Book Review: NSYNC: 30th Anniversary Celebration

Release Date: October 8th, 2024

It’s been 30 years since five guys from Florida stole teen hearts around the world and became mega pop stars. And no, it’s not Backstreet Boys. Justin, Chris, Joey, Lance, and JC, better known as NSYNC dominated the late 90s and early 2000s with their soothing harmonies and slick dance moves. Whether you loved them or loathed them, they were inescapable. Their videos were in constant rotation on TRL, their faces graced monthly teen magazines, and their songs were everywhere. They soon knocked their rivals off their thrones to become the biggest boy band in the world. It’s a title they retain despite not releasing a new album in 23 years. Selena Fragassi honors their legacy and recounts their rise to superstardom in NSYNC: 30th Anniversary Celebration.

Fragassi’s book is a fun retrospective on everything and anything NSYNC. Starting with their pre-boy band days, she details Chris Kirkpatrick putting the band together, them signing an ill fate deal with Lou Pearl, how they dominated the pop charts, their breakup, and (mini) reunion. She digs into their many highs and lows, both in and outside of the band, such as legal disputes, controversies, and internal struggles. A big highlight are the photos featured throughout the book. Iconic photoshoots, live shots, and red carpet pictures are a blast to flip through, even if it’s just to judge their questionable fashion choices.

The most engrossing part of the book deals with the members’ lives post-NSYNC. Justin Timberlake’s solo career is well documented, so it’s refreshing to get more detail about what the rest of the guys were doing once NSYNC said bye, bye, bye (sorry). The book sheds new light on JC’s doomed solo career, Chris’ foray into fashion and rock music, Joey’s success on Broadway, and Lance’s failed acting career and cosmonaut ambitions.

Fragassi also gathers various interview quotes that provide insight into the band’s hiatus and ultimate breakup. Just like their millions of fans, most of the band was also surprised to learn that 2001’s Celebrity was their final album. They open up about their frustration with being strung along by record labels and Timberlake himself saying the band would resume “soon.” We learn about the various opportunities members turned down because they were waiting to record a new record. It leaves you disappointed knowing what could have been, but it brings a sense of closure to those still confused about why the band called it quits.

While NSYNC is the focus of the book, Fragassi dedicates several pages to the people who matter the most: the fans. A few fans share their own stories about discovering the band, meeting them, and even how they inspired their creative ventures. The different perspectives make you realize why this band matters to fans. Others may have seen them as a silly pop band, but for these fans, they were a band that changed their lives. And without the fans, we wouldn’t be talking about NSYNC now.

NSYNC: 30th Anniversary Celebration transports you back to the era when boy bands dominated the charts. It’s a fan-made homage made for fangirls new and old. For those who were there, it’s a fun retrospective that allows you to relive your best NSYNC memories. For newer fans, it gives you everything you could ever want to know about the band and more. The book leaves you with the realization that we’re still talking about this band 30 years later. A band that critics believed weren’t “real” musicians, were manufactured with no staying power, still resonates with people. Because whether you liked them or not, there’s no doubt they made a major impact on pop music that’s still felt to this day.

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