Well, now they've cracked the charts both sides of the pond it's a definite possibility... Time for 'N SYNC to face the TOTP reality check! -- Words: James Williams
Are there certain things you did when you were starting out that you really regret now?
Chris: Plenty and most of it was in Germany!
Justin: There was this one time when they said they wanted to take us swimming for a photo shoot and we thought that was cool. But then it turned out they had us doing all these cheesy poses in the shallow end.
JC: So we said we didn't like the idea and asked if we could do some more fun, mucking about-type shots which we did, but of course they used the horrible cheesy ones!
Joey: I dressed up as a kangaroo one time...
Chris: And the cowboy outfits, they were for Germany too.
Lance: The worst thing we ever did was model for this clothing label called Wacko. They were the worst
clothes ever! They were horrible and tight...
Justin: And shiny - we looked like a bunch of circus clowns.
Chris: They were basically the kind of clothes that would never come in fashion.
Justin: Actually can we not talk about it any more? The memory's too painful!
Do you always make time to stop and talk to fans?
Justin: We try but sometimes our promotional schedule's so busy we don't have time. But we always try and say hi and talk to them as much as possible.
Do you get stroppy if you're not on the guest list and in the VIP areas for clubs and parties?
Lance: No cos we never stay in the VIP room anyway. They're boring.
Justin: You can guarantee we're never at our table in VIP rooms, we're always on the dance floor.
Lance: I was actually kicked out of the VIP section of our own party after the MTV Awards. There were so many people in there and it was so busy I couldn't get in. The guy at the door was being such a jerk.
Didn't you use the old classic, 'Do you know who I am?'
JC: Oh no. If one of us ever used that, the rest would beat him up!
Do you go everywhere with your security guards?
Justin: We have to really cos it only takes one person to recognise us and we get swamped. It's so bad at
home we can't even go shopping any more. Not even with our bodyguards!
JC: It depends where we are really. There are certain places in LA where it isn't a big deal and we can go out on our own.
Justin: Usually a baseball cap and a pair of shades does the trick. Having security isn't an ego thing, it's just a practicality.
How good are you at remembering people's names?
All: Terrible!
Chris: I know a lot of dudes! Hey dude! Everybody's a dude!
Justin: I'm good with faces. I always remember a face.
JC: But where from is a complete blank!
What about remembering birthdays?
Lance: I forget my parents' sometimes.
JC: Well these four guys here are my family and that's it! Apart from my mom of course. She'd kill me if I forgot her birthday. 'I'm disowning you!' She'd probably grab something and throw it at me.
Do you only wear designer labels now?
JC: We just wear, like, whatever looks cool!
Justin: Our style is whatever's comfortable. But we also dress for the occasion. If we're performing on TOTP we don't wear anything too dressy cos we'll be dancing, but then if we're off to an awards show we'll dress up.
Is money no object now so you don't bother to look at price tags?
Joey: Not at all. I'm always on the lookout for sales!
Lance: Some designer stores are ridiculous. If you go into Versace and see a T-shirt for £400 there's no way I'm buying it.
Justin: The money we have has improved our standard of living but we don't go crazy with it.
JC: Money should be about freedom and comfort, not excess.
Lance: Joey's pretty bad for just wasting his money on weird stuff. I mean the guy bought stilts!
Joey: The stilts are dope, man!
Are you still told off by you mum?
Joey: I am cos I live at home.
Lance: Well every time I speak to my mom, I could be on the other side of the world and we always end up having a fight.
Justin: Parents find it really hard to let go - even now we're grown up my mom still says to me, 'Now Justin, are you eating right? Are you getting enough sleep? Did you wear a sweater today?'
Have you become big-headed at all?
Justin: Well I was big-headed before I started doing this!
Chris: There was one time in Germany when we had just came off stage and we realised that while we'd been out there we hadn't given it our all. We'd just assumed the crowd would be happy with whatever we gave them and
that's when we realised we were becoming big-headed. So we just shot ourselves down, turned around and started all
over again.
When did you last have a pop star tantrum?
Justin: I wouldn't say we have tantrums but when we're upset we do voice our opinions. The other day we had
an interviewer from Holland ask us about our album being called No Strings Attached and at first we were quite
excited cos we thought she was going to ask us about our music. But then she starts going on about whether we like
string underwear on girls or ordinary panties! We were like, 'We didn't come here today to give our personal opinions about some piece of underwear.' We tried hinting we weren't happy with the questions but she kept on: 'So do you like being handcuffed and blindfolded?' And we just said, 'Sorry but this isn't going the way we want it to.'
When was the last time you apologised for being rude or unfriendly to a fan?
Joey: We're always cordial to fans but on a flight the other day this woman wanted to take my picture. It was, like, six in the morning and I just said, 'Ma'am, I'm not being rude but I'm not having my picture taken.'
Chris: I was quite rude to a woman who checked in my bag at the airport the other day, but she was being really difficult.
And finally the ultimate test! How much does a copy of TOTP cost?
JC: £3. (Actually it's a bargain at just £1.50!)
Justin: Ah but you see we get confused with exchange rate. It's $3 in the US!
Alright guys, we believe you and quite frankly, we think their boots are the perfect fit!
© April 2000, pgs 34-35; Tops of The Pops Magazine
Typed by: Erika E.
