About 12 years since popular boyband *NSYNC split up, word on social media has it that a new album of the group has been released sans fanfare or even the knowledge of all five members of the band themselves. Is this Sony Legacy Records's version of pulling a Beyoncé?
"It's time to whip out the old binder with all of those 'N Sync magazine clippings (just us?), because Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Joey Fatone are back!" E! News reported. "The boy band's label pulled a Beyoncé on all of us and released a new album from the group today! In fact, it was so top secret and out of left field that the guys themselves didn't know it was happening."
Among the five, Lance Bass has been the only one so far to have commented on the low key release, albeit in a sarcastic tone.
"I love when the record label doesn't even tell you they are releasing a new 'NSYNC album tomorrow! #TheyCare," read Lance's tweet.
"No one knows about it, I didn't even know about it, OK?" the former NSYNC member said, as noted by Mashable. "[I found out] on Twitter. People were like, 'What is this?'"
"One CD is like all the hits and the other is all these random songs - the stuff we did on 'Sesame Street', 'When You Wish Upon a Star' at Disney and all of these random songs we would record that hardly anyone heard. ... I remember recording them, but I've never heard them before. ... Our label didn't even tell us. None of us, none of us knew at all. Our label didn't even tell us. None of us, none of us knew at all," he added.
MTV shared the complete track list of the 2-disc compilation album, which is as follows:
Disc 1:
1. Here We Go (Radio Cut)
2. I Want You Back (Radio Edit)
3. Tearin' Up My Heart (Original Radio Edit)
4. God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You (Remix)
5. Thinking Of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)
6. For The Girl Who Has Everything (Radio Mix)
7. Are You Gonna Be There
8. Music Of My Heart - Featuring Gloria Estefan
9. Bye Bye Bye
10. It's Gonna Be Me
11. This I Promise You (Radio Edit)
12. I Thought She Knew
13. I Believe In You - Featuring Joe
14. If I'm Not The One
15. Pop (Radio Version)
16. Girlfriend (The Neptunes Remix) - Featuring Nelly
17. Gone
Disc 2:
1. More Than A Feeling
2. Best Of My Life
3. The Lion Sleeps Tonight
4. Sailing
5. Everything I Own
6. God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You - Featuring Alabama
7. Somewhere Someday
8. Trashin' The Camp - Featuring Phil Collins
9. If Only In Heaven's Eyes
10. You Don't Have To Be Alone
11. On The Line - Featuring The On The Line All-Stars / Lance Bass / Joey Fatone / Mandy Moore / Christian Burns & True Vibe
12. That Girl (Will Never Be Mine)
13. Falling
14. Feel The Love
15. Selfish
16. See Right Through You
17. Believe In Yourself (TV Version - Sesame Street)
E! News noted that the "secret drop" apparently was a success as the album is now out of stock on Amazon on the day it was released.
Meanwhile, Yahoo! Music observed that the timing of the album's release should not be shocking as it happened exactly on the day that the group got its first and only Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit 14 years ago with "It's Gonna Be Me."