’m sure back in 1998, when my friends and I had the *NSYNC *N the Mix VHS on repeat, perfecting the dance to “I Want You Back” and arguing over which boy-bander was our favorite, I had to have known JC Chasez was actually Joshua Scott Chasez. But time must have erased that from my memory, because I was just as bemused as the other fans who were learning this for the first time. Some reactions included:
- I was today years old when I found out JC’s name is Joshua. – itsmetiffanyb
- Dude...your name is Josh?! How did I not know this! – prwithrp
- You’re telling me your name is JOSHUA – KimmyNegron
- Joshua... I can't believe I never knew that🤦🏽♀️ – 1_jazzymom
Clearly, however, some fans have a better memory of that time period than others, because another reminded herself to allow grace for those who didn’t take their *NSYNC fandom to an obsessive level (those people exist?). This ‘90s kid tweeted:
Tonight taught me that some people don't know JC Chasez is Joshua Scott Chasez and then I remembered that not everyone made an *NSYNC scrapbook when they were 11 years old and bought every single magazine or book or random *NSYNC paraphernalia they could find.
The badges themselves were also baffling, with Joey Fatone, Lance Bass and Chris Kirkpatrick being identified as member of *NSYNC (although Fatone’s badge was missing the asterisk), while Justin Timberlake’s name was printed twice, and JC Chasez was referred to simply as “Artist.” One fan jested:
Justin Timberlake's job is Justin Timberlake 😂
As if the reunion and promise of at least one new tune wasn’t enough to tear up our Millennial hearts, the boy-banders went viral on TikTok by using a scene from Friends to tease that they were keeping a secret:
@justintimberlake 👀
♬ original sound - Life, Work Advice & Memes
While their reunion seems to just be for Justin Timberlake’s return as Branch for Trolls Band Together, many fans are holding out hope that a tour could be in the works. However, TMZ reports that no album or tour is happening at this time. We’ll just have to enjoy the Trolls threequel when it hits theaters on Friday, November 17. Be sure to check out our 2023 Movie Calendar to see what else is headed to the big screen for the rest of the year.
