'N Sync To Join B*Witched, Billie At Women's World Cup
Ultra-hot boy band 'N Sync will perform at the opening ceremony of the Women's World Cup next month. Justin, J.C., Chris, Joey, and Lance will headline the event, which will be held on June 19 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Other performers include Irish girl-pop group B*Witched and Brit teen queen Billie. The U.S. is hosting the multinational soccer championship this year, with teams from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia competing. As for the guys in 'N Sync, it looks as if they've already caught World Cup fever.
'N Sync's Lance Bass Sidelined With Illness
Lance Bass from 'N Sync has taken ill with a stomach virus that sidelined him from last night's homecoming show in Orlando, Florida. The illness will also force him to miss tonight's concert at the Ice Palace in Tampa. According to a label representative for 'N Sync, the virus is nothing serious, and Lance is expected to rejoin the band after resting with family at an undisclosed location. 'N Sync will wrap up the spring leg of its current tour this weekend and will tape the May 17 show in Fort Lauderdale for a pay-per-view special tentatively scheduled to air in September. The group will then take a six-week vacation before returning to the road for a summer amphitheater tour starting on July 7 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
'N Sync Expands Horizons With Alabama, Gloria Estefan
Everyone’s favorite teen pop tarts, 'N Sync, are broadening their horizons, recording tracks with country heavyweights Alabama and Latin pop songstress Gloria Estefan. The boy band has a country radio hit on its hands after teaming up with Alabama. The 18-year veterans of the Nashville scene recorded a version of 'N Sync’s "God Must Have Spent (A Little More Time On You)" with the boys themselves on backing vocals. "I actually wish we could get a track for it and just do it at our shows because I'm getting bored with doing our version… I'm just kidding," the group's Justin joked with MTV News. "Actually, one of the guys in our group, Lance, when we first recorded the song, he's a big country fan, he said this song would be great," Chris said. "Yeah, this song would be a great country song," Justin added. "That's what he said and when we recorded it and the irony of them calling us. It's funny." The Alabama/'N Sync union can be found on Alabama’s album "20th Century," due out June 15th. eanwhile, 'N Sync has also recorded a ballad with Gloria Estefan called "Music Of My Heart" for the soundtrack to the movie "Face The Music." The film, due out this fall, stars Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn and Estefan in her first film role.
Water Balloon Ends 'N Sync Autograph Session
After going double platinum and staying atop the "Total Request Live" heap for more than a month, it seems like nothing can stop 'N Sync... except, of course, a water balloon. According to the Associated Press, the boy band cut short a personal appearance at Bloomington, Minnesota's Mall of America on Thursday after a water balloon was dropped from the mall's balcony. The disturbance reportedly unsettled the group's security team so much that they cut short 'N Sync's autograph signing at the mall by a half an hour. The would-be water balloon assailant is still at large. Unshaken, the group managed to go on to play their scheduled show Thursday night at the Target Center in nearby Minneapolis.
'N Sync: New Album, Movie In Works, Says Lance
'N Sync has been driving fans crazy for what seems like forever on its massive tour. Yet the guys have still managed to get some exciting new projects in the works, including a new album and a full-length feature film. MTV News' John Norris caught 'N Sync's Lance on the phone while the band was making a stopover in Idaho, and he filled us in on what the fivesome's been up to lately. When the group's tour finally winds to a close in May, Lance says, the guys will have about a month to record their next album. According to Lance, the band has been working with veteran production/songwriting team David Foster and Diane Warren, who each received 1998 Academy Award Nominations for Best Original Song. (Warren was nominated for Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" from "Armageddon" while Foster was honored for co-writing Celine Dion's "The Prayer" from "The Quest for Camelot.") Lance also told Norris that at least one song on the record will be co-written by Justin, and there will be at least one co-written by J.C. as well. Once the album is finished, the guys are going back into rehearsal for the "Boys of Summer" tour with Five and Jordan Knight. The trek gets underway in early July and will include overseas dates in the fall as well as the group's first-ever trip to Brazil. The as-yet-unnamed album is due out in October, right when the group plans to be working on its first movie. Not many details are currently available on the project, but Lance did tell Norris that the guys will be playing roles and not portraying themselves. He also mentioned that the group recently met with a number of writers in L.A., including Tom Hanks and some of his team. Miami is the guys' location of choice, and Lance said that the group may be looking to do something along the lines of the R-rated 1996 movie "Swingers." Does that mean we'd be seeing 'N Sync in an edgier, less clean-cut light on the big screen? Yes and no, explained Lance. He told Norris that a PG-13 might be warranted, but the flick would most likely earn a PG. We'll keep you posted on these projects as more details become available.
'N Sync Immortalized On Postage Stamps
It looks like 'N Sync has gone postal. First the U.S. Postal Service voted to add a stamp celebrating hip-hop to next year's '80s-related series (see "Hip-Hop Culture To Be Commemorated On '80s Stamp"). Now we have word that the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will issue stamps featuring Chris, Lance, J.C., Justin, and Joey. That's right. Starting May 2, 'N Sync will have its very own postage stamp. The island nations are among the few countries that allow living people to appear on stamps, and they've commemorated various entertainers in the past. The Postmaster of St. Vincent said she chose 'N Sync because the band "represented the best of what art and entertainment can present to young people, as they are positive role models with a positive message." The stamps, which cost one Caribbean dollar, can only be mailed from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but a website has been set up to help stateside fans get their hands on these very special souvenirs. Just point your browser toward www.nsyncstamps.com for more information.
'N Sync Gets Its Own Day In Connecticut
As if the boys in 'N Sync don't have enough, they now have their own day. Saturday has been declared 'N Sync Day in New Haven, Connecticut, where the group will perform Saturday night. The city of New Haven and the state of Connecticut will honor the heart throbs in a ceremony at the New Haven Coliseum at 5:30 on Saturday before the group's show.The move was prompted by a petition circulated by New Haven radio station KC101 (and DJ Kerry Collins) that collected some 250 signatures last Saturday. The station then presented the petition to the Mayor's office as well as to their State Representative, Chris DePino. Rep. DePino and a representative of the mayor's office will be on hand to present 'N Sync with the proclamation on Saturday. The New Haven show is just one small part of an ambitious tour schedule that sees the group play more than 80 dates through late August.
"Suddenly Susan" Comedienne Flaunts Her 'N Sync Fixation
If you've got it bad for one of the dreamboats in 'N Sync, you now have some high profile company. Kathy Griffin, red-headed co-star of the NBC sitcom "Suddenly Susan," spent at least a portion of her time at this year's Sundance Film Festival chatting about 'N Sync's Joey Fatone. Griffin was in Utah to promote her new movie "Dill Scallion" at the festival, and told MTV News' Chris Connelly, "I am in a relationship, a serious relationship, we're hoping to get the cover of 'People,' with Joey from 'N Sync and I'm hoping that there's a cover of Joey and I spooning on a hammock in the backyard of my Beverly Hills mansion. I think it's got a future. Joey's 21, and he thinks I'm 28, and that's fine for everybody, so I think those kids have a future." When asked about her alleged beau's thoughts on a scene in "Dill Scallion" where she curses out co-star Lauren Graham, Griffin added, "Joey doesn't know I curse. He says nice ladies don't do dirty things, and I say thank you Jesus... we're getting along just fine, but don't let Lance hear because he is jealous." "Who's Lance? Is that Backstreet Boys?" Graham interjected. "Can you believe she just said that?" Griffin incredulously quipped. "Backstreet Boys? She doesn't even know Lance from JC?" So what does Joey have to say about all of this? Well, he spoke with MTV News' John Norris via telephone on Thursday from London where the group was taping an appearance on "Top of the Pops." Joey noted that he and Griffin have been, "married four years, have three kids, and live in Omaha, Nebraska." Joey than admitted that 'N Sync met Griffin at the Billboard Awards recently, and the comedienne "likes to bust our chops."
