

You can certainly picture Chasez sincerely grabbing the air while delivering schmaltzy lines like “I would die for you/Cause I don’t want to live without you.” Produced by Brian McKnight, “Selfish” ultimately sounds more like a 98 Degrees B-side than a pop outfit at the top of their game.Ĭo-written by the group’s vocal coach Robin Wiley, the equally slushy “Something Like You” is also guilty of the eyeroll-worthy lyric that now sounds like a parody from the Lonely Island (“Something keeps telling me that you could be my answered prayer/You must be heaven sent, I swear”). *NSYNC’s claims that they were no longer the cliched boy band once masterminded by Lou Pearlman were slightly undermined by the fact that this drippy ballad could have quite comfortably slotted onto their eponymous 1997 debut.

But does it still hold up 20 years on? From treacly love songs to two-step bangers, here are its 13 tracks ranked from worst to best. In fact, by inadvertently laying the groundwork for Timberlake’s solo career, it proved to be too effective – the quintet would never enter the studio together again. Unlike their forefathers New Kids on the Block’s misguided attempt to go street, *NSYNC’s quest for authenticity didn’t embarrass.

“We also wanted to prove that pop music comes in a lot of different flavors. “Our objective was not to be self-conscious and try to make another hit record,” Chasez told Billboard ahead of its 2001 release. Members of Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC & Boyz II Men Team Up For Las Vegas 'After Party'
