Zack Sharf Digital News Director Joey Fatone recently told Yahoo Entertainment that he was “blindsided” when Justin Timberlake left NSYNC to set out on a solo career.
Fatone said the assumed expectation was that Timberlake would eventually come back to the hugely popular boy band, but that never transpired.
Timberlake went on to launch a solo career with his 2002 debut album “Justified” (2002) and never rejoined NYSNC to make new music until the 2023 release of “Better Place,” from the “Trolls Band Together” soundtrack.
Fatone and Timberlake were members of NYSNC alongside Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Lance Bass. “I was not blindsided by [NSYNC’s breakup],” Fatone said. “I was more blindsided as far as [Justin] coming out with music and not knowing that he was going to go and do an actual album/tour thing.” NYSNC went on hiatus in April 2002 so that Timberlake’s solo career could launch in the fall. “Justified” was released in November 2002 and turned Timberlake into a solo phenom thanks to the success of songs like “Cry Me a River,” which became a single shortly after the album’s release.
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