Taylor Swift loses it as NSYNC reunite to present her Best Pop award at the VMAs

Nearly two decades after Justin Timberlake departed from the iconic group, and a full ten years since their last shared stage performance, the members of NSYNC made a triumphant return. 

This nostalgic reunion transpired at the VMAs, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and as anticipated, it caused quite a stir.

The audience’s response was electrifying. The loudest cheers, perhaps, came from pop sensation Taylor Swift, who was seated prominently in the front row next to the enigmatic Ice Spice.

Ensconced in coordinated ensembles of blue, grey, and white, the famed five members nostalgically harked back to their VMA award-winning videos. 

They swiftly transitioned to presenting the Best Pop award. Without missing a beat, Justin, speaking on behalf of the group, declared the winner to be “the unstoppable Taylor Swift” for her hit, Antihero off last year’s album Midnight.

Emotions ran high. Taylor, enveloped in hugs from friends including Ice Spice, was visibly overwhelmed seeing her childhood icons back on stage. 

© Bennett Raglin

She amusingly confessed her fan-girl past, saying: “I’m not doing well pivoting from this to this [from being an NSYNC fan to accepting an award]. Like, I had your [NSYNC] dolls!”

Her excitement bubbled over as she teased the band about their reunion, probing, “Are you guys gonna do something? I need to know what it is!” before graciously acknowledging her fanbase in her acceptance speech.

But Taylor’s question lingered in the air, echoing the sentiments of thousands: What was next for NSYNC?

© Kevin Mazur

Online chatter and reported leaks suggest that the group, with a song penned by Timberlake, has lent their voices to Trolls Band Together, the next chapter in DreamWorks’ animated saga. 

Notably, the narrative arc for Timberlake’s character, Branch, centers around a boy band reunion, potentially providing a clever and contemporary nod to the NSYNC phenomenon. 

The trailers intriguingly show the film’s boy band named ‘BroZone,’ with quips such as: “Branch, we’re out of synch. We’ve gone from boys to men, and now there’s only one direction for us to go: The backstreets!”

© Theo Wargo

Further fueling the reunion rumors, LA streets recently showcased posters blending the iconic NSYNC logo with troll-esque animated hairstyles.

The movie promises not only the potential harmonizing of Justin with JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick but also showcases an ensemble cast. 

Alongside Timberlake, Anna Kendrick lends her voice, joined by the likes of Camila Cabello, Troye Sivan, Kid Cudi, Daveed Diggs, Amy Schumer, Andrew Rannells, RuPaul, Zosia Mamet, Zooey Deschanel, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, the Icona Pop duo Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt, Anderson .Paak, Ron Funches, Kunal Nayyar, and Kenan Thompson.