*NSYNC set Tuesday evening’s 2023 MTV Video Music Awards on fireplace once they reunited in the course of the broadcast and introduced Taylor Swift with one of the best pop Moon Particular person for her Midnights hit “Anti-Hero.” The group — consisting of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick and Lance Bass — spent their time onstage reminiscing about their MTV salad days, basking within the glow of the adoring viewers, and getting some severe love from a gobsmacked Swift.
However after Swift admitted she was “not doing nicely” pivoting from hugging her childhood pop crushes to accepting the award, she additionally mentioned the factor that was in all probability on everybody else’s thoughts: “Are you doing one thing? What’s going to occur now?”
After which… nothing else occurred.
The timing of the reunion was becoming, since lower than 48 hours later, *NSYNC introduced their first new track since 2002, “Higher Place,” their boppy contribution to the upcoming Trolls Band Collectively threequel starring Timberlake; the track is due Sept. 29. Within the lead-up to the awards present, longtime followers had been freaking out over posters round New York that appeared to tease the enduring *NSYNC emblem that led to this web site. That led to rampant hypothesis that, as Swift recommended, “one thing” would occur in the course of the prime VMA spot on the prime of the almost four-hour program.
The band didn’t, nonetheless, point out the film, nor the track, throughout their look, which got here within the midst of the the continued Hollywood writers and actors strike that started in Might when members of the Writers Guild of America walked out, adopted by SAG-AFTRA members becoming a member of them in July, successfully shutting down Hollywood.
*NSYNC did find yourself selling the track in an Instagram submit first shared on JT’s feed Thursday (Sept. 14), by which the quintet shared their emotional studio reunion (although there have been no tags referring to the movie, soundtrack or studio on the submit). “So many stars aligned, that’s why I hit y’all,” Timberlake tells his bandmates within the video. “If we do that track, it’s a love letter to our followers. I’d be honored to have the group on this track. Who’s prepared for a reunion?” The clip then shifts to Timberlake behind the boards giving the remainder of the group path on their vocal tracks whereas recording his personal vocals.
The submit begged the query: Did *NYSNC break the principles relating to the promotion of flicks and/or soundtracks in the course of the strike?
Earlier this summer season, SAG-AFTRA chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Eire broke down the strike guidelines about promotion of recent or beforehand accomplished initiatives, noting that artists are anticipated to keep away from selling music created for TV, movie or streaming below the previous contract in the course of the strike.
“Musicians who’re members of SAG-AFTRA are equally topic to the principles across the strike — we cowl vocalists within the music business, in addition to vocalists within the movie/TV/streaming facet and a few broadcast journalists — and when any member is engaged on a undertaking as an actor, then the principles imply that they don’t seem to be ready to advertise that undertaking, even when they’re extra generally called a singer or recording artist,” Duncan Crabtree-Eire beforehand instructed Billboard.
On the time, nonetheless, Crabtree-Eire additionally mentioned that members can’t enter into any new music licensing agreements or approve any new tracks for movie or TV initiatives and should stop selling songs already licensed during the strike.
Nevertheless, when reached following the VMAs — with out particularly mentioning the band or the track — a spokesperson for SAG-AFTRA instructed Billboard in an announcement that: “Whereas some songs are made for a film below our Theatrical CBA, others are made below our Sound Recording Contract and purchased by way of a license deal. Songs that aren’t made below our Theatrical CBA aren’t topic to the strike order and promotional guidelines.”
At press time, spokespeople for Timberlake and Trolls studio DreamWorks Animation couldn’t be reached for touch upon the promotion of the track, although a supply confirmed to Billboard that the monitor was coated below the Sound Recording Contract.
The 2023 VMAs had been noticeably gentle on the standard parade of A-list and up-and-coming Hollywood actors taking the stage to introduce acts or musicians plugging their newest appearing gigs as promotion has floor to a useless halt whereas the twin strike by actors and writers enters the autumn with no sign of ending.
The *NSYNC exception is completely different from the one governing Swift’s latest announcement and promotion of her Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour live performance movie. After that undertaking was introduced, a supply near the movie confirmed to Billboard that the Eras doc obtained clearance below an interim settlement struck by SAG-AFTRA protecting particular person non-AMPTP (Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers) productions that meet the identical requirements the unions are looking for of their negotiations with the studios; the supply added that the clearance was nailed down earlier than the Eras doc was shot in Inglewood, California, in the course of the first three nights of the singer’s six-night run at SoFi Stadium.
Billboard additionally confirmed that the Swift movie is included below an assumed identify on the checklist of accredited interim settlement initiatives.
For now, it’s unclear how a lot, if any, additional promotion *NSYNC will do for the track that seems in Trolls Band Collectively, by which Timberlake’s Department reunites along with his brothers to get their childhood boy band, BroZone, again collectively. Although *NSYNC received again collectively to file the track — and followers are predictably freaking out — within the movie, Timberlake’s bandmate brothers are voiced by Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs and Child Cudi.