I’ve been listening to this on repeat for the last three or four days, if not watching the video. Why? I don’t know. Yeah- I know, it’s old. I know. Everyone had their day loving it. Yeah- it was a big hit. It’s typical super pop fare. Still, I love it.

I totally dug the boy bands of the 90’s, primarily for their characterization of youth, for their high energy pop, and for their exceptionally layered vocals. I guess this week I was reminiscing on them (I have a Pandora station that is primarily them mixed in with some dubstep and some house stuff, and I listen to ot often), and I thought I’d actually go watch an N Sync video of a song of theirs that I often heard on the channel and liked (this one). One, watching this video led me to see just how young Justin Timberlake was when this group came out. Two, it also let me see how talented and poised JT was at that young age. It signals to me that even then, he was pretty destined to make it big in entertainment.

I’ve always been a Backstreet Boys fan in the boy band wars, but this and a few other tunes have helped me to appreciate N Sync more.

And out of the novelty information bin, I offer this.

Researching a little about N Sync, I read on Wikipedia that N Sync came to life because the guy in this video the probably gets the least face time- Chris Kirkpatrick, the kid with the black spiked hair and black goatee singing background vocals- was a kid who got cut from making the Backstreet Boys. Undeterred, determined and chasing a dream, Kirkatrick approached the Backstreet Boys’ manager about forming another boy band- and was told to go find some talent. And so he did.

Eventually, Timberlake and his friend from the Mickey Mouse Club show, JC Chasez, joined the group, and the band was formed, and they got to work. in just a short time, they were huge in Europe, and then, as we know, took the US by storm.

Timberlake said that Chasez was the best vocalist of the group. That’s how the great JT felt about JC’s singing, and based on this song, I may agree with him. That guy is amazing.

I love how tight and well-blended the vocals are in this song. I suppose that’s part of the reason I like the music of groups like this.

I have to admit. There is a small part of me that wishes I could join a few fellows and be able to belt out a smooth ballad like this- with tight layered harmonies and all that. I would love to have the chops, and the opportunity, to try that.

Oh, to sing like these talented kids.