The rumors were true: *NSYNC reunited on stage for the first time in ten years at tonight’s (September 12) MTV Video Music Awards. Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Joey Fatone took the stage together to present the first award of the evening.
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“Over 20 years ago, we were just kids when we won the award for Best Pop Video for ‘Bye Bye Bye,'” Chasez told the crowd. “It was our first VMA, and it meant the world to us.”
“That award validated our hard work,” added Kirkpatrick.
“A lot has changed in the last two decades, but one thing remains constant,” Bass continued. “A creative, boundary-pushing video leaves a lasting mark for decades.”
Before moving into the nominees in this year’s Best Pop Video category, Fatone shared his thanks to MTV and the crowd, who nearly drowned out his message with a wave of cheers.
The appearance marked the record-breaking boy band’s first appearance at the VMAs since 2013, where they performed a surprise medley of hits. In recent weeks, the internet has been abuzz with rumors about a possible reunion, sparked by multiple hints posted on the members’ social media pages.
Although the band hasn’t officially confirmed it, a promotional campaign around the upcoming film Trolls Band Together has teased a new song featuring *NSYNC. It’s likely that their appearance at the VMA’s was originally intended to promote the track from the film’s official soundtrack. An ongoing strike by the Writers Guild of America has caused most promotion of television and feature films to be put on hold, leaving the official relaunch of *NSYNC in limbo.
[RELATED: 3 *NSYNC Collaborations That Will Make You Nostalgic]
The band didn’t mention the film during their appearance on stage at the VMAs, but a commercial advertising Trolls Band Together aired on MTV shortly after. In the ad, viewers heard a new snippet of “Take You to a Better Place,” the song rumored to be *NSYNC’s new single.
Fans are now left with more questions than answers, including Best Pop Video winner Taylor Swift, who voiced her excitement over being handed the trophy by the members of *NSYNC.
“Are you doing something? What’s going to happen now?” she asked the bandmates during her acceptance speech, who shared a nervous laugh. “They’re going to do something, and I need to know what it is!”
Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV
