7/31/01-'NSYNC and Missy Elliott have been added to the list of performers for the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards, the network announced Tuesday. The pair of pop superstars, whose latest albums are Celebrity and Miss E ... So Addictive, respectively, join previously announced performers U2 and Alicia Keys. More additions to the roster are expected shortly.
The 18th annual MTV Video Music Awards will be broadcast on MTV from New York's Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center September 6 at 8 p.m.
7/31/01-Justin Timberlake tells MTV that the economy is to blame for *NSYNC's inability to break No Strings Attached sales record. Justin says, "People probably don't think we think about this kind of stuff, but if you really wanna get technical about it, the whole country, the economy, is down 15 percent."
7/29/01-Pagesix.com reports Britney, *NSYNC, and other artists performing with Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden in September are being asked to pay at least $10,000 to a charity Jacko hasn’t even chosen yet.
7/28/01-In an abstracts.net poll asking if you thought of *NSYNC's new sound in Pop, 87.3% said they loved it, while 9.4% said it was ok, and 3.2% said they disliked the sound, with 2346 total votes cast.
7/28/01-A national survey of teenagers released Friday found that Freddy Prinze Jr. and Britney Spears top the charts when it comes to rating which celebrities have the 'best smile.' Also in the running on the guy's side, Josh Harnett, Heath Ledger, and Chris Klein; singers Justin Timberlake, Sisqo. On the gal's side, Christina Aguilera, Brandy, Beyonce Knowles, and Mandy Moore, Tara Reid and Sarah Michelle Gellar trailed Britney.
7/28/01-New York Daily News will do an article on Will's (from Big Brother 2) allegations of using drugs with members of *NSYNC in the Sunday edition of Daily Dish. Not certain though if it will focus on Will's loose lips regarding his celebrity encounters or specifically on *NSYNC. For more info check out the rumor page on my site!!!
7/27/01-More details on Celebrity from MTV.com as they report Bob Bell, pop/rock music buyer for the Wherehouse Music chain revealing, "Based on what I'm seeing so far, I'm projecting 2 million in sales nationwide."
7/26/01-JC Hungry For Sugar Jones? Are the members of Sugar Jones hungry? If they are, 'N Sync's J.C. Chasez extends an invitation to the Canadian pop group to come tour. "If they want to come, by all means all they have to do is call us," he said in a recent interview. "We're cool like that because we know what it's like to want to get a start."
Not surprisingly, Sugar Jones singer Mirella Dell'Aquila, said the group was happy to hear such a statement coming from one of the world's hottest pop groups. "I am so flattered to hear that J.C. heard our song and likes it," Dell'Aquila said Wednesday. "I am a huge 'N Sync fan and actually got to meet him when we were recording at Metalworks this past winter. This is the first we're hearing of his invitation to tour with them. We all would be thrilled and very thankful for an opportunity like that. We love that they still care about up and coming acts like us."
Chasez is aware of Sugar Jones because 'N Sync spent time at the Metalworks studio in nearby Mississauga recording some of its latest album, Celebrity. Sugar Jones, the group whose making was chronicled on the reality-based television show Popstars, was laying down tracks for its self-titled debut at Metalworks.
"They didn't have a name at that point, but they were actually recording the song that they released, so I knew the song already," Chasez recounted during a recent visit to Toronto to promote Celebrity. "I saw (the video) on TV and I was like, 'Oh my God, I heard that song a thousand times when I was here last time,'" says Chasez, who starts singing the lyric "Do you remember when days were like that" with an affected effeminate voice. "It's pretty cool," he says of the song Days Like That, which went top 10 on CHR radio in Canada. "It's on the mellow tip. It's an easy listen."
'N Sync always helps out up-and-comers by bringing them out on tour and Chasez says Sugar Jones is more than welcome. "Janet Jackson really gave us our big break in the States. She let us open up for her and that was a big part of us getting out in front of the public and we appreciated it. And now, whenever we see somebody up and coming, if you show us that you're hungry, you're definitely coming on our tour, but you definitely have to be hungry."
7/26/01-'NSYNC Party With Britney, BT And Hugh Hefner At Celebrity Soiree. Maybe it's a sign of 'NSYNC's maturity, the reason they appear to have risen to the top of the teen pop class. Whatever the answer, their album release party Monday night for Celebrity not only drew close friends like Britney Spears and collaborators like BT, but also such disparate guests as Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner (arm-in-arm with six playmates) and the 15-year-old Olsen twins (Mary-Kate and Ashley, of "Full House" fame).
Those were just a few of the celebrities joining the boys from Orlando, Florida, at the club Moomba on the eve of Celebrity's arrival in stores, amid almost unreal expectations (not to mention whispers of vulnerability). Industry insiders predict the album will be a huge seller, though few expect it to top the record-breaking opening-week sales of 2.4 million achieved by 'NSYNC's No Strings Attached in March 2000.
But one thing already seems certain: 'NSYNCs demographic has widened. The band spent the much of its face time with an overflowing media contingent at Moomba explaining how Celebrity is quite the musical departure from its previous, lighter fare. "We are who we are, but every musician wants to grow and I think people will see this with Celebrity," JC Chasez said.
"Every song on this album is totally different from the next one," Lance Bass added.
Electronic-music guru BT, who worked with the group on the album (see "BT Earns 'King Of Dirty Pop' Title With 'NSYNC, Britney Tracks"), talked up the band's new "cutting edge" sound while pointing out that 'NSYNC's playfulness doesn't end with the album's title. "What's so refreshing about these guys is that they don't take themselves too seriously," said BT, who became involved with 'NSYNC after Chasez saw him perform in a club. "You get more attitude from a guy working behind the counter at Starbucks than you do from these guys. They're just regular people."
Of course, how many "regular people" party with Hugh Hefner? The new grown-up 'NSYNC apparently are still attracting grown-up converts, such as actress and "Talk Soup" hostess Aisha Tyler. "I'm a new 'NSYNC fan," Tyler admitted. "I was drawn in watching 'Making the Video' on MTV for that 'Pop' song. It's a cool video and a cool song. I've been into them ever since."
While industry skeptics have already begun proclaiming the beginning of the end for boy bands, 'NSYNC, who will play for more than 50,000 fans Tuesday (July 24) at the Rose Bowl, were all smiles, and who could blame them?
"It's one of the most prestigious places we play, and it's always the best crowd," Bass said.
'NSYNC are looking forward to the performance for another reason, as fans - at least those who pick up the album before the concert - will be somewhat more familiar with the song roster of Celebrity. "We've been singing the new songs at all our shows on this tour and the fans aren't as into them because they've never heard them," said Timberlake, who brought his equally famous girlfriend, Britney Spears, to the party. "We wanna challenge our fans to learn all the songs before we play Tuesday."
7/26/01-*NSYNC Plan To Follow In Jackson, Madonna's Lead. The men - that's men - of 'N Sync say they're simply following their idols with the different sounds on "Celebrity," which was released Tuesday. "If you look at Michael Jackson and Madonna, they have changed themselves. They have reinvented themselves after every album," Chris Kirkpatrick said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. "And that's just what we are trying to do." 'N Sync hopes its career will grow and mature with its fans. But JC Chasez says it's a matter of evolution, not calculation. "We don't make an album and say, `We're going to hit the older kids.' The only thing we are going to do is make the music that we like and roll the dice."
7/26/01-'N Sync's 'Celebrity' Bows Impressively. Look for 'N Sync to flirt with the 2 million mark in the first week of its Jive album "Celebrity," Billboard Bulletin reports. That's what industry pundits are projecting after first-day sales Tuesday exceeded 900,000 units, according to a poll of major national accounts.
Pete Cline, president/COO of Handleman Co., reports that stores serviced by the distributor scanned in excess of 235,000 units of the album, making it the biggest opening day in the history of the company. He points out that for the last 'N Sync album, the record-breaking "No Strings Attached," Handleman rang up first day sales of 215,000 units.
While Handleman topped itself this time, "Celebrity" is expected to fall short of the 2.4 million units "No Strings Attached" moved in its debut week. On the other hand, based on first-day sales, BMG and Jive executives say they believe "Celebrity" will surpass Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" (Web/Aftermath/Interscope), which holds the distinction of having the second-largest debut week in the history of SoundScan.
7/26/01-'N Sync Talks About New Album. The guys of `N Sync had no specific agenda when they went into the studio to record "Celebrity,'' their new CD with heavy hip-hop influences. "You just kinda take the inspiration that you've been dealing with for the past year or so,'' said JC Chasez, who co-wrote several of the songs. "You listen to the 20 or so songs or whatever that we had and we kinda put the jigsaw puzzle together and said these kinda go together and make a nice picture.'' Chasez said he and the other four members of `N Sync feel lucky to be pop performers. "Pop crosses over into R&B, pop-rock, dance pop, everything,'' he said. "We're actually in the driver's seat as far as stretching out musically.''
7/26/01-The Jackson 5 will perform with 'Nsync singing 'Dancing Machine,' at Madison Square Garden in September.
7/26/01-A staffer at Virgin's downtown Vancouver store reports sales of Celebrity aren't quite matching the performance of No Strings Attached but said, "It is still very important music for us."
7/26/01-HitsDailyDouble.com reports early reports from leading accounts indicate that NSYNC’s Celebrity is on track to sell in the 1.8 to 2 million range, making it the 2nd highest first week selling album in history, behind only the group's previous effort.
7/25/01-WireImage.com has several photos of *NSYNC, Britney Spears, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and many others from the record release party for *NSYNC's Celebrity in West Hollywood on Monday.
7/24/01-'N Sync Releases 'Celebrity.' The boys from 'N Sync are trying to prove they're more than the flavor of the month with their new release Celebrity. Member Chris Kirkpatrick insists they have moved beyond bubblegum pop saying, "We're rockers too, we're rappers, we're hip-hop artists." If the hottest boy band says pop is getting stale, maybe it is.
Members of 'N Sync say it's time to change or die or become self-parody, tomorrow's Monkeys crooning "Daydream Believer" at carnivals.
With the much anticipated follow-up to No Strings Attached hitting record stores today, 'N Sync is promising that Celebrity will surprise folks expecting to hear reworked renditions of their smash hit "Bye Bye Bye."
"The bubblegum pop that everybody's listening to is dying out and people are gettin' tired of it, because there's only so much of it they can take," says member Chris Kirkpatrick. "But the rock 'n' roll's coming back and y'know, it's important for us to learn about music and not just say, 'well, we're just a pop singing group.'"
The quintet hunkered down for their new recording, writing 10 of the 13 tracks with a greater emphasis on R&B and other music styles.
"Y'know, we're rockers, too," says Kirkpatrick. "We're rappers, we're hip-hop artists. We envelop every kind of music that we hear and take out the best of it and I think that's why people catch on to us."
The release of Celebrity comes just three years since the heartthrobs' self-titled debut album. They quickly scored four hits, including "Tearing Up My Heart," but could never have been prepared for the success they would soon enjoy. Their sophomore effort, No Strings Attached , sold a record-setting 2.4 million copies in its first week and ending up as the best-selling record of 2000.
"There's really a lot of pressure that people put on us but I think it's mostly pressure that everybody's gonna keep on us until we finally, y'know, start on that down-plummet or whatever happens," says Kirkpatrick.
"We're concerned with making quality or learning. You know, if this album sells no records at all, we'll learn from that," he says. "We'll say, 'What do we do wrong? What is this?'"
Stevie Wonder Intimidates the Boys, But Not for Long. Critics may whince at 'N Sync's studio-produced pop, but Stevie Wonder sure doesn't. The R&B legend contributes harmonica on the track "Something Like You" and proved that even pop heroes can be star struck. "Justin [Timberlake] said he was really intimidated," says bandmate JC Chasez. "If something was a little bit wrong, he had to say, 'Yeah, Stevie, could you do this just a little bit different?' and then he'd get off the talkback and say, 'I just told Stevie how to do something which I shouldn't' so, it was kinda cool." Reflecting on all Wonder has achieved, Kirkpatrick is confident 'N Sync will also enjoy a lasting legacy.
"Twenty years down the road, people are gonna be looking back and going, 'Ya'know what? 'N Sync was on top of it,'" says Kirpatrick. "'We labeled them as a bubblegum group but over time, we're seeing that they really knew where music was going and where they were taking their music.'"
7/23/01-*NSYNC Gets 6 VMA Nom's for "POP." MTV has announced the nominees for the 2001 VMA's. Nsync is up for:
Best Direction In A Video
Breakthrough Video
Viewer's Choice
Best Pop Video
Best Dance Video
Best Group Video
I believe they are all for the video "PoP"
7/23/01-*NSYNC to Perform at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort. *NSYNC to Perform at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa For Exclusive Tropical End-of-Tour Event on September 9, 2001. Scheduled Opening Acts Include Dante Thomas and Christina Milian. Lucky Radio Fans to Say 'Bye Bye Bye' to Summer With '*NSYNC in the Sand at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa'
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos, July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 9, *NSYNC will host their end-of-tour beach bash wrapping their 2001 POPODYSSEY Tour, currently playing major U.S. and Mexico cities through September 1 -- in a place equally mysterious and exciting, sandwiched between Miami and Puerto Rico on an island chain whose name is as familiar as its legendary white sand and turquoise waters. Perhaps most alluring is the exclusive nature of the event, offering 50 lucky radio contest winners (and their guests) an all-inclusive trip to a Caribbean paradise to see *NSYNC, along with numerous surprise visitors, at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa on September 9, 2001.
Sponsored by Beaches Resorts, SFX and Clear Channel Communications, "*NSYNC in the Sand at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa" is not accessible through ticket agencies, but through a special two-week promotion beginning July 23, 2001 on more than 90 Clear Channel radio stations across the U.S. and on each participating station's website. Radio fans from around the country will have the chance to join the musical performers by winning tickets to the end-of-summer's hottest event through various promotions.
Lucky winners will enjoy "fun-in-the-sun" at Beaches Turks & Caicos with an all-inclusive prize package entitling winners to deluxe accommodations for 4 days/3 nights, all meals and unlimited premium brand beverages, on-property activities, roundtrip airport transfers, all hotel taxes and tips, and roundtrip airfare for two on American Airlines.
The "*NSYNC in the Sand at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa" promotion is also sponsored, in part, by American Airlines, the only airline with more room throughout coach, offering three daily flights to Providenciales and the Turks and Caicos Islands ... Beautiful by Nature. For more information about Sandals or Beaches Resorts, call 1-800-BEACHES or visit the Web site at http://www.beaches.com.
7/23/01-Princes of Pop NSYNC confident they can live up to Celebrity. Not the least of which is whether the Florida pop group's new release, in stores Tuesday, will shatter the first week U.S. sales record of 2.4 million set by their last album, 2000's No Strings Attached.
Entertainment Weekly did a cover story last month titled "Pop Goes The Teen Boom?" and just this week the magazine pointed out Backstreet Boys' waning sales of their latest, Black & Blue, before A.J. McLean checked himself into rehab for alcohol abuse and depression.
While hardly admitting the teen pop craze is over, none of NSYNC's five members, who sat down with The Sun last month before performing at the SkyDome, thought Celebrity could beat No Strings Attached's sales record.
"Honestly, in my heart, I don't know if it's possible," said JC Chasez, who along with bandmate Justin Timberlake, among others, co-produced and co-wrote Celebrity. He was seated at one of several round tables set up in the King Edward Hotel's forgotten 17th-floor ballroom, while his bandmates chatted with other media. "It's like that record came out, it was fate. It was time and place and everything and it was fate the way the stars lined up for us to sell those kind of records," Chasez said. "And I mean, who knows if that's ever going to happen again? All we want to do is have a consistent record. We want to have a good, quality record. And it doesn't have to sell in the first week. We just want it to sell consistently over time, have a decent run again."
Radical plan
One thing NSYNC may or may not have on their side is a radical marketing plan, at least in conventional music industry terms. The group launched a stadium tour before Celebrity was released, inserting plenty of new songs into the PopOdyssey show that their fans wouldn't know. Their road trip started about a month ago and wraps up in North America at the end of August. The end result could well be a substantial buzz for the new record. Or not.
"I'm wondering what will happen," said NSYNC's Lance Bass. "I think the 2.4 million was a fluke. I think it's impossible to beat. I just think the lead-up to it last year was just so perfect. I don't think we did anything wrong, it was right after the Grammys. This time, we don't have anything to promote it. We're on tour. We don't get to do much TV and all that type of stuff like we did last year. It's the summer, everyone's on vacation, so I don't think it'll even come close."
"That's like the least of our problems," said Chris Kirkpatrick, without question the most outspoken member of NSYNC. "We don't care. The only thing that I think's funny is I know all the critics are waiting -- if we don't sell 2.4 (million) they're going to jump all over it and be like, 'Well, pop music's dead. There it is. And we're like, 'You know what? Pop music is never dead. Pop music changes. And I think we're changing."
So what does Celebrity sound like?
With the help of co-writers and co-producers who include previous NSYNC collaborators Wade Robson and Max Martin, underground trance-dance man BT, R&B's Rodney Jerkins, The Neptunes and fellow performer Brian McKnight, there are undeniable urban and underground flavours.
But NSYNC don't want their fans to think they've abandoned their trademark five-part harmonies or overall pop sound. "We just wanted to take it a little bit a step above," says NSYNC's Joey Fatone. "We just wanted to put our feelings into it and express the way that we feel our music should sound. And it's not far from how the other album (No Strings Attached) was. It's not like we're going to all of the sudden go in a completely off direction and do, like, rock."
For Timberlake, the highlight of the Celebrity sessions was working with one of his heroes, Stevie Wonder, who plays harmonica on the ballad Something Like You. "That was probably the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me musically," he said. "It's so cool because, I mean, we wrote it with the idea of Stevie Wonder playing harmonica on it because you don't hear harmonica on songs anymore. And you know, who better to do it? And he said, 'Yes.' For me to sit there at a sound board and tell him what I wanted him to do, you know, and I'm working with him on something, that was amazing to me."
Meanwhile, Celebrity's first single, Pop, takes aim at some of NSYNC's critics, citing: "I'm tired of all this animosity, Just worry about yours, 'cause I'm a get mine, now people can't you see?"
"It's very tongue-in-cheek," said Timberlake, who co-wrote Pop. "And it's kind of like just a smack back and really kind of says, 'We don't care and these are the things that are important to us and we're having a good time doing what we do.' "
Adds Kirkpatrick: "People hold things against us for our music and for what we do, not for who we are. I'm as rock and roll as they come. The music that I do is pop music. It's transformed from bubblegum, that it was in the beginning, to where we're driving now and we're in control."
Future
So what is NSYNC's future?
With all the doom and gloom about pop music - it's run its course, teenagers are moving on towards more guitar-based rock, etc. - Chasez, for one, isn't worried. The group has been down for the count before.
"Everybody's saying, 'Well, you know, they're going to be around for two years and they'll be gone,' " Chasez said. "The second album comes out and it does well -- 'Oh they'll be gone.' And now we're doing a stadium tour.
"I'm not saying that this next record is going to be the hugest record or whatever. But hopefully it'll do well and it'll again show the critics exactly why pop music will stick around."
7/23/01-2 New Tour Dates Announced. *NSync added a new tour date to the Pop Odyssey Tour 2001. They will be performing at the Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on August 20th for the first major concert held there. The tickets go on sale on Saturday, July 28, at 10 A.M. The second addition will be in Mexico City on Sept 1 @ Azteca Stadium.
7/23/01-More *NSYNC Question on Celeb WWTBAM? On 'Who Wants To Be A Millioniare' with celebrity singers, they had two 'Nsync related questions. One was "In 'N Sync's 2000 single "Bye Bye Bye", the group says 'bye bye bye' to... a) girlfriend b) poverty c) innocense or d) lonliness?" That question was answered by Darious Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish. It seemed that none of the contestants were quite sure of the answer. The other question, which was "In January 2001, what band performed with 'N Sync and Britney Spears in the Super Bowl Half-time show? a) The Rolling Stones b) The red Hot Chilli Peppers c) Aerosmith or d) Bon Jovi?" was given to Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees. And by-the-way, Nick said that he was jealous that 98 Degrees didn't get the phone call!
7/23/01-*NSYNC on Radio Disney. Justin, J.C, Lance, Chris, and Joey were all on Radio Disney for their Planet Premiere of Celeberity. They played all the songs of Celeberity. The DJ, Ernie D, asked various questions. From, "Brocolli or Brussel Sprouts?" They all chose Brocolli. Another question was, "Scooter or Skateboard?" All, but Chris said Scooter. And the reason why Chris said Skateboard, because "Everyone chose scooter!" Ernie D also asked, "Would you rather be playing outside or being on the internet?" All, but Chris said outside. Chris, said, "Both, I'd be on the internet, outside." Anoter question! What has the most strangest present a fan gave you? Several, said autographs, like Bruce Lee. Lance, got autographs from one of the Apollos. Joey, got all these old vintage Superman memoribilla. JC, recieved a 90 paged poem from a fan. Chris said, "Shut-up," and one of the guys or maybe it was Chris said, "That's not apporpiate on Radio Disney..." Overall, the songs, the interview, the guys including the DJ, were great!
7/23/01-Rollingstone.com has a huge section on *NSYNC ahead of Celebrity's release tomorrow. You can hear Lance talk about how Britney and Justin have dated since the end of 1999 tour where Britney opened for *NSYNC.
7/23/01-Maker of Boy-Bands Faces Departures. When it comes to riding the boy-band wave in pop music, nobody has done it better than Lou Pearlman. The Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync and O-Town are just a few of the groups the Orlando-based impresario and his company, Trans Continental Entertainment, have launched on the road to hormone-fueled success.
But in the past few months, Pearlman has hit some sour notes. About 15 key executives and staffers, including company vice presidents, the chief operating officer, a tour manager, accountants and publicists, have left or been laid off.
O-Town, Pearlman's latest breakout success, recently left for a management firm run by former Trans Continental executives, although Pearlman will still earn money from them under a production agreement.
Trans Continental also had trouble finding a distributor for a movie it made for $15 million and shopped around Hollywood.
Only one artist now managed by Trans Continental, 16-year-old Richard Lugo, has a U.S. record label, although Pearlman recently took under his wing B4-4, which has a label in Canada. Two of the acts Pearlman developed - the girl group Innosense and the boy group Take 5 - recently tried to get out of their contracts. Take 5, which has lost its lead singer, succeeded, and Innosense's release is being negotiated. Innosense manager Dennis Steinmetz said he didn't feel Trans Continental was behind the act anymore.
Music industry watchers and former employees aren't about to write Pearlman off, however, saying he may just be on a downward slope in a business that has regular peaks and valleys.
"From what it seems to the public eye, they may have reached a low, but I think it's premature to say that they're through or the company is going downhill,'' said Jil Shingledecker, a former Trans Continental marketing and public relations coordinator, who was laid off in October.
Pearlman has dismissed any problems, characterizing the layoffs as people leaving whose projects were finished. He said the executives who departed did so on amicable terms and just wanted to branch out on their own. As for the artists who have left, Pearlman said it was part of a strategy to separate his management and production operations. "You can't be both, to avoid any conflict of interest,'' Pearlman said. "It's a matter of us amicably dividing church and state where management and production have to be separated.'' He added, "We're making more money this year than we did last year.''
Trans Continental has recently tried to transform itself from a management and production company to a full-service record company, said Scott Bennett, vice president of Trans Continental Records. The company is putting particular focus on a new act, Natural, which is touring with the Monkees.
Natural was the subject of a lawsuit earlier this year filed by another manager who accused Pearlman of stealing the group away from him. The lawsuit is currently being settled.
"The company is very healthy,'' Bennett said.
Billboard magazine senior editor Chuck Taylor, for one, was impressed with Natural. The boy-band phenomenon is going to be around for some time, he said, as evidenced by the hype over 'N Sync's latest album, and despite the recent misfortunes of Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean, who checked into rehab.
"Lou Pearlman is the Madonna of the business side of music. I think he reinvents himself with the trends that go on in music,'' Taylor said. ``I think he's going to be around longer than most of the bands that he creates.''
Pearlman was hurt by the defection and subsequent lawsuits, eventually settled, filed by his biggest successes, the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, in the late 1990s. Both groups sued to be released from their deals, accusing Pearlman of deception and cheating them out of money. Recent changes in the industry have also worked against Pearlman, some say.
The pop market is harder for groups to break into now than it was just a few years ago because there are so many acts taking up radio time, said Alan Siegel, Trans Continental's former executive vice president for records. Siegel, who left the company three months ago to form his own business with another ex-Trans Continental vice president, said it's common for singers to change managers, and noted that companies nationwide are going through downsizing. ``There have been changes in the entertainment industry as a whole,'' Siegel said. ``I don't think Trans Con should be singled out.''
Pearlman may have lost some traction by investing millions in the movie, known at different stages as ``Longshot'' and ``Jack of All Trades.'' Described variously as a vanity project or home movie of his pop acts, it stars soap-opera actress Hunter Tylo and Trans Continental vice president Tony DeCamillis; features actor Paul Sorvino and comedian Gilbert Gottfried; and has cameos by Britney Spears and 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake. Pearlman said last week that it has found an international distributor and will be released in Europe in September.
7/21/01-With CD sales for the first half down 8 percent from last year, the industry hopes new releases from *NSYNC and Britney will make up for the lag.
7/20/01-Fans Start Petition To Get Pop Odyssey on TV. Here is our petition:
To: TV Networks 'N Sync's Popodyssey Tour is their biggest tour to date, but thousands of heartbroken fans across America are unable to see them. Last year, HBO aired a live version of the No Strings Attached concert at Madison Square Garden. It attracted millions of viewers, and ratings soared. Fans ordered the station just to see the concert. If a television network chose to air the concert, 'N Sync fans everywhere will be greatful and ratings would skyrocket. 'N Sync has had every tour aired; why quit now? The concert specials generate thousands of viewers. By signing this petition, you're showing your support for a potential TV special of the Popodyssey Tour. To sign:
http://www.petitiononline.com/dirtypop/petition.html
7/20/01-Will boy bands drop off pop's top pedestal? Will boy bands drop off pop's top pedestal? It's hard to live up to so much past success. Now, some critics are saying 'N Sync and the rest are played.
When 'N Sync's new CD, Celebrity, arrives in stores Tuesday, the country's pre-eminent boy band will face a formidable competitor. And if the guys want to confront this nemesis face-to-face, they need only stare in the mirror. After all, it was 'N Sync's previous album, No Strings Attached, released in March 2000, that set the impossible commercial standard against which Celebrity will inevitably be judged. After intense anticipation and an exhaustive promotional campaign, Strings sold more than a million copies on its first day of release alone, and set a new SoundScan record for first-week sales: 2.41 million copies, more than twice the amount that previous champs -- and rival teen-pop group -- the Backstreet Boys sold the first week their 1999 album Millennium was available. But that was 16 months ago -- an eternity in the mercilessly fickle world of pop music. The life span of a teen idol in particular is seldom a long one; and having formed in the mid-'90s and released two hugely successful albums, 'N Sync -- whose eldest member, Chris Kirkpatrick, is now pushing 30 -- has already survived and thrived longer than many had expected it would.
''There's definitely pressure on us now,'' Kirkpatrick says. ''But it all comes from critics and the media. You know, we could sell 15 million copies of our new album, which is more than our last one sold, and it would still be considered a failure if we sell only, say, 1.5 million copies the first week -- because we won't have broken our own record.''
In fact, despite the 11-times-platinum status of Strings, some industry insiders and observers have already begun sounding the death knell for the genre and generation of music that 'N Sync represents. Five years after the Backstreet Boys' first album launched the latest bubblegum-pop conquest of radio and MTV, a number of teen-'zine-friendly acts are having a more difficult time either cultivating a mass audience or following up promising debuts. A CD released by 98 Degrees was one of last year's biggest commercial disappointments; in recent weeks, heavily promoted albums by the rising young group LFO and Mandy Moore, a blond baby diva who has been likened to Britney Spears, entered the Billboard chart at No. 87 and No. 35, respectively. And Backstreet is suffering some grown-up trauma of its own, with member A.J. McLean currently in rehab for depression and alcohol abuse.
''I think we're in a phase right now where there's no question that the bloom is off the teen-pop rose,'' says Alan Light, editor in chief of Spin. ''Superstars like 'N Sync and Backstreet and Britney and Christina (Aguilera) can still sell records, but they'll face a challenge even if their sales start to dip a little -- if there's any sense that they've peaked.''
Backstreet member Howie Dorough acknowledges that he has begun to sense ''a little backlash'' since the release of his group's most recent CD, Black & Blue. ''In the past year, I'd say, radio has become too saturated with this pop sound -- especially the Max Martin sound,'' he says, referring to the Swedish songwriter responsible for numerous bouncy, ear-candy hits for top teen acts, including Spears and 'N Sync. ''We originated that sound, and then all the record companies wanted to mass-produce it. Now we've found that radio stations don't want too much of that sound anymore.''
Indeed, many have speculated that 'N Sync's relative staying power can be attributed in part to the group's use of different musical styles, many of them drawn from modern R&B, hip-hop and dance music. While Backstreet's latest single, More Than That, is a midtempo ballad that has fared best on adult-contemporary radio formats, 'N Sync's new album -- for which the band members did much of the writing -- embraces even more of the urban-influenced rhythms and textures that informed Strings.
Artistic growing pains
''It seems like where you go from teen pop is either into adult-contemporary ballads or into more explicit hip-hop territory,'' says Rolling Stone columnist Rob Sheffield. ''The Backstreet Boys took the first route and 'N Sync took the second -- and the second was the smarter one to take.'' Sheffield describes 'N Sync's first single from Celebrity, Pop -- which was certified the most-added song to pop radio in early June -- as ''Fisher-Price hip-hop. But 'N Sync is doing a lot right now to expose preteen suburban girls to hip-hop, much as New Kids on the Block exposed that audience to hip-hop 10 or 11 years ago. That's the niche they've created for themselves.''
Kirkpatrick, predictably, feels that 'N Sync's latest effort shows more sophistication and daring than Sheffield suggests. ''One of the biggest compliments I've gotten from people who have heard our new album is that at first they say things like, 'They've blown it -- this is the end of their career. They've changed their style too much.' But later, the same people say, 'I'd like to learn how to do tracks like that.' ''
Adds Kirkpatrick bandmate Justin Timberlake: ''We're trying to grow as artists, and that can be hard to do when there's so much speculation about you. When this album comes out, critics could say, 'What were they thinking, trying to write their own music?' But we want to do that now, and to learn how to produce and master records. These are things we've wanted to do all along.''
Airplay Monitor editor Sean Ross says there are ''some program directors who don't think that 'N Sync's new record will have the same legs as Bye Bye Bye,'' the first single from Strings. ''Some people probably wish the group sounded more like it used to. But the cycle of pop music is such that what worked a couple of years ago isn't necessarily going to work in 2001, regardless of genre. And 'N Sync clearly tried to address that by not coming back with Bye Bye Bye, Part II. They made a record that sounds more like the times.'' Dave McKay, program director of top 40 station WPST in Trenton, N.J., shares with Ross, Sheffield, Light and most other insiders the belief that 'N Sync is ''definitely the most popular boy band now. If any act is going to be hurt a bit less by a trend away from that kind of pop, it's going to be them.''
But McKay questions to what extent that trend exists. ''Part of me thinks things are slowing down for these artists, but another part thinks the industry is saying they ought to slow down, and we're making them slow down. We all start talking about it in trade (publications) and at conventions, that this cycle has to end, and we're the ones who can make it happen.''
Wishful media thinking
Sheffield muses, ''The decline of teen pop has been predicted for so long, and it's mostly wishful thinking on the part of the media.'' Certainly, retailers are more bullish on 'N Sync's new project. Tower Records has launched a marketing campaign for Celebrity that entitles all who pre-order the CD to a free CD-ROM featuring the Pop video, behind-the-scenes footage and MTV preview clips. Tower's chief marketing officer, Ron Nugent, reports that as of three weeks before the album's release, it had already become the chain's most successful pre-order program in two years. ''There is such a high demand for this type of consumer,'' Nugent notes of 'N Sync's audience. ''I don't know if this album will eclipse last year's, but it will definitely be one of the strongest releases this year.''
TransContinental Entertainment president and CEO Lou Pearlman, the boy-band guru who oversaw the rise of Backstreet, 'N Sync and LFO -- and is now working with rising group O-Town -- believes that the reign of teen idols in pop music will only end ''when God stops making little girls.'' But Pearlman adds that ''music styles will change . . . and if you don't change with the flow, you'll end up with a limited timeline. You can be a teen band for no more than five years on average -- after that, it's all about music and longevity.''
Jon Zellner, operations manager for Kansas City top 40 station KMXV and adult-contemporary station KSRC, agrees. ''With their last album, 'N Sync reinvented themselves and made themselves cool again to a teen audience,'' Zellner allows. ''But making the transition from a teen star to someone who can bridge the generation gap between moms and their kids is a whole different thing. I can't think of one teen group, other than The Beatles, that has done that.'' But the members of 'N Sync, who cite The Beatles as big influence -- along with another former teen star named Michael Jackson -- refuse to believe that the odds are against their cultivating a diverse and loyal audience.
''We see our audience evolving, but we don't want to leave anyone behind,'' Kirkpatrick says. ''We won't say, 'We're done being a kids' act now,' so that we can get more respect. Our music is high-energy and fun, and little kids pick up on that. And older kids can say, 'You know what? The music's still great. I'm not into the whole teenybopper thing anymore -- I won't buy T-shirts with ('N Sync) on it -- but I still love their music.' ''
7/17/01-Stadium Workers Fight After 'N Sync Concert. A confrontation between two part-time workers at a concert in Mission Valley turned violent early Tuesday morning, sending one of them to the hospital with stab wounds, 10News reported.
Roy Willis, 36, and Troy Talbot, 22, were working at a concert featuring the band 'N Sync around 1:30 a.m. when they became embroiled in an argument, leading to a fight in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego police Lt. Dave Elliott said. As a large crowd of people leaving the concert gathered to watch the fight, "Talbot used a folding knife to stab and cut Willis on the head," Elliott said. Officers responding to reports of a "large fight" took Talbot into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, the lieutenant said. "It was determined that no one else was involved," he added.
"Willis was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital for treatment of wounds in the back of his head," Elliott said. His condition was not immediately available. Willis' injuries required more than than 100 stitches but were were not considered life-threatening, according to 10News.
The cause of the argument that sparked the violence was not immediately determined, police said.
7/17/01-'N Sync Gathers Stars For Children's Charity Event. 'N Sync has confirmed the celebrity lineup for its third annual "Challenge for the Children" charity event. Scheduled for July 27-29 in Las Vegas, the fund-raiser will feature appearances by artists such as Britney Spears, Destiny's Child, Ludacris, and Lil' Bow Wow, and a host of athletes, including NBA stars Reggie Miller, Tracy McGrady, and Antawn Jamison.
The weekend begins with a Friday evening 'N Sync concert, which will include a number of surprise guests. Saturday afternoon is highlighted by "Celebrity Challenge," a series of physical competitions, including sumo wrestling and a slam dunk contest, hosted by commentators Ahmad Rashad and Pat O'Brien. A VIP auction will be held in the evening. Sunday afternoon's basketball game will conclude the weekend, with Ludacris performing at half-time.
Other guests scheduled to appear throughout the weekend include singer Christina Milian, actor Donald Faison, R&B artist/producer Jermaine Dupri, rapper Ja Rule, actor Tom Arnold, singer Dante Thomas, and supermodel Tyson Beckford. Tickets for the individual events are available at Tickets.com. A two-day pass, which does not include the Friday concert, can also be purchased.
7/17/01-'N Sync's forthcoming Jive album, "Celebrity," is due July 24. First single "Pop" is No. 41 on The Billboard Hot 100 this week.
7/17/01-Boy band bites back at critics on 'Celebrity.' The new issue of Vibe, the hip-hop magazine, has a feature on the pop phenomenon *NSync. It's stuffed with more backhanded compliments than Archie had for Edith.
According to the article, *NSync is the one boy band that "serious" rap and R&B acts are taking seriously. The proof, mainly, is that Brian McKnight produced "Selfish," a white-underbelly new-soul ballad that appears on "Celebrity," the group's third album, in stores next Tuesday. Elsewhere on the album, Stevie Wonder blows a little harmonica on "Something Like You." But such a good fortune doesn't keep this commerical colossus from complaining about its critics. Tight there on the first track: "Sick and tired of hearing all these people talk about/What's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out?"
That lead track, "Pop," is produced by electronic artist BT, who no doubt took the money and ran all the way to his new lair in Tahiti. The song coins *NSync's new, self-assigned nicro-genre - "dirty pop," which evidently combines stark Prince-style electric guitar with the busy canned rhythms of two-step, England's latest nightclub sensation.
As advertised, there are some appealing production touches on the group's third album. "The Game Is Over" features the record's sole sample credit, and it goes to "Pac-Man". Ingeniously, the synthetic chopming sounds of the old-school gameboy are incorporated as percussion. And Justin Timberlake's "Gone" manages to be lush and spare at once, bettering the typical acoustic soul ballad by more than a few whiskers.
7/17/01-Fan Climbs Onstage During BBB At San Diego Show. During the last song of the concert "Bye Bye Bye" a female fan who was near the catwalk part of the stage somehow managed to get up onto the stage and basically attacked Justin. Their bodyguard litteraly had to rip her off of him. Then for the rest of the song he didn't use his left arm and held it real close to his stomach like it was hurt or something. It's so sad because they make an effort to have the stage closer to the fans, and yet they still have to deal with crap like that.
7/17/01-Chicago: Win A Chance To See *NSYNC in the Caribbean Taping! *NSYNC will be giving special performences for KISS FM in the Caribbean!! And if you're interested, and want to try to win tickets, you can listen to KISS 103.5 FM, and call in for a chance to win!
7/17/01-Review From "Road To Celebrity" Taping! At the taping of Nsync:Road to Celebrity on Monday they performed 2 songs: Gone and Pop. They held a car decorating contest, and the girls that won got front row tickets to that nights concert. The Nsync fan bus girls Winter and Meredith were there and were on TV. Merideth and Winter are trying to find sponsers and since no one would sponser them 'Nsync will!!! They also counted down on their most memorable moments.
7/17/01-Winter and Meredith confirmed that *NSYNC is going to sponsor them! Lance made the annoucement on the Bus to the girls. He also pleaded that more sponsors should get involved because *NSYNC stands behind them! They worked so hard on their trip, going from 1,000 to 14,000 miles already this tour! If anyone happens to run into them at any of the 'Nsync concerts ask them about how Joey used their bathroom on the bus! And don't forget to check out the "Road To Celebrity" special on MTV, July 21 @ 12 pm
7/16/01-*NSYNC Plan Winter Assault On Europe. *NSYNC have told NME.COM that they are planning to make their live return to Europe this winter. Revealing that the band - whose new single 'Pop' went into the charts at Number Nine yesterday (July 15) - are laying plans to visit Britain in November, singer JC Chasez admitted that the band have neglected their fans in Europe.
He said: "There was a time when we were just huge over there and we couldn't go out on the streets... and now we can't get arrested in Europe. It's because we 're just not there. We haven't been there enough because the States is such a big territory." He added that the group had been at pains to prove to their European audience that there was more to them than the average boyband.
He stated: "We are five musicians. We are five singers. We would go out and do a capella stuff just to prove to the European audience that there wasn't a tape playing behind us. We weren't out there just to sell them a T-shirt."
And Chasez had a dig at other boybands who were doing the rounds at the same time as *NSYNC, dismissing them as "bland", and adding: "When we were releasing over in Europe, there was a lot of - for lack of a better word - just bland things going on. Everybody would get a formula and then just work with it. When we started in Europe, there were two other groups that were all guys like us. We just went out there and said, 'This isn't exactly our style'."
*NSYNC, who release their new album 'Celebrity' next week, July 23 (in Europe) are currently on the road in the US.
7/16/01-The following is from Melinda at nsync.com
Almost a week away from the release of the new album! WOW how time flies. It seems like just yesterday that NSA was being dropped. CELEBRITY, July 24th!!! Two days before my brothers birthday..happy b-day Jimmy.
We are getting ready for a long day tomorrow in San Diego (what a beautiful city) We are filming a bunch of stuff with MTV. Just to give you guys an idea of what the day in the life of *NSYNC is here is what our day is going to be like tomorrow...7am wake up, go and do rehearsals for MTV, film segments for MTV, tape MTV show all between 8am and 3pm. Oh yeah we have 1/2 hour in there to eat lunch. Then it is straight to the Venue for Sound Check Party at 3pm followed by the guys putting on a show for the peeps in San Diego. Then we drive to Phoenix. So if you think the life of a Celebrity is all glamour...wrong! :)That is just a sample of the days these great guys put it to do what they love the most...Perform for their fans.
Challenge For The Children III is just around the corner...hmmmm second year in a row that CFTC is the same week as a major event. Last year it was the HBO Special, this year it is the Album Release. So much for sleep that week. There are still plenty of tickets for both days events...come on West Coast Fans...the East has sold out twice don't let us down now. Many children are counting on you.(just a little pressure)Call 1-800-tickets to get the 2day value ticket. We are going to have really cute merchandise this year including the exclusive teddy bear, tshirt, girlie shirt, pins, lanyards, and an awesome program with never before seen photos. Come support a great cause.
See you soon, stay *NSYNC
Melinda
7/16/01-That's Not The Ticket: Pop Music's Cool Summer. Love a good pop concert but can't stand the crowds? This might be your summer. Audiences have plenty of stretch-out room on Rod Stewart's tour. Sales for some Eric Clapton dates have been soft, and the George Strait Country Music Festival is struggling to sell out shows, even after scaling back from stadiums to modest-size amphitheaters. The Backstreet Boys, sidelined for a month while a group member kicks a drinking problem, will return in September with a less ambitious schedule.
This summer's concert season is starting to look like one of the weakest in years. Ticket sales are down 12 percent in the first six months of the year compared with the first half of 2000, according to Pollstar Magazine, which tracks the industry. Just 10 tours managed to gross $10 million between January and the end of June, compared with 19 last year and 16 in 1999. Blame the downturn in the economy, coupled with rising ticket prices, says Pollstar editor Gary Bongiovanni. "The conventional wisdom for a while was that the concert business was recession-proof because people needed to be entertained," he said. "That might have been true in 1991, but since then ticket prices have essentially doubled. Concert tickets are no longer a frivolous expense."
The average ticket price for the top 50 tours in the first half of the year was $46.69, according to Pollstar. That represents a 6 percent increase over prices in 2000 and more than twice the $21.22 that was the average a decade ago. Oddly enough, it's the pricey tours that are selling best. Top tickets for the well-attended U2 Elevation tour went for $130. The average seat for the Elton John-Billy Joel tour was about $100. Madonna, meanwhile, is charging $200 for some seats and, on a limited basis, $450 for a ticket included with a "VIP" package -- which includes a souvenir, parking and entrance to a pre-show party. (The Material Girl apparently won't attend.)
But charging extravagant sums seems to be hurting dozens of lower-profile tours, especially those featuring performers -- such as Tom Petty or Don Henley -- without albums on the charts. Even platinum-selling boy bands are scaring up fewer fans than they expected, either because teen pop is finally waning or because the bands have over-saturated a limited market. 'N Sync was initially supposed to play two dates at RFK Stadium, as it did last summer, then decided one evening would satisfy demand. The Backstreet Boys considered playing RFK, according to a source in the promotion business, then scaled back to Merriweather Post Pavilion. The group's problems go well past member A.J. McLean's recent announcement that he would enter a rehab center to beat an alcohol addiction and depression. "Black & Blue," the band's last album, was a disappointment, failing to yield a monster hit single and slipping quickly down the charts just weeks after its late 2000 release. Badly overestimating their popularity, the Boys were initially booked for five shows at the Fleet Center in Boston. Once the band returns from a 30-day hiatus, it's now slated to play three. But don't count either of these acts out yet. With an average gate of $1.3 million a night, Backstreet was the third-highest-grossing tour of the first half of the year, according to Pollstar. 'N Sync, which averaged $2.9 million a night but played far fewer dates, was No. 4.
7/14/01-Get Celebrity snippets Online. For all those people whose local radio station isn't playing clips they can hear SIX songs at *NSYNC-WORLD. (an Official *NSYNC website) They have clips of "The Game is Over," "Tell Me... Tell Me Baby," "Up Against A Wall," "Gone," "Girlfriend," and "The Two of Us." Usually they only give you about 10 seconds but this time they are over a minute.
7/14/01-'NSYNC Express Support For Backstreet Boy's Struggle. "I wish the guy the best. I hope he pulls it together." — J.C. Chasez
Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean's revelations of depression and alcohol abuse shook the pop world at its foundations, and perhaps no one can better understand the pressures of being in a multiplatinum pop group than the members of 'NSYNC.
While J.C. Chasez didn't claim to fully relate to McLean's plight, he did offer his condolences.
"I really don't know what to say about that, except for, you know, I hope he gets better," Chasez said in a telephone press conference Friday (July 13). "It's kind of sad that he's got a problem like that, and I wish the guy the best. I hope he pulls it together. At least he's admitted to himself that he has a problem. And that's pretty much the first step."
"Our prayers are with him," Lance Bass added.
The intense schedule of 'NSYNC's PopOdyssey tour, which kicked off May 23 in Jacksonville, Florida, is leaving them little time to get anxious about the release of Celebrity, which hits stores July 24. The group's most recent album, last year's No Strings Attached, broke the record for first-week sales when it debuted to the tune of 2.4 million copies sold, so expectations are obviously high.
"We're so wrapped up in the tour [that the album] is not the only thing on our minds," Chasez said. "Right now we're just getting the audience reactions, because we're playing half of the album on the tour. We're kinda looking at the audience to see if they're digging it. So far we like the reaction that we're getting. I don't know if we're going to break the [sales] record [with Celebrity], but then again, it's a nice position to be in that you don't have to break your own record."
7/14/01-'NSYNC Express Support For Backstreet Boy's Struggle. "I wish the guy the best. I hope he pulls it together." — J.C. Chasez
Backstreet Boy A.J. McLean's revelations of depression and alcohol abuse shook the pop world at its foundations, and perhaps no one can better understand the pressures of being in a multiplatinum pop group than the members of 'NSYNC.
While J.C. Chasez didn't claim to fully relate to McLean's plight, he did offer his condolences.
"I really don't know what to say about that, except for, you know, I hope he gets better," Chasez said in a telephone press conference Friday (July 13). "It's kind of sad that he's got a problem like that, and I wish the guy the best. I hope he pulls it together. At least he's admitted to himself that he has a problem. And that's pretty much the first step."
"Our prayers are with him," Lance Bass added.
The intense schedule of 'NSYNC's PopOdyssey tour, which kicked off May 23 in Jacksonville, Florida, is leaving them little time to get anxious about the release of Celebrity, which hits stores July 24. The group's most recent album, last year's No Strings Attached, broke the record for first-week sales when it debuted to the tune of 2.4 million copies sold, so expectations are obviously high.
"We're so wrapped up in the tour [that the album] is not the only thing on our minds," Chasez said. "Right now we're just getting the audience reactions, because we're playing half of the album on the tour. We're kinda looking at the audience to see if they're digging it. So far we like the reaction that we're getting. I don't know if we're going to break the [sales] record [with Celebrity], but then again, it's a nice position to be in that you don't have to break your own record."
7/14/01-'NSync Discusses Celebrity, On The Line Soundtrack. 'NSync treated select journalists to a teleconference call from Denver on Friday (July 13), where the multi-platinum boy band discussed the pressures of Celebrity, two new songs on the On the Line soundtrack, and, yes, breaking the record.
Celebrity (Jive), the follow-up to 2000's No Strings Attached, the biggest first-week seller in the history of the SoundScan era at 2.4 million copies (allstar, March 29, 2000) -- hits stores July 24 with a world of expectations on its back.
"One of the best things about being on tour is that we're so wrapped up in the tour, [the release of the album] is not the only thing on our minds," says JC Chasez. "I think we'd probably be more obsessed with it if it was the only thing on our minds. Right now, we're just hoping it goes well, and we're getting the audience reaction to the playing of half the album on the tour. We're looking at the audience to see if they are digging it, and so far we've liked the reaction that we're getting."
The album, which includes collaborations with artist-producer BT, the Neptunes, and, believe it or not, Stevie Wonder on a track called "Something Like You." Don't think the boy band wasn't a tad humbled, either.
"Justin [Timberlake] said he was really intimidated because if something was a little bit wrong, he'd have to say, 'Yeah, Stevie, could you do this just a little bit different?'" says Chris Kirkpatrick. "And then he would get off the talk back and say, 'I just told Stevie how to do something, which I shouldn’t have done' so it was really cool."
Celebrity sees at least two members of the group -- Timberlake and Chasez -- stepping up to a larger songwriting roll than on previous albums, perhaps explaining the Michael Jackson '80s-era influence at various points throughout. "I think everything comes around and you gotta remember the '80s is when we were growing up," says Kirkpatrick. "That's what we listen to... that's the music that helped inspire us."
In other 'NSync news, the group will have two new tracks: Kirkpatrick's "Falling" and "That Girl," on the soundtrack to On the Line, starring Bass and group mate Joey Fatone. The latter track was written by Kristian Lundun, who also co-wrote "Bye Bye Bye." On the Line is due out in October on Miramax Films with the soundtrack to follow on Jive Records. 'NSync is also looking to put together a European tour beginning in November.
But back to the most pressing matter at hand. Whether or not 'NSync does top its own record remains to be seen, but it's indisputable that a helluva lot of copies of Celebrity are going to cross the bar code scanners come July 24 (the album is already No. 3 on CDNOW.com's Top 100, despite being available only as a pre-order). Either way, Chasez isn't all that concerned.
"It's a nice position to be in that you don't have to break your own record," he says.
7/12/01-The following is from Melinda at nsync.com
Hi everyone!
We have been in Denver for 2 days off. The guys went white water rafting and camping!! Don't know if they have seen any bears. I am sure I will get some good stories. We are getting ready for the big record launch and charity event. The guys are going to be on Jay Leno the 23rd. Be sure and watch. Iam going to keep this short so I can go enjoy Vail, Colorado. I will write another entry after I check in with the Wilderness guys!! HAHA
Stay *NSYNC
Melinda
7/12/01-Special Taping At San Diego Concert. Just to let everyone know the MTV special that will be airing on July 21st is going to be taped at the *NSYNC concert in San Diego. If you live in the area, or close to it you can try to get in by going to www.seatfiller.com sign up and request the *NSYNC special.
7/12/01-*NSYNC Drop to #3, Send their Regards To AJ. On TRL today Nsync was at number 3! Carson said they haven't been that low since Febuary! We have to vote for them and get them back to one! Also, in a statement about A.J.'s problems from Johnny Wright it said that all 5 Nsync members have them in their thoughts and prayers. BET on the other hand you can only vote once a day! http://www.bet.com/106andpark/
7/12/01-Concert Grosses Down Significantly. The slowing economy has struck a sour note along the pop concert trail. The $508 million earned by the top 50 concert tours during the first six months of 2001 is down more than 12 percent from the same period a year ago, according to the concert industry trade publication Pollstar. And because of an increase in ticket prices, the concert downturn is steeper when measured by how many tickets were sold. The 10.9 million tickets bought to see the top 50 acts is nearly 16 percent lower than the 12.9 million during the same time last year.
The concert business used to be relatively insulated from economic downturns, but the price of tickets has changed that, said Gary Bongiovanni, Pollstar editor in chief. "I don't know if it's right to call them luxury items, but it's not a frivolous expense to go to a concert nowadays,'' he said.
Irish rockers U2, who grossed $69 million on a well-reviewed tour, is the year's top money-earner so far. But Rod Stewart's tour, for instance, has played to half-empty arenas much of the year.
The average price of a concert ticket for one of the top tours was $46.69, Pollstar said. That's more than double the $21.40 average during the last recession in 1991.
The downturn doesn't affect the biggest acts - U2 and Madonna, for example - but more midlevel acts can be expected to feel it, Bongiovanni said.
Teen bands 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys both finished among the top five. But their ticket prices are both more than $50 apiece and they're not selling nearly as fast as they used to, he said. "Acts like that may need to cut back on their touring,'' he said, "which may be difficult because you don't know how long their career is going to last. It's a really tough decision if you're the manager for these acts.'' For the Backstreet Boys, the decision was made for them: the band canceled the remainder of its U.S. and Canadian tour this week when member A.J. MacLean entered rehab for depression and alcohol use.
A better picture of the industry's health will come in the next few months. Traditionally, most concert dates come in the summer months.
7/12/01-Britney, Janet, 'NSYNC Hits Reappear On Now 7. If the producers of the "American Pie 2" and "Rush Hour 2" soundtrack albums expect their records to duke it out alone for the top two album-chart positions when they debut July 31, they're forgetting that Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 7 hits the same week. The latest installment of the blockbuster series features the usual rock, pop, R&B and rap radio faves as well as a few more obscure surprises. Destiny's Child leads off with "Survivor." Other pop tracks include Jennifer Lopez's "Play," Britney Spears' "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know," 'NSYNC's "This I Promise You" and a remix of the Backstreet Boys' "The Call." More rockin' numbers include Aerosmith's "Jaded," Lifehouse's "Hanging by a Moment" and American Hi-Fi's "Flavor of the Weak." On the hip-hop and R&B tip, Nelly punches in with "Ride Wit Me," Mystikal offers "Danger (Been So Long)," and 3LW provide "Playas Gon' Play." Collaborations include Eve and Gwen Stefani's "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" and R. Kelly and Jay-Z's "Fiesta."
The five more recent Now collections have all charted in the top three, and volumes five and six are still in the top 200. Now 6, which features 'NSYNC's "Bye Bye Bye," Destiny's Child's "Independent Women Part 1" and Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me," debuted at #1 in April and is currently #15.
Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 7's track list, according to its publicist:
Destiny's Child - "Survivor"
Janet Jackson - "All for You"
Samantha Mumba - "Baby, Come Over"
Mandy Moore - "In My Pocket"
Jennifer Lopez - "Play"
Backstreet Boys - "The Call (Remix)"
3LW - "Playas Gon' Play"
Nelly - "Ride Wit Me"
Mystikal - "Danger (Been So Long)"
R. Kelly with Jay-Z - "Fiesta"
Eve with Gwen Stefani - "Let Me Blow Ya Mind"
City High - "What Would You Do"
Britney Spears - "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know"
'NSYNC - "This I Promise You"
S Club 7 - "Never Had a Dream Come True"
Lifehouse - "Hanging by a Moment"
Aerosmith - "Jaded"
Evan and Jaron - "From My Head to My Heart"
American Hi-Fi - "Flavor of the Weak
7/11/01-Meet Chris & the FuCrew in San Diego & Hollywood. SoCal Stop #1: San Diego. Thanks to Nordstrom and 93.3, FuMan Skeeto will be appearing at the Fashion Valley location for yet another FuMan Skeeto instore signing... here is all you need to know about the event.
Date: Sunday, July 15th
Time: 6 pm to 7:30 pm
Location: Fashion Valley Nordstrom 6997 Friars Rd. San Diego, CA 92108
Notes: 93.3 and FuMan Skeeto will be giving away 2 pairs of *Nsync tickets to the show at the Qualcomm Stadium set for Monday July 16th so if you wanna win... you've gotta be there!
SoCal Stop #2: Hollywood. Bloomingdales is the place to be on Tuesday, July 17th as Chris and the crew "pass through" another one of FuMan Skeeto's retail partners for a fun filled hour and a half of autograph signing, ticket giveaway and total chaos. Here is all you need to know about this event:
Date: Tuesday, July 17th
Time: 4 pm to 5:30
Location: Beverly Center Bloomingdales 8500 Beverly Blvd Los Angeles, CA
Number: 310-854-0070
Notes: KISS FM and FuMan Skeeto will be giving away 2 tickets to see *Nsync on the sold out "Pop Odyssey" tour at the Rosebowl in Pasadena on Tuesday, July 24th so if you wanna win... you've gotta be there!
7/11/01-Radio Stations Play "Celebrity" Snippets. Local radio stations are starting to give previews off the album! Of course they are only playing snippets but they are playing the songs!
7/10/01-Chris Hurts Wrist, Tour Still Goes On. Chris [supposedly] broke his wrist on stage in Dallas. Word is he hit his hand on something and broke it. He's okay though and no shows are being canceled. People who went to the NSYNC concert in Dallas last night said that Chris has a large cast on his left arm. A rumor is that he ran into a wall (typical Chris for you).
7/10/01-Justin to Cover Spike's 'Rent'? Here are two names you've probably never seen in the same sentence: Spike Lee and Justin Timberlake. While they may sound like an odd couple, word has it that Timberlake and Lee might work together soon on Lee's upcoming film project, the big-screen version of the late Jonathan Larson's Broadway hit, "Rent."
Timberlake would like the role of Mark, the filmmaker, and sources told me he has already auditioned for Lee. Timberlake has been studying the musical. Just last week, the 'N Sync star and his girlfriend, Britney Spears, were spotted in the audience of the long-running show. At intermission, the couple ventured backstage to meet the cast and chat. Later, Spears was spotted clutching a tissue through the second act.
A rep for Timberlake did not return calls for comment. Lee's rep said they had no comment.
7/10/01-'NSync will perform Sunday at Texas Stadium in Irving, but fans have another chance to catch a glimpse of Mr. Kirkpatrick sooner than that. He said he sometimes rides his motorcycle before a show and gets caught in traffic on the way to the venue. It gives him a chance to see things like handmade posters and kids wearing the band's shirts.
7/10/01-Band tries to stay 'N Sync. It's 7 p.m., 30 minutes before showtime and more than two hours before the main event, and Steve Fatone is on stage in the Trans World Dome tossing cameras, T-shirts and cell-phone headsets to the crowd in the prime seats.
Fatone doesn't say so, but he must be a close relative -- say, a brother -- of Joey Fatone, one of the five members of 'N Sync, the heaviest of heavyweights in the world of teen pop. Despite his proximity to music royalty, Steve Fatone is not above promoting the corporations that are sponsoring 'N Sync's gargantuan "PopOdyssey Tour 2001," a 43-show tour that stops at 35 football or baseball stadiums. It stops at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday.
"If you don't get a free camera," Steve Fatone yells to the crowd, "you can go up (to the concessions) and buy one."
In many ways the giveaways and commercials that bombard the crowd before the show begins fit one purpose of this tour: to separate 'N Sync from other pop fads and establish it as a pop-music institution with an instantly identifiable logo and identity -- like Verizon and Fuji, two of the tour's sponsors.
But no other product will be promoted more heavily this evening than "Celebrity," the follow-up to 'N Sync's monster "No Strings Attached" album. "Celebrity" will hit stores July 24, and it faces inevitable sales comparisons to its predecessor, which has sold nearly 12 million copies since its release in March 2000 (2.4 million copies its first week).
Though the music industry will be watching first-week sales of "Celebrity," this tour makes it clear that 'N Sync isn't interested in repeating itself for the sake of just another blockbuster record. Everything about "PopOdyssey"-- from the videos played on the screens to the music from "Celebrity" to some of the suggestive male-female dancing -- makes it clear that 'N Sync is looking for things bigger than teen-pop celebrity: wider respect, more legitimacy and longevity.
Hip-hop hobnobbing. The atmosphere this evening is loud and electric, befitting a place built to house Super Bowls and Final Fours, and the crowd is a demographic hodgepodge: mostly teen-age and preteen girls and lots of nuclear families. But there also are plenty of adults without children, groups of boys without girls, threesomes of 20- and 30-something women and many college-age students, in groups and couples. Most of the crowd is white, but unlike other 'N Sync shows the last four years, there's a small but noticeable contingent of African-Americans, which some observers think is evidence that 'N Sync is on the verge of doing the unthinkable: crossing over to the urban-music crowd.
In the latest issue of Vibe, a magazine that covers urban music, Mimi Valdes writes, "Lots of black people are beginning to admit they like 'N Sync. But don't think that coming to grips with this has come easy. It's like our first impression of Eminem. Some of us were a little uncomfortable admitting that last year's biggest hip-hop success story belonged to a white boy, but he does have skills. And for those who don't already know, so does 'N Sync."
When "Celebrity" comes out, its liner notes will include several big-name black artists and producers, like Rodney Jerkins, the Neptunes and Brian McKnight. And though you won't hear 'N Sync on KPRS-FM (103.3), Kansas City's biggest urban station, you might catch the group on Black Entertainment Television, which has shown the group some respect. "The black audiences like them a lot," Pat Charles, a senior script writer for BET's "106 and Park," told The Star. "They pay homage to the influences they've received from the black culture. They have worked with everyone from Janet (Jackson) to Brian McKnight. JC (Chasez) rapped on Blaque's album, Funkmaster Flex spins at their parties..."
And during "PopOdyssey" intermissions, the crowd is treated to rap videos, like "It's Tricky" by Run D.M.C., "So Fresh, So Clean" by Outkast and "Stutter" by Joe, which features some salacious bedroom scenes and a randy guest appearance by Mystikal -- not exactly teen-pop fare.
It's hard to gauge the intent of all that hobnobbing with hip-hop. 'N Sync either wants to break significantly into the urban-music crowd or to gain credibility with another crowd -- older, 20-something white fans who listen to Nelly, Outkast, Lauryn Hill and other crossover hip-hop/R&B artists.
The latter seems likelier, which also would explain 'N Sync's use of high-profile DJs and producers in the electronic world, like BT (Brian Transeau), who produced "Pop," the first single off "Celebrity," and the Iranian-born duo Deep Dish, who will produce their own "Pop" remix.
It's also significant that at all the stadium gates, ticket checkers were confiscating homemade signs and posters from youngsters, promising to deliver all signs of devotion to the guys backstage after the show.
The official explanation: safety and convenience -- so no one's view would be obstructed by a waved sign. But it's not hard to imagine that a group trying to shed its boy-band image would want to do away with displays of puppy-love sentiments like "I (heart) Lance!!!" and "Justin Will U Marry Me??"
The pop type. The music from the new record dominates the "PopOdyssey" show. In this domed stadium, which was built to hurl sounds back at the crowd, the mix is awful at times, especially during the new stuff -- a brash, high-energy blend of pop, electro-funk, hip-hop and R&B. None of that mattered, though, because the 100-minute show was a manic, visual spectacle: a rush of lasers, flash pots, mechanical space-age bulls, video interludes, guide-wire flights and an array of garish (sometimes ugly) fashions and costumes. During "Up Against the Wall," the guys wore Velcro suits and were flung against a wall, where they stuck for a while (an old David Letterman gag). The older songs, obviously, got the biggest responses, especially "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You," which they performed atop long, tall pedestals, and "It's Gonna Be Me." The guys have honed their act over four-plus years of performing. Their vocals are better, and their dancing is much improved -- more New Edition than New Kids.
'N Sync opened its set with a video of someone typing out the definitions to "pop" and "odyssey." "Pop" was defined as a noun and an adjective in the context of something that attracts a large audience.
The crowd at the Trans World Dome was indeed large -- just over 32,000 -- but smaller than the crowd of 50,000-plus that nearly filled this place for 'N Sync back in November. Elsewhere on this tour, crowds have averaged more than 45,000.
According to Amusement Business, during a three-show run at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., in early June, 'N Sync drew Springsteen-like numbers: nearly 155,000 people, only 20,000.
7/1/01-"Bigger Than Live" Opens July 26th in Australia. Bigger than live starts showing at Imax Darling Harbour, Sydney on the 26th July.
7/9/01-Lance Goes Unnoticied at Pepsi 400. Hearts were racing and seating was limited in the drivers' meeting Saturday night thanks to a special appearance by pop star Britney Spears. As the grand marshal for the Pepsi 400, Spears was an invited guest to the traditional pre-race meeting. Her inclusion meant young children were suddenly interested in following their fathers to the meeting.
Just before the meeting was set to begin in an empty garage, Spears entered through the back and walked up the aisle through the screaming kids. Once she got to the front, a swarm of fans surrounded her asking for autographs and posing for pictures. "What can you say?'' driver Sterling Marlin said, shaking his head as his crew chief's daughter ran off for Spears' autograph. He laughed when the squealing girl came back waving her piece of paper. It wasn't all fun for everyone, though. A reporter who tried to ask Spears a question got into a scuffle with one of her bodyguards before NASCAR president Mike Helton intervened.
Spears wasn't the only celebrity in the meeting, but she was the only one to draw attention. Lance Bass from 'NSync made his way through the garage unnoticed, as did college football analyst Lee Corso.
7/9/01-STEPPING FORWARD WITH "CELEBRITY.'' Bass calls "Celebrity'' another step forward for 'N Sync. With staccato beats and herky-jerky rhythm, and its lyrical defense of pop music in general, "Pop'' is a case in point. "It's not radio-friendly,'' Bass says with pride. ``There's no songs like it. It doesn't have a formula. It was scary to release it, actually.''
The rest of ``Celebrity's'' 13 songs take 'N Sync even further afield from the slick sounds of the group's first two albums, he says. Contributors and guests run the gamut from techno favorite B.T. (Brian Transeau), who co-produced ``Pop,'' to R&B hit-maker Brian McKnight and longtime 'N Sync collaborators Max Martin and Kristian Lunden. Stevie Wonder even plays harmonica on one track.
Bass says ``dirty pop,'' a phrase from ``Pop,'' is an apt description of what 'N Sync was after, and he says the group also has embraced the new two-step blend of techno and R&B styles currently popular in Britain.
``Of course we have the big, epic ballads we always have, the huge movie soundtrack songs and 'wedding' songs. Then most of the songs on the album are the big, fun, dance (tunes),'' he says. ``The thing that we want to show with this new album is just a different sound.''
A BIG YEAR ALREADY. When it comes out, ``Celebrity'' will be the biggest project in an already eventful year for 'N Sync. It started with a performance at the Super Bowl halftime show, where the group sang with Aerosmith , Timberlake's girlfriend, Britney Spears, rapper Nelly and Mary J. Blige. The quintet inducted Michael Jackson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will take part in a pair of tribute concerts for the ``King of Pop'' this fall at New York City's Madison Square Garden. A new series of Barbie dolls dressed as 'N Sync fans has been issued, and the group has even survived that pinnacle of superstardom, the celebrity death rumor (a widely disseminated bogus report that Timberlake and Spears were killed in an auto accident). But Bass acknowledges that such rumors are a modest price to pay for the success 'N Sync has experienced -- and hopes to maintain in the future.
"It's way more relaxing now, definitely,'' says Bass, who also produced and acted (with bandmate Fatone) in the forthcoming film ``On the Line.'' "You go through a lot of crap the first four years of your career, and I think it's harder on a group like us that's definitely not respected at all at the beginning. You really have to fight the criticism and all the comparisons. So, yeah, we definitely had a long way to go, and we worked our butts off to get here."
7/9/01- I-530 Crash Kills 11-year Old Girl. A Sheridan Intermediate School student died early Thursday and five girls were injured , when the Chevrolet Surburban they were in was hit by another vehicle that drove away, Arkansas State Police said. Sarah R. Bakken, 11, was with five friends and two adults going home from the N Sync concert at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock about midnight when the accident happeded.
7/9/01-Man Faces Charges After Girl Dies in Post-Concert Traffic. A White Hall man was charged with manslaughter Friday after police decided his vehicle caused a collision that killed an 11-year-old girl on her way home from an 'N Sync concert.
7/9/01-*NSYNC Bigger Than Live Has International Debut. The film is building up steam and it will open in Las Vegas, Sydney, Tokyo and Los Angeles next weekend!
7/9/01-Nominate *NSYNC for MTV VMAs. MTV.com has the completed the page about with 2001 Video Music Awards which will air on Thursday, September 6. This year, they have taken the Viewer's Choice Award one step further to give the power to the people; You can now vote on who will be the nominees for the award. This year's contenders are Nsync "Pop," Backstreet Boys "The Call," Britney Spears "Stronger," Eminem feat. Dido "Stan," Destiny's Child "Independent Women pt. 1," J-Lo. "Love Don't Cost a Thing," Ja Rule feat. Lil Mo "Put it on Me," Weezer "Hash Pipe," Snoop Dogg "Lay Low, " Staind "Its Been Awhile," Dave Matthews Band "I Did It," Eve feat. Gwen Stefani "Let Me Blow Ya Mind," R. Kelly "Fiesta Remix," U2 "Beautiful Day," and Crazytown "Butterfly." The nominees for other categories have not be announced yet, but you can check out the contenders.
7/6/01-'N Sync still spinning "Pop" gold. When the superstar pop vocal group 'N Sync sat down to pick the songs for its upcoming album, the quintet found itself at odds with its record company.
The Florida-based group, which has sold more than 25 million records worldwide since debuting in 1997, wanted to rock the boat with "Celebrity," which is due in stores July 24. But Jive Records executives worried that too much change might make fans disinclined to buy, buy, buy like they have in the past. "They were like, 'I don't know. I don't like that song. I don't think you should go there. It's too different,"' Lance Bass, the 22-year-old bass voice of 'N Sync, recalls with a laugh. "And we're like, 'No, that's what we want to do. We don't want to do 10 'Bye, Bye, Byes' or three 'God Must Have Spents.' That's why every song on this album is different from each other.
And they're all ... cool."
The stakes for "Celebrity" are high. The group set a sales record with its last album, 2000's "No Strings Attached," which moved a whopping 2.4 million copies its first week out. But with some of its teen pop peers suffering flagging sales lately, 'N Sync wants to temper expectations for a repeat. "There's gonna be huge competition with 'No Strings Attached,' definitely...everyone's gonna expect us to beat the record from last year," Bass says. "But I'd rather not beat it and end it now so that the next time we release an album we don't have to beat 'Celebrity.' Eventually, we're going to have to sell less than we have."
Credit Bass and his bandmates -- Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and JC Chasez -- with a keen cultural awareness. A consensus is emerging that the teen-oriented pop scene that has dominated showbiz during the past four years has finally crested. A recent cover story in Entertainment Weekly magazine proclaimed "The Teen Bust," pointing to decreasing (though still platinum-plus) sales for Backstreet Boys, along with disappointing box-office returns and ratings for youth-targeted movies and TV shows as, evidence of a downward spiral.
'N Sync, however, has so far managed to hold its own. Its new single, "Pop"-- a track from "Celebrity" co-written by Timberlake -- soared up the radio airplay charts and almost immediately became the No. 1 song on MTV's "Total Request Live." And in advance of "Celebrity," a collection of material composed and produced mostly by 'N Sync's members, the band has been playing to sell-out crowds in stadiums since May.
"The one that's got some issues is Backstreet Boys," says one tour promoter. "'N Sync has been fairly bullet-proof."
7/6/01-Britney Spears, Whitney Houston and *N SYNC are among the celebrities who will appear on CBS' "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration, The Solo Years" , to be taped Sept. 7 and 10 at New York's Madison Square Garden for broadcast during the 2001-02 season. The special will also reunite the Jackson family for the first time in 20 years. The often-reclusive musician will perform solo for the first time on stage in 11 years and will join Houston and Spears for duets. In addition to sharing youthful success, Jackson and Spears have both been Pepsi's choice spokes-stars in their respective generations. In a decades-spanning collision of boy bands, the Jacksons will present a number with *N SYNC as well as a medley of their past recordings.
7/4/01-The following is from Melinda at nsync.com
Hello Everyone! Let the countdown begin...20 days until Celebrity hits the streets. Happy 4th of July! We have a show tonight in Little Rock. Therefore, yesterday we had our 4th celebration. All the guys bought fireworks and boy oh boy did they put on a show. I am sure the neighbors enjoyed it. (hope we didn't keep anyone awake, LOL) We played Volleyball, had water fights, watermelon eating contest..yeah Poodle won!! Played twister, and barbequed. it was lots of fun.
Everyone in Vegas, I hope you heard Lance and Justin on the radio Monday. They called in to talk about Challenge For The Children. If you missed it call the stations and ask them to replay it. Justin called KLUC and Lance called KISS. I want to make sure everyone knows there are plenty of great seats left!! For Saturday's Skills Challenge the Plaza is the lower level! We had to push the bottom in because we have to fit the obstacle course and just so y'all know we are not even opening the balcony so EVERY seat is a great seat. Come now come out and support a good cause, besides how can you miss Justin trying to win the slam dunk contest? The best thing to do is to call 1 800 tickets and get the two day ticket!
Other news, Lance and Joey's movie has been testing and people LOVE IT! It will be in theaters the end of September, beginning of October. All of you that have been to a concert have seen the trailer.
Don't forget if you are attending a sound check party, write the guys a short note with your section and seat number and if you hand it to me it just might be part of the show that evening. Thank you to everyone that has given them fan letters. They really enjoy reading them and I truly can say we have THE BEST fans in the world!!!
As usual I am late packing my bags, luggage call in 15 minutes...go have a great day, and do something nice for someone!
Stay *NSYNC
Melinda
7/3/01-*NSYNC Noted in the Guinness Book. Page 446 of the 2001 Guinness Book (paperback edition): "Fastest-selling pop album" The record for the greatest first-week sales of an album is held by pop group *NSYNC (USA). They sold 2.41 million copies of their album "No Strings Attached" when it was released on March 21, 2000."
7/3/01-Michael Jackson's Concert Expanded. Organizers of the festivities for Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary concert have expanded it to two shows. In addition to the original Sept. 7 date, a second concert will be held Sept. 10 at Madison Square Garden, publicists announced Monday. At both concerts, Jackson is scheduled to perform music from his upcoming album, "Invincible.'' The concerts will mark the King of Pop's 30-year-long solo recording career. Organizers have tapped a "who's who'' of entertainers to pay tribute to Jackson, including 'N Sync, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, Britney Spears and Missy "Misdemeanor'' Elliott. The 42-year-old Jackson also will reunite with his brothers for the first time in years. The show is scheduled to be broadcast on CBS at a later date.
7/2/01-N'SYNC GloGear At Walmart. You've scored tickets to 'NSYNC's POPODYSSEY Tour Now get yourself noticed by sporting 'NSYNC GloGear necklaces and score extra points with the hottest boyband June 2001. Get the latest in concert jewelry - 'NSYNC GloGear necklaces! Worn by the boys themselves, 'NSYNC has their own line of GloGear necklaces, with three styles of the infamous 'NSYNC logo, now on shelves at Walmart retailers nationwide. These concert accessories magically illuminate from the inside out, glistening and glowing for up to 20 continuous hours in blue, red, amber, or green light, and even have replaceable batteries to keep wearers glowing with the music all night, concert after concert, if you're so lucky! Original GloGear styles including Star, Heart, Butterfly, Daisy, Rockstar and Dragon charms have been seen on stars from Dream, Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Pink, Mya, Gwen Stefani and Mandy Moore, to name a few. The mystery behind GloGear is remarkable, using patented technology combined with magnets, stylized charms and tiny batteries to emanate brilliantly when lit. Also at Walmart, find specially designed Britney Spears GloGear necklaces in three different styles including a Fairy, Britney "B" and the Britney Daisy. For more information or to find the Walmart nearest you, log onto www.glogear.com or www.walmart.com.
7/2/01-*NSYNC Promoters to Foot $15,000 Bill for Grass. In the SF (San Francisco) Chronicle in the Sports section on Sunday was the following article:
Thanks to an *NSync concert Tuesday at the Brewers' new home, Miller Park, 1,000 square yards of sod (behind second base and in left-center) needed to be replaced in time for this weekend's series against Houston. The $15,000 bill will be sent to the concert promoter.
7/2/01-'N Sync Shoulders The Burden Of 'Celebrity.' 'N Sync is ready for a little respect. The group sold 14 million copies of 2000's "No Strings Attached" worldwide, according to Jive Records. It set a SoundScan record by selling 2.4 million copies in the U.S. during its first week of release. Now, the group's new album, "Celebrity," is due July 24 in North America.
Justin Timberlake's jaw is getting a little tight. The topic of conversation is 'N Sync's forthcoming Jive album "Celebrity," (due out July 24) and for a guy asserting that he's "completely cool and happy," he sounds a bit angry. "The truth is that it can be tiresome to be continually blasted by critics because we don't fit their preconceived notion of what a 'credible' group is," Timberlake says. "I wonder if they listen to our music before venturing an opinion." Looking around the cavernous Cleveland arena where the act is about to play another show in a string of sold-out gigs, Timberlake releases his tension with a deep breath, eventually flashing a wide smile. "In the end, it's no big deal. We make music for the people. Right now, we're extraordinarily blessed; we're reaching a lot of people."
Still, it's undeniable: 'N Sync wants respect. After selling 14 million copies of 2000's "No Strings Attached" worldwide, according to Jive (not to mention setting a SoundScan record by selling 2.4 million copies in the U.S. during its first week of release), the act is ready for a pat on the back.
Enter "Celebrity." More than "No Strings Attached" and the quintet's 1998's eponymous breakthrough, this project strives to be an accurate expression of their musical point of view, with Timberlake and 'N Sync colleague J.C. Chasez co-writing 10 of its 13 tracks. The two also participated in the album's production, collaborating with BT, Rodney Jerkins, Brian McKnight, and the Neptunes, among others. "Our objective was not to be self-conscious and try to make another hit record," Chasez says. "Instead, we set out to make a record that was more reflective of what turns us on musically. We also wanted to prove that pop music comes in a lot of different flavors. It's not all bubble-gum."
That intention is most evident on "Pop," the single that previews "Celebrity." Masterminded by Timberlake with co-writer Wade Robson and club veteran BT, the track is a crafty, anthemic blend of Cameo-style electro-funk beats, Euro-pop synths, heavy-metal guitars, and Timberlake's now-signature human beat-box riffs. Atop the instrumentation are pointed lyrics like "Dirty pop that you can't stop... Think you need to realize that what we're doing is not a trend," delivered with equal parts pride and indignation.
"We put everything that is not considered 'pop music' in that song," Timberlake says. "It's time to re-educate the new generation about what pop really is: a collection of sounds and genres. How you mix it all together is what makes pop music interesting and popular."
The philosophy seeps through "Celebrity," as it deftly combines spirited, funk-fortified jams that stick close to the formula of past hits like "Bye Bye Bye," with more adventurous experimentations in soul-spiked hip-hop ("Girlfriend," "See Right Through You") and the U.K.-bred 2-step club sound ("The Two of Us," "Up Against the Wall"). The act (which also features Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass) is at its best, though, on such sweet, harmony-laden ballads as "Selfish," "Something Like You" (with Stevie Wonder guesting on harmonica), and the haunting "Gone."
" 'Gone' is about as raw as it gets," Chasez notes. "It's just us and a beat-box, with just a tiny accent of acoustic guitar and violin. That song is a proud moment for us; it really shows how tight we are as a group."
"Gone" is among the six "Celebrity" tunes included in the set for 'N Sync's current concert tour, which was launched more than a month before the album's release. "It's a new idea," notes Johnny Wright, president of WEG Entertainment, the Orlando, Fla., company that manages the act. "We're bringing a large portion of the album to the fans before it's available in stores." It's unusual to play so many new songs in concert, but it seems to be working. Chasez says, "By the end of each one, the crowd is with us and singing along. That's a good sign." Jive president Barry Weiss agrees. "The fact that audiences are responding so well so immediately to these new songs in this setting is incredible. It indicates to us that we've got an album of immeasurable creative and commercial depth."
'N Sync is scheduled to remain on the road through August, after which the members will take a break to explore outside projects. Timberlake is mulling over film offers, while Chasez is pursuing outside production projects and Kirkpatrick is launching a clothing line. Fatone and Bass will use that time to promote "On the Line," a Miramax film in which they are both featured. The project was co-produced by Happy Place, Bass' production company, and the Jive soundtrack to "On the Line" will include two previously unavailable 'N Sync songs.
Still, Chasez insists that "nothing will seriously distract us from working this album harder and longer than any other we've ever made."
For now, the act is aggressively working "Pop," which went to radio May 14. The song was first heard on MTV, a longtime 'N Sync supporter, live via satellite from a tour rehearsal May 11. The song's elaborate video, directed by Wayne Isham, was also the subject of the May 28 edition of network's "Making the Video" program.
Jive and MTV (which is sponsoring the 'N Sync tour, along with Verizon, Nabisco, and SFX Entertainment) will continue collaborating on marketing "Celebrity" with a weekend package of programming, July 21-22, titled "The Road to Celebrity." During the weekend, the act will play several songs at a tailgate party in the parking lot of a venue where they're scheduled to perform. The band is also slated to appear July 24 on MTV's "Total Request Live."
Timberlake believes that the potential success of "Celebrity," as well as the ongoing visibility of fellow pop acts, is laying an interesting foundation for the next generation of critical darlings. "It's gonna suck for the next Nirvana or whatever 'cool' rock band that comes along in about 10 years from now," Timberlake says. "The next generation of critics are being raised on 'N Sync and Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. Their measurement of quality is going to be different. It's going to be interesting to see the next Nirvana blasted for not having a big stage show."
7/2/01-The Definitive Track-By-Track Source. THIS IS FOR THE UK RELEASE OF CELEBRITY! NME.COM trumpeted the return of *NSYNC with a review of 'Pop' which concluded that if 'Celebrity' followed in that first single's footsteps it stood to be the most sophisticated pop album ever made. Well, the results are in. And...
Well, 'Celebrity' fails to disappoint on virtually every level, and if *NSYNC are really following in Jacko's footsteps as much as 'Pop' suggests then they won't have any problem emulating his technique of releasing six singles off one album. 'Celebrity' will leave Jive spoilt for choice while other pop acts' greatest hits albums will suddenly seem like a shoddy collection of B-sides. In fact, it's not too much of an overstatement to say that 'Celebrity' could very easily be one of the most exciting, futuristic pop albums ever made. Talk of rivalry between *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys must stop now: *NSYNC have set their sights even higher, and if the Michael Jackson album is better than this he's a very, very lucky man.
1: 'POP' (3.57)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Wade J Robson
Produced by: BT/Justin Timberlake/Wade J Robson
You may already have heard this one. Apparently MTV have played the video once or twice. Here 'Pop' takes its full-length form - ie the one in the video - which means we get (a) More gratuitous axe action in the middle eight, (b) More chorus at the end, (c) Justin's human beatbox extravaganza shoved on the back of it all. All three of these are very cool indeed and since the length of the song is still only four minutes you kind of wonder why it wasn't the single version. There are some strange people at work in the music industry.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
2: 'CELEBRITY' (3.17)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Wade J Robson/J Valentine
Produced by: Rodney Jerkins/Justin Timberlake/Wade J Robson
As the Spice Girls proved, any old fool with a bit of cash in their bank account can wheel out Rodney Jerkins for a bit of knob-twiddling, but this mid-tempo number comes off better than a lot of the Jerkster's recent offerings, and Britney's already had him (on the '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' cover) so it's about time Justin and co. got a bit of his attention. "I've been thinking about the things that satisfy you," Justin muses at the start, "I'm beginning to wonder what you see in me." Turns out it's all about Justin being famous! "If I couldn't buy you diamond rings and all those other expensive things, would you be so into me, if I wasn't a celebrity?" he continues. Now nobody needs paranoia in a relationship but Justin is quite famous and quite rich. Then again so is Britney so the argument sort of falls a bit flat. There is much scratching in the background, there are camera sound effects (because celebrities very often have their photographs taken), there is crowd noise, and there's a bit where they sing "j-o-b" like Gwen Guthrie in 'Aint Nothin' Going On But The Rent', which of course is a masterstroke. Anyway by the end of it Justin decides that he's had enough of it, concluding "Now I'm leaving you behind - I've found somebody who can love me for me". Which is nice for him.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ******** (8)
3: 'THE GAME IS OVER' (3.25)
Written by: JC Chasez/Alex Greggs/Brad Daymond
Produced by: Riprock 'n' Alex G/JC Chasez
Game over for the Backstreet Boys! Produced by top-notch remix outfit Riprock 'n' Alex G (their 'Oops! I Did It Again' reworking is a blinder), 'The Game Is Over' is one of the highlights from the current Pop Odyssey tour and stands up just as well without all the bells and whistles. (Not that there are many bells on Pop Odyssey. Explosions, yes. Bells, no.) "You act like everyone revolves around you," sing The Sink. "Baby, you're droppable and the game is through... You're tryin' to play both sides, you got caught up in your lies and now you're running out of time." All good. Also: vocoder bits of a man repeating the phrase 'Game over, game over' in the chorus. Then there's a sort of 303 axe solo in the middle eight as the band wail "how could you think that you do me like that?" over a mental breakdown bit which collapses and then kicks back in for a load more chorus at the end. One of the various good things about *NSYNC is that they know precisely how many times to do choruses at the end of the songs. 'The Game Is Over' comes complete with computer game blips - but not just any computer game. Oh no. It is the daddy of all computer games, ie Pacman. *NSYNC actually credit the sample! How cool is that? (Answer: almost unspeakably.)
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
4: 'GIRLFRIEND' (4.13)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Chad Hugo/Pharrell Williams
Produced by: The Neptunes
Peculiar song: if you're expecting The Neptunes ' production on 'Girlfriend' to be the big old spaz-out hiphop stomperama that frequently makes them so ace, you could be a little disappointed. BUT! If you're hoping for a nice little mid-tempo number about nicking someone's girlfriend then you're in luck. "He doesn't even know you're there," *NSYNC declare. "He don't love your eyes and he don't love your smile. The middle of the night, is he gonna be by your side?" A good question. *NSYNC suggest no. "Does the man even know you're alive?" *NSYNC's plan here is to get the girl to dump her current boyfriend. "If you were my girlfriend I would be your shining star," *NSYNC announce. Possibly a difficult offer to turn down, to be honest.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ******* (7)
5: 'THE TWO OF US' (3.50)
Written by: JC Chasez/Alex Greggs/Brad Daymond
Produced by: Riprock 'n' Alex G/JC Chasez
Jordan Knight's 'Give It To You': unexpectedly ace. *NSYNC's 'The Two Of Us': expectedly ace, and rather a lot like 'Give It To You'. Though we can probably sleep safe in the knowledge that *NSYNC will not be appearing in woolly jumpers if this ends up having a video made for it. "When we started baby we were friends, but that's not how this fairytale is gonna end. I was think then it clicked one day - that no-one else has ever made me feel this way." This song appears to be about deciding that you fancy your best friend which isn't really a terribly bright idea unless, possibly, you happen to be Justin Timberlake and/ Britney, in which case shacking up with your childhood chum has numerous plus points. "I toss and turn when I'm alone," we are also informed.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ******** (8)
6: 'GONE'(4.51)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Wade J. Robson
Produced by: Justin Timberlake/Wade J. Robson
You sometimes wonder whether, apart from the fact that they give you a chance for a bit of a breather when you're performing live, *NSYNC actually like doing ballads very much. They can be a little boring. However! This one is not boring. Starts off with lots of vinyl popping noises - not a particularly innovative idea, but you can't really go wrong with them, and a snatch of the music that accompanies the silent movie they play before performing this live. Fairly stripped- down production (acoustic guitar, pattering beats, violin during middle eight) works well with the theme of the song, which is basically that a relationship has gone tits up. "I've been sitting here, can't get you off my mind, I try my best to be a man and be strong. I drive myself insane wishing I could touch your face, but the truth remains. You're gone." A clock ticks about two minutes into 'Gone'. Nice effect.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ****** (6)
7: 'TELL ME; TELL ME ... BABY' (3.36)
Written by: Max Martin/Rami
Produced by: Rami
Basically as we know, Cheiron (the team of writers and producers responsible for most of the greatest pop music of the past half-decade) have gone their separate ways now but the Max Martin/Rami duo have come up trumps here. Obviously the familiar stops and starts, enormo chord changes and ringtone factor are all in place but Rami's obviously having a right old laugh producing this. The intro, in particular, is an all-effects-blazing blinder (including a bit where it whirrs to a halt and a Syncer chirps "Hold on - you know what? Can we back it up just a little bit?" before it all kicks back in again) while the song itself is a lot more sophisticated than even Cheiron's later output. You will also notice that the title 'Tell Me; Tell Me ...Baby' employs not only a Britney-esque '...' but - that holy grail of all pop punctuation! - a semi-colon. Semi- colons are brilliant.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********* (9)
8: 'UP AGAINST THE WALL'(3.36)
Written by: JC Chasez/Justin Timberlake/Alex
Greggs/Brad Daymond
Produced by: Riprock 'n' Alex G/JC Chasez
Upbeat, spunky, full of twinkling sound effects and wibbly bits; one of the best tracks on 'Celebrity'. (Note use of semi-colon in last sentence. See? We were right! They're ace!) Storyline thus: *NSYNC go to nightclub. *NSYNC notice beautiful lady. Beautiful lady "took my hand, never said a word at all". And bangs *NSYNC against a wall! Now there's a thought. In another bit, "she turned around and worked in the worst way". NME.COM is unsure precisely how to interpret this line, but if it's what we think it is then we have only one word, and that is crikey. "What more do I have to say?" they sing. Well, quite. Loads of "we don't, we don't care at all" chanting, then the song goes into a big old "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the cutest one you saw?" nursery rhyme bit, concluding "She's underneath the disco ball, disco ball, standing next to strobe lights". Disco balls? Strobe lights? Surely second and third only to dry ice in terms of brill things that can happen in nightclubs!
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
9: 'SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU' (2.52)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Larry 'Rock' Campbell/Wade J Robson
Produced by: Justin Timberlake/Wade J Robson
Another standout track on 'Celebrity'. Seems a lady of some sort has been cheating on *NSYNC (perhaps she's been grinding up against blokes in nightclubs). Chorus: "Look into my eyes, tell me what you see - you see a man who thought you loved me, you played me for a fool but I see right through you. I look into your eyes, I'll tell you what I see. I see a girl who ain't been lonely, you thought me had me fooled but I see right through you." Good lyrics. But they get even better! "These games they've got to stop. About to get pissed off." Yes, hold every front and/or homepage on the planet - *NSYNC use the phrase 'pissed off'. By this point in the album you sort of realise that *NSYNC are getting a bit moody these days, which is brilliant because most pop bands are so busy smiling and jumping off chairs in photoshoots that they forget they're real people who get annoyed - or, indeed, pissed off - about things. This is another upbeat number, and it instantly sounds like a classic. Imagine, if Dane Bowers had managed to get hold of this song he'd probably be able to get a hit single without having to witter to the press about 'haters' in a desperate attempt to generate publicity. Then again, The Bowers Boy wouldn't be allowed within a million miles of a song this good, because he is quite literally Dane Bowers , ie Not The Sink. To be honest the only bad thing about this song is that it's so short. Bring on the extended 12" version!
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
10: 'SELFISH' (4.19)
Written by: JC Chasez/Jolyon Skinner/Veit Renn
Produced by: Brian McKnight
SOUND THE BALLAD SIREN! Not much to say about this little number, really: could have appeared on either of *NSYNC's other albums, but would have been better served as a b-side. Quite a good chorus ("You can call me selfish but all I want is your love, you can call me hopeless baby 'cos I'm hopelessly in love") but it does rhyme "love" with "love" (SOUND THE COPOUT SIREN!) and the verses aren't up to much. There's one bit where the line "If love is a crime, punish me" comes up and you think for one awful moment that the line "If loving you is wrong I don't want to be right" is just around the corner. It isn't, fortunately. Not a future single, one would hope.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: **** (4)
11: 'JUST DON'T TELL ME THAT' (3.02)
Written by: Kristian Lundin/Jake/Andreas Carlsson
Produced by: Kristian Lundin/Jake Schulze
Look, this is just a bloody corker. More of *NSYNC's old Cheiron chums, which should already start 'TUNE' signs flashing in front of your eyes, and yet more grumpiness from The Sink. Another end-of-relationship effort, and "even if you did say you were gonna be there I don't want you back cos it's not about love - just don't tell me that." If it's not about love, what could it be about? Could it be the ice around the collective *NSYNC neck? Or could it all be about sex? Obviously not, as nobody in their right mind would want to do rumpo with Justin. THEN! The song pretends it's Air's 'Sexy Boy' for approximately two and a half seconds. The best bit is when the backing drops out and the chorus "You're. Not. Going. To. Love. Me" is spelt out with a big bang for each word. Probably the track on 'Celebrity' that most resembles anything from 'No Strings Attached'.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
12: 'SOMETHING LIKE YOU' (4.14)
Written by: Justin Timberlake/Robin Wiley
Produced by: Justin Timberlake Robin Wiley
Ballad. Stevie Wonder on harmonica. Blahdy blah.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ****** (6)
13: 'THAT GIRL (WILL NEVER BE MINE)' (3.24)
Written by: Kristian Lundin/Jake Schulze/Andreas Carlsson
Produced by: Kristian Lundin/Jake Schulze
Not ballad. No Stevie Wonder. Bring it on. Kicks off with trademark *NSYNC harmony showy- off bit then sets the scene - collective *NSYNC monster sees a woman "six feet ... from the catwalk". ie Not ugly. How will they get the girl? Well that's the problem. "How can I get next to her? Tell me how it's gonna be done - will I win or lose this one? Don't care about the fact that she's in a different league. Say it's no use but I try." Now let's just take a short reality check here. Justin Timberlake: the man who has snogged Beyonce and done all sorts of things that aren't sex with...
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ********** (10)
14: 'FALLING' (3.48)
Written by: Chris Kirkpatrick/Bryan Poppin/Gary Brown/Ira Schickmanv
Produced by: Roy 'Royalty' Hamilton
Well, we're heading towards the end of the album now so things have slowed down a little bit for all the lovers in the house, or whatever. The best ballad on 'Celebrity', 'Falling' does quite bizarrely actually sound like the PJ & Duncan song of the same name, which you'd imagine is something of a coincidence. You can probably guess the lyrics but the chorus runs a bit like this: "I'm falling, falling, girl I'm falling for you and I pray you're falling too. I've been falling falling ever since the moment I laid eyes on you." Notable for the line "I don't know what's come over me," which is something we can all associate with.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ******** (8)
15: 'DO YOUR THING' (4.19)
Written by: James Moss
Produced by: PAJAM (Paul 'PDA' Allen & J. Moss)
All in all quite a peculiar end to 'Celebrity', a sort of half-ballad half-stomper which has vocoders and includes a spurious bit of harmonising, which maybe isn't such a bad thing. This is a 'Pop Ya Collar'-style song about getting on with what you want to do and not letting the haters get you down. "You're doing your thing and you're doing it well," they insist, which is quite nice. Good rap bit at the end.
*NSYNC-type asterisks out of 10: ******* (7)
CONCLUSION
Not much evidence of Joey contributing much to the writing or production; perhaps he fell down a trapdoor on the way to the studio.
7/2/01-Two Bonus Tracks on UK "Celebrity." There's gonna be two bonus tracks on the UK version of "Celebrity" one of the songs is called "That Girl Will Never Be Mine," and the other song is "Falling." You can pre-order it at http://www.cdwow.co.uk. It's 8.99 pounds ($13.95) and it comes with free shipping and handling. If you order it now you will receive it on July 23 because that's when they release cd's in Europe (Mondays).
1.Pop
2.Celebrity
3.The Game Is Over
4.Girlfriend
5.The Two Of Us
6.Gone
7.Tell Me,Tell Me...My Baby
8.Up Against The Wall
9.See Right Through You
10.Selfish
11.Just Don't Tell Me That
12.Something Like You
13.That Girl Will Never Be Mine(BONUS TRACK)
14.Falling (BONUS TRACK)
15.Do Your Thing (BONUS TRACK)
7/2/01-What's Your Fav *NSYNC Moment? Do you have a favorite *NSYNC moment? In celebration of their upcoming Celebrity release, we're counting down your Top 10 favorite *NSYNC moments on MTV and we need your help. Take a look at the choices and vote for your ultimate moment. Tell us what you remember most and why it's your first choice. Then tune in to *NSYNC: The Road to Celebrity on July 21 at 12:00 p.m. ET/PT, 11:00 a.m. CT, when *NSYNC and Carson Daly will count down your Top 10 moments. And they'll even perform two tracks from their new CD Celebrity for the first time on MTV!
7/1/01-After being fired for spreading the false rumor that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake got in a car accident, DJ's Kramer & Twitch have landed a show from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on WKRK-FM in Detroit.
7/1/01-Top Grossing North American Tours. Top grossing North American concerts from Livedaily Board.
1 - U2, PJ HARVEY - FleetCenter-Boston. (June 5-9). Total Sales $5,620,260.
2 - 'N SYNC, BBMAK - Hersheypark Stadium-Hershey, Pa. (May 26-28). Total Sales $3,252,128.
3 - DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, MACY GRAY, WIDESPREAD PANIC - Sam Boyd Stadium-Las Vegas. (May 26-27). Total Sales $1,879,004.
4 - U2, PJ HARVEY - HSBC Arena-Buffalo, N.Y. (May 31). Total Sales $1,422,510.
5 - U2, PJ HARVEY - Hartford Civic Center-Hartford, Conn. (June 3). Total Sales $1,244,825.
7/1/01-''Right now, if you disappear for too long, you kind of get forgotten,'' confirms 'N Sync's Lance Bass. ''Or someone will easily step in and go, 'Okay, I can do it!''' He should know, since his own group stepped in on the genre's now old-timers, the Backstreet Boys. Last fall, ''Black & Blue'' sold nearly a million fewer copies in its first week than 'N Sync's record 2.4 million selling ''No Strings Attached'' did. That hardly made ''Blue'''s 1.6 million a flop, but the group has since downscaled its next tour from stadiums to arenas. They're reportedly
aiming smaller so the group can be closer to its fans.
7/1/01-Britney Wants To Break Away From Teen Image. Ananova reported that Britney Spears will work with dance producer BT on a track for her forthcoming album. He says she is keen to break away from her teen image. The producer has just finished working on NSync's forthcoming single Pop. He told NME.COM that Britney wanted to do something more cutting edge. But BT admitted he's not entirely happy with his association with pop acts. "I don't want to become the electronic guy who made a bunch of boy bands cool," he said.