September 13, 2000
'N Sync Performs On Latin Grammy Awards Tonight
(9/13/00, 1 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync will debut "Yo Te Voy A Amar"--a Spanish version of their latest single, "This I Promise You"-- on the first Latin Grammy Awards, which will air from Los Angeles' Staples Center tonight (September 13) on CBS. The performance is scheduled to be followed by an 'N Sync duet with Puerto Rican salsa quartet Son By Four. The two groups will perform Son By Four's chart topping R&B ballad "A Puro Dolor" ("The Purest Of Pain").'N Sync's "Yo Te Voy A Amar" will be released in three versions--English, Spanish, and Spanglish--to all radio formats on September 18. Exactly one month later, Lance Bass, J.C. Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Justin Timberlake will kick off the second leg of their No Strings Attached tour on October 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 21-city tour will conclude in San Diego on December 1. Tickets for all dates will go on sale this Saturday (September 16). [launch]
September 1, 2000
'NSync Joins Son By Four For Latin Grammy Performance
Chart-topping boy band 'NSync will join Puerto Rican Salsa stars Son by Four for a performance at the inaugural Latin Grammy Awards, set for Sept. 13 in Los Angeles.The duet will consist of a bilingual version of 'NSync's new single, "This I Promise You/Yo Te Voy a Amar," along with Son by Four's "A Puro Dolor." The two groups join Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez as the only announced performers thus far (allstar, Aug. 25).
The awards, set to air live on the 13th from the Staples Center in L.A. on CBS from 9-11 p.m. EDT/PDT, will be co-hosted by Lopez, Estefan, Andy Garcia, and Jimmy Smits.
[all star] 'N Sync Joins Latin Grammy Awards
The boys of 'N Sync are turning bi — bilingual, that is. The quintet's debut television performance of the English-Spanish hit "This I Promise You/Yo Te Voy a Amar," from No Strings Attached, was announced today as one of two new entertainment highlights slated for the 1st Annual Latin Grammy Awards.Also joining previously announced performers Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan are Latin Grammy nominees Son by Four, performing their vocal salsa hit "A Puro Dolor." The Latin Grammy Awards, co-hosted by Lopez, Estefan, Andy Garcia, and Jimmy Smits, will be televised from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sept. 13 and seen internationally in more than 120 countries.
The Latin Grammy Awards span 40 key categories in a variety of Latin music genres. Heading up the list of nominees is producer Emilio Estefan Jr. and artist Carlos Vives, with six nominations each, followed by crossover sensation Marc Anthony and Latin songstress Shakira, each with five.
"The Latin Grammy telecast promises to offer a variety of performances by the industry's hottest artists," said Michael Greene, president of the Recording Academy in a statement today. "These performers speak to both a domestic and international audience and will help highlight the tremendous influence that Latin music has had on the entire artistic industry."
But not everyone agrees that the image projected by the Latin Grammy Awards reflects the full spectrum of contemporary Latin music. In an interview with the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinion, Gilberto Moreno, general manager of independent label Fonovisa, blasted the Awards, saying that they favored artists associated with powerful Sony Music over regional Mexican talents.
"This is a party between Emilio Estefan and Sony," he told the paper, adding that the Latin Grammy nominees "definitely don't represent Latin artists at all." No Mexican regional acts are nominated for any of the major prizes this year, nor are any Mexican regional artists slated to perform, even though sales by Mexican artists constitute about 60 percent of the U.S. Latin music market. [wall of sound]
August 17, 2000
'N Sync to pop into Corel Centre
Pop sensations 'N Sync have announced the next leg of their current tour, which includes a pair of Canadian dates.According to their official website nsync.com, the mega-selling uber-boy band will play 31 dates in 22 cities supporting their latest CD, No Strings Attached.
The tour includes an Ottawa stop Nov. 14 at the Corel Centre and a Toronto stop two days later at the SkyDome, the website reports. Thus far, no ticket information, on-sale date or lineup of opening acts is available.
[canoe]
'N Sync Visits Orlando, Florida
(8/17/00, 4 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync made an appearance at the Ronald McDonald House in their hometown of Orlando, Florida, on Wednesday (August 18), when the quintet was honored with a special 'N Sync-themed room dedicated in their honor.Group members Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, J.C. Chasez, and Chris Kirkpatrick signed the walls of the room and inspected its newly installed 'N Sync shower curtains. Hundreds of 'N Sync fans lining the streets outside the Ronald McDonald House looked on as Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood presented the group with the key to the city on the balcony of the facility.
In other 'N Sync news, group member Fatone is featured on Blaque's new single, "As Is," the first song off the soundtrack to the film Bring It On; Shamari Fears, Brandi Williams, and Natina Reed of Blaque also make cameo appearances in the film.
The Bring It On soundtrack is due out August 22 and features music from B*witched, PYT, 3LW, Atomic Kitten, 95 South, the Jungle Brothers, and others. The film Bring It On opens in theaters nationwide on August 25.
-- Jason Gelman, New York [launch]
New 'N Sync Single, 'This I Promise You,' Due September 18
(8/17/00, 6 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync will release a third single, "This I Promise You," from its nine times platinum album No Strings Attached on September 18. The track will be released in English, Spanish ("Yo Te Voy A Amar"), and "Spanglish" versions to all radio formats.Singer-songwriter Richard Marx wrote and produced both the English and Spanish versions for 'N Sync, and Marx met with group member J.C. Chasez earlier this month to begin writing songs for the group's next album.
Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Justin Timberlake will begin the second leg of their No Strings Attached tour on October 18 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 21-city tour will wrap up in San Diego, California, on December 1. Tickets for all dates will go on sale September 16.
Of the tour, Fatone explains, "We're going to try to make it a step up. A little bit bigger and a little bit better. We want to give people a chance to see how we've always dreamt about doing things as far as stages, flying rigs, trap doors, different moving things, and stuff like that. It's gonna be a good show."
'N Sync's Live From Madison Square Garden home video and DVD will be released on October 10. The video was recorded at New York City's Madison Square Garden for a live HBO special, which aired on July 27. The group's upcoming television appearances include Fox's Teen Choice Awards (Chasez, Kirkpatrick, and Timberlake only) on August 22, the MTV Video Music Awards on September 7, and Fox's Summer Music Mania on September 15.
[launch]
August 16, 2000
'NSYNC Lines Up Fall Tour
Because selling 7.5 million records just isn't enough, the boy band champs of 'NSYNC will return to the road in October for the next round of touring to support "No Strings Attached."This time around, the guys will get things rolling in Charlotte, North Carolina, on October 17 and will then trek through the South and East before wrapping things up in California in early December.
Fatone, Kirkpatrick, Bass, Timberlake, and Chasez have been pushing the album relentlessly for the last five months with endeavors like a summer tour, a promotional deal with McDonald's, and a host of TV appearances, including an HBO concert special.
The ambitious schedule has been paying off, as the album sold 2.4 million copies in one week upon its release in March, and has been firmly lodged in the Top 5 of the "Billboard" album chart ever since.
Of course, you can catch the guys before their fall tour when they perform at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from New York's Radio City Music Hall on September 7.
[mtv]
'N Sync Announces New Dates, To Get Key To City Of Orlando
(8/15/00, 6 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync has announced the dates and venues for the second leg of the No Strings Attached tour. The new road stint kicks off October 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and wraps December 2 in San Diego, California.The group will visit the Ronald McDonald House on Alden Road in Orlando, Florida, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday (August 16). While there, they will receive Orlando's key to the city from Mayor Glenda E. Hood, and will also unveil a room of the facility dedicated to them. A spokesperson from the Ronald McDonald house informed LAUNCH that the site will be inaccessible to the public during the group's appearance, but fans may be able to catch a glimpse of Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, J.C. Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick from the surrounding streets.
'N Sync is also currently involved in the McDonald's Summer Music Event promotion. Three new CDs featuring the group and a backstage music video are available now at participating McDonald's restaurants for $4.99 with the purchase of any regular-priced menu item.
'N Sync singer Chris Kirkpatrick recently told LAUNCH why his group is involved with so many charitable organizations. "We're genuine. We enjoy helping out when we can. We're probably one of the only groups that tours -- you know, especially in big venues -- and still does meet-and-greets before every show, where we meet our fans. We're very much into trying to be with our fans as much as we can and this is a great way."
[launch]
'NSync Lines Up No Strings Attached Tour 2.0
Hotter-than-Hades boy band 'NSync has announced the second leg of its sold-out No Strings Attached tour, kicking off Oct. 17 in Charlotte, N.C., according to Pollstar.The tour will bounce around the South before hitting multiple dates along the East Coast and out West through a two-night stand in San Diego, Dec. 1-2. The boy band will also hold down multiple nights in Birmingham, Ala.; Indianapolis; East Rutherford, N.J.; Sunrise, Fla.; Uniondale, N.Y.; Las Vegas; and Inglewood, Calif.
'NSync's latest effort, No Strings Attached is currently nearing sales of 8 million. The group will follow up its current smash single, "It's Gonna Be Me," with the ballad "This I Promise You," which goes to radio on Sept. 11.
[cdnow]
The new dates for the second leg of the No Strings Attached Tour will be up under Tour Dates soon.
August 13, 2000
'NSYNC Focuses On Charity, Board Game
The pop champs of 'NSYNC may be taking a break from the road right now, but the veritable cottage industry continues to barrel ahead with new projects, charitable and otherwise.This week, 'NSYNC's camp announced that the group had raised $550,000 at its recent Challenge for the Children II charity basketball game. The boy band titans were joined by Queen Latifah, Jordan Knight, Pink, Youngbloodz, MTV's Ananda Lewis, and pro basketball players Dennis Scott, Elton Brand, Stephon Marbury, Eric Strickland, and Indiana Pacers coach Isiah Thomas at the event, which was staged at New York's St. John's University last month.
Of course, there's a very good chance that none of that is news to you at all. If you consider yourself an expert in all things 'NSYNC, you'll want to check out the 'NSYNC Backstage Pass board game, which will soon arrive on store shelves. Patch Products worked with the members of 'NSYNC to put together the game, which throws 'NSYNC questions at players as they work their way around the "stadium" collecting members of the group. The game is expected to retail for $24.
If you prefer the actual members of 'NSYNC to their board game counterparts, the guys will be on hand for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards on September 7.
-- Robert Mancini [mtv]
August 7, 2000
Blaque Teams With 'NSYNC's Fatone For Next Single
The ladies in Blaque have a new single and a movie cameo on the way, but they're already setting their sights on the follow-up to their platinum debut album."It'll definitely be a step up from the first album," group member Brandi Williams said. "We're going to have a track from Babyface and one from Diane Warren."
In the meantime, the group -- Williams, 17, Shamari Fears, 19, and Natina Reed, 18 -- will appear on the silver screen in "Bring It On," a cheerleading movie starring Kirsten Dunst, coming out August 25. Their next single, "As Is," leads the movie's soundtrack and is a collaboration with 'NSYNC's Joey Fatone. The single also will come out this month, but its release date hasn't yet been settled on.
It won't mark the first time the Detroit teen trio has gotten superstar help. TLC's Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes signed Blaque to her Left Eye Productions, and its first single was the R. Kelly-penned and produced "808," which went top 10 on the pop and R&B charts. The group also made made its biggest splash with "Bring It All To Me," a sort of anti-"No Scrubs" testament to love being more important than wealth, which featured all five members of 'NSYNC.
"Those guys are like our big brothers," Williams said. "They haven't been in the business a whole lot longer than us, but they've taught us a lot."
So has Kelly, she added. "He really taught us that we need to always remember that this is a business," she said. "There's time for games and time for work, and when you're with him, you'd better work."
The group just finished 13 dates on the Nickelodeon "All That" Music & More festival tour, which also featured A*Teens, B*Witched, and LFO.
"It was great to look out in the audience and see so many little kids," Williams said. "Usually, concerts aren't for kids, so it was really a great thing.
"We try to put out music and an image that girls, and guys, can relate to and maybe even be inspired by," she added. "We don't want to be just a girl group."
To that end, Williams is adamant that, despite the superstar help, Blaque has its own musical vision. Reed had a hand in writing six songs on the group's self-titled debut, including the Motown-sounding "I Do" and the pensive "Mind Of A King."
"Blaque" will vie against Destiny's Child's "The Writing's On The Wall," 702's self-titled debut, and Trin-I-Tee 5:7's "Spiritual Love" for the Soul Train Lady of Soul award for Album Of The Year By A Group, Band Or Duo. The awards will be presented September 2 in Los Angeles (see "Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child Lead Lady Of Soul Nominees").
-- Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen [mtv]
August 1, 2000
'N Sync Raises $500,000 For Charity
(8/1/00, 12 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync and friends raised some $500,000 with the Challenge For The Children II charity basketball game, which was held on the campus of St. John's University in Queens, New York, on Saturday (July 29).Celebs on hand for the event included Jay-Z, Queen Latifah, Jordan Knight, Eve, and Donell Jones, among others. The funds raised at the event are being distributed to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Women in Orlando, Florida; the Justin Timberlake Foundation; and the Nordoff-Robbins Foundation. In case your wondering, 'N Sync member Timberlake's team--which featured Latifah, Fat Joe, and Jermaine Dupri--beat out the squad led by his group mate Joey Fatone.
In other 'N Sync news, a nightclub in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has been ordered to reimburse fans who were barred entrance to a recent meet-and-greet event with the group because of their age. The teenagers had each paid $18 to meet the pop act, but when they arrived at the club, they were turned away.
On Friday (July 28), a judge ruled that the promoters broke Pennsylvania's Trade Practices And Consumer Protection law by not letting the ticket holders in to the event. To their credit, the members of 'N Sync autographed posters and sent letters of apology to the 61 fans who filed complaints.
-- Chad Dougatz, New York [launch]
July 27, 2000
'N Sync Takes Manhattan By Storm
(7/27/00, 6 p.m. ET) - 'N Sync has been in the New York City area all week long, creating a fan frenzy wherever they show up. Tonight (July 27), the group's concert performance from Madison Square Garden was broadcast live on HBO. Tomorrow (July 28) 'N Sync will start the day early with an interview and free concert live outside the Today show studios in Rockefeller Plaza - for which fans started lining up more than 48 hours in advance, despite pouring rain. Later Friday (July 28) afternoon, the pop superstars will take part in a press conference at Planet Hollywood alongside celebrity friends, including Pink, Kelly Price, Fat Joe, Donell Jones, Usher, Jordan Knight, Rockmond Dunbar, Shannon Elizabeth, Darren Henson, Antawn Jamison, Josh Keaton, Stephon Marbury, Dennis Scott, Eric Strickland, Isaiah Thomas, and Youngbloodz.All of the above- mentioned stars are among the participants in 'N Sync's Challenge For The Children II charity basketball game on Saturday (July 29) at St. John's University in Queens (tip-off time 7:30 p.m. ET). This second annual event will be followed by a post-game bash later that same evening at an undisclosed location.
'N Sync member Chris Kirkpatrick explained to LAUNCH this week why the basketball game is important to the group. "'N Sync has a charity called Challenge For Children that we're doing an event for on Saturday," he said. "Everything that we get involved with has to do with children because that's our main audience and that's who we can reach out to. We're also doing some things--which I really can't talk about right now--but we're doing some commercials coming up to make children aware on other important issues."
Kirkpatrick added that Challenge For The Children was founded by 'N Sync in 1999 to offer financial support to a variety of children's programs and charities across the nation. "It's not one charity where we give to children's cancer or to children's leukemia," he pointed out. "It's a very general children's organization where we divide it up among a lot of children's organizations. Because, you know, there's so many times that if we just focused on one disease or one thing it would be so easy to pigeonhole all the money just into that one charity, but since it's such a broad thing we can help out--not a lot--but a little in a lot of places."
Some of the organizations benefiting from this year's game include Arnold Palmer's Hospital For Children & Women, The Justin Timberlake Foundation, and the Nordoff-Robbins Foundation.
'N Sync will also make a brief appearance singing the national anthem at the annual Jayson Williams Celebrity Softball Challenge at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday (July 29).
-- Jason Gelman, New York [launch]
