If you didn't see what could have been the best reunion in pop culture history Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards, you didn't miss much.
*NSYNC reunited for 110 seconds during Justin Timberlake's acceptance performance for the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and although I squealed like a fan girl when I saw my childhood obsessions on stage together, I was immediately disappointed.
The once Billboard-topping boy band sang bits of their hit songs "Girlfriend"and "Bye, Bye, Bye" - voted "most hoping to hear" by People Magazine readers - but were no longer as tremendous as I so fondly remembered them from my childhood.
Their choreography was comprised of the classic "Bye, Bye, Bye" jump and fist pump without the obligatory "Bye, Bye, Bye" hands. That's not OK.
At one point, Lance Bass got lost on stage as the other four members grouped together to strike a pose. It's been 13 years since "Bye, Bye, Bye" was released, and it was easy to tell that other than Timberlake, the "boys" of *NSYNC hadn't danced much on stage since 2001.
The "King of Pop" rocked his performance as he sang and danced to a medley of his best solo songs - including "Rock Your Body," "SexyBack" and "Mirrors"- for a total of 15 minutes. Timberlake had more energy and better dance moves than all of his former band mates combined.
And I don't think he minded.
It seemed as if Timberlake enjoyed outshining the others, especially at the end of the "reunion," when JC Chasez improvised a mini solo. Timberlake cut off the reality TV show judge's moment in the spotlight with what was meant to be a hug, but it ended up more like two strangers awkwardly bumping shoulders in a hallway.
While it was nice to see them on stage together again, it looked like they were fighting for attention.
During the brief 110 seconds *NYSYNC performed, the MTV cameras showed various audience members enjoying themselves, including One Direction - the go-to boy band of this generation. It seemed as if MTV was trying to compare the two. No offense, *NSYNC, but if the best boy band was decided on talent after a most recent performance, One Direction has you beat.
After the reunion, before the commercial break, MTV showed the band leaving the stage, and while Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick looked like they were going to pass out from exhaustion, Chasez looked annoyed. Gone are the five best friends who used to take quirky pictures in overalls for Tiger Beat posters, and here are five adults who don't seem to really like each other.
In October, none of the band members attended Timberlake's wedding to Jessica Biel because they weren't invited, according to Life & Style Magazine.
Bass went on record in February in an article for the same magazine and denied the possibility of a reunion because, "Everyone is doing their own thing. Justin is doing his thing. I don't think he would have a moment off to do an *NSYNC album. He's the busy one."
The rumors started around two weeks before the VMAs when, according to Bass on his Sirius XM show, "Dirty Pop with Lance Bass," the crew went to see Timberlake perform in Miami, Fla.
After waiting an inconclusive two weeks to see the beloved boy band, most fans didn't seem to notice *NSYNC's faltering skills.
The audience at the Barclays Center erupted in cheers, and celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Jordin Sparks were singing and dancing along to the iconic '90s songs, according to People magazine.
The Twitter universe exploded with tweets from fans and other celebrities when the five men, all around 30 years old, rose up from the stage. Perez Hilton, a celebrity gossip blogger, tweeted, "I'm Crying!!!!!!!! FOR REAL!!! Tears!!!! #NSYNC #VMAS."
Fans, however, were too clouded with the comfort of nostalgia and illusory satisfaction of an epic reunion to care about the actual performance.
Afterward, as JT accepted his award, he thanked his "friends" but assured them, even though they were a major help to his success, "we could keep the award at my house."
Nothing like showing them how successful he has become without them. I thought JT was more humble than that.
There are more rumors circulating about a larger reunion as *NSYNC now has an official Twitter and tweeted before the VMAs "Mic check, mic check one... two... is this thing on?!"
But unless they all retake pop music 101, I don't think a reunion will be anything like their glory days.
Email: rachel.kramer@ubspectrum.com
