Jive Is Tops In 2000 RIAA Certifications
(12.19) Source - Billboard: Jive Records' trio of pop heavyweights - *NSYNC, Britney Spears, and the Backstreet Boys - made the indie operation to best-selling label of 2000, according to the Recording Industry Association Of America's year-end certifications wrap-up.
�����*NSYNC led the way with its second RIAA Diamond award for U.S. sales of 10 million copies of its latest album, "No Strings Attached," in just nine months. Spears was up next, having sold 8 million copies of "Oops! ...I Did It Again." Spears also saw her debut album, "...Baby One More Time," sell another 3 million copies in 2000 to put it at the 13-times platinum level.
�����The Backstreet Boys completed the hat trick with the November release of "Black & Blue," which was simultaneously certified gold (500,000 copies), platinum (1 million copies), and eight-times platinum (8 million copies), the highest debut certification of the year. Throw in an additional 1 million copies sold of both the group's self-titled debut and 1999's "Millennium," and their 2000 U.S. sales reach 10 million.
�����All three albums from the Jive artists logged time at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 during 2000. Combined, the three artists sold 31 million albums this year as certified by the RIAA. A total accounting of Jive artists' releases for the year shows that the label sold nearly 40 million albums in the U.S.
�����"What else can you say about the success of Jive?" RIAA president/CEO Hilary Rosen said in a statement. "40 million records in a single year for an independent label is astounding and is a testament to both their marketing savvy and true understanding of their audience."
�����In total, the RIAA certified 340 gold, 179 platinum, and 255 multi-platinum albums in 2000. For a complete list of the year's certifications visit the RIAA's Official Web Site.
�����Here are other 2000 RIAA statistical highlights:
�����Combining the Beatles' hits collection "1" (5 million), with eight Capitol Records catalog titles, the group was certified for more than 18 million copies sold in 2000, the highest for any artist.
�����Santana's "Supernatural" (Arista) was the No. 2 selling album of 2000 (behind *NSYNC's "No Strings Attached"), with more than 8 million copies moved. "Supernatural" is also the best-selling album by an artist of Latin heritage. The set has been certified for a total of 13 million copies, earning Carlos Santana his first Diamond award.
�����Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP" (Web/Aftermath/Interscope) is the third highest certified album of 2000 at 7 million copies, and the best selling hip-hop album. The album's producer, Dr. Dre, had the second-highest certified hip-hop album with "Dr. Dre 2001" (Aftermath/Interscope), with U.S. sales of 6 million copies.
�����Creed's "Human Clay" (Wind-Up) sold an additional 6 million copies in 2000, bringing the total for the 1999 release to 8 million. The band's 1997 debut, "My Own Prison," sold an additional 1 million copies, to move it to five-times platinum.
�����Dixie Chicks and Faith Hill tied for highest certified country album of the year. Hill's "Breathe" (Warner Bros.) and the Dixie Chicks' "Fly" (Monument) each sold 5 million copies in 2000. The Chicks' set is now eight times platinum, while their debut, "Wide Open Spaces," tipped the Diamond mark in 2000 for sales of 10 million copies.
�����The Eagles' "Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" (Elektra) lost and regained the title of best-selling record of all time in 2000. The set, now certified for sales of 27 million copies, was passed by and then passed Michael Jackson's "Thriller" (Epic) for the honor.
�����Garth Brooks' "Double Live" (Capitol) album was certified for sales of 13 million copies in May, making him the first solo artist to sell 100 million albums, the top-selling artist of the 1990's, and the fastest-selling artist in music history.
*NSYNC and Aerosmith will play the Super Bowl
(12.19) Source - Entertainment Weekly: Getting MTV to produce the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXV may be one of the smartest moves the demographically savvy execs at CBS ever made. In a bid to boost the teen count among the 750 million worldwide viewers, organizers have nabbed *NSYNC and Aerosmith to perform during the break, not long after the Backstreet Boys open the festivities with the "Star Spangled Banner." This means we can expect a lot of high tech Clearasil commercials.
Aerosmith & *NSYNC Set For Super Bowl
(12.19) Source - Launch: The halftime show of the upcoming Super Bowl will bring together two five-man bands that couldn't be any farther apart if they tried. Recent Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees Aerosmith will play at the game's mid-point, as will boy band and recent chart-toppers *NSYNC. A spokesperson for Aerosmith told Launch that details are still being ironed out, and it was unknown at press time whether the quintets would actually perform together. Super Bowl XXXV will be held on January 28 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
�����*NSYNC's No Strings Attached spent several weeks at Number One on the Billboard 200 album chart earlier this year. Aerosmith has recorded more than 20 songs for its next, as-yet-untitled album. The collection should be released in the spring, after which the band will kick off a world tour.
*NSYNC, Aerosmith In Line-Up For Superbowl XXXV
(12.19) Source - Allstar: Aerosmith and *NSYNC have joined the previously-announced Backstreet Boys and Ray Charles as acts signed on for the festivities of Super Bowl XXXV at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. on Jan. 28. The Boys will sing the National Anthem and Charles will offer up "America the Beautiful" before the kickoff, while Aerosmith and *NSYNC will perform during the E*Trade Super Bowl XXXV halftime show. While no specific details of the halftime performance were released at press time, *NSYNC and Aerosmith will grace the stage together during the show. Super Bowl XXXV airs live on CBS beginning at 6 PM ET on Jan. 28.
*NSYNC, Aerosmith To Rock Super Bowl XXXV
(12.19) Source - Billboard: A musical clash of the titans will provide a break from the gridiron battle of Super Bowl XXXV next month with pop superstars *NSYNC and rock stalwarts Aerosmith performing during the annual contest's halftime show. Sponsored by E*Trade and produced by MTV, the spectacle will take place Jan. 28 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., and will be broadcast on CBS television.
�����The production is an example of corporate synergy within Viacom, which owns both MTV and CBS. The broadcast is expected to reach 130 million viewers in the U.S. and 750 million viewers worldwide.
�����"We are pleased to bring MTV and the NFL together to showcase two of the biggest attractions in the music world," Sean McManus, president, CBS Sports, said in a statement. "In all, CBS will be providing nearly 19 hours of Super Bowl programming, appealing to all demographics."
�����As reported yesterday, Aerosmith is working on a new new studio album, due out in the spring via Columbia. The band is writing and producing with the team of Mark Hudson and Marti Frederiksen at guitarist Joe Perry's Boneyard studio outside of Boston.
�����Billboard Music Awards co-hosts *NSYNC are riding the wave of success created by the group's Jive release "No Strings Attached." Since debuting at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with record first week sales of 2.4 million copies in March, the album has been certified nine times platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America for U.S. sales of 9 million copies. The group is expected to begin working on a new album in January.
�����*NSYNC and Aerosmith won't be the only musical talent at the Super Bowl. As previously reported, the legendary Ray Charles will deliver his rendition of "America The Beautiful" before the game, followed by the National Anthem, which will be performed by the Backstreet Boys.
Hurley Names Spears, *NSYNC
(12.18) Source - Infobeat: Elizabeth Hurley has been fined $100,000 by the Screen Actors Guild for filming an Estee Lauder commercial during the six-month strike against commercial advertisers. Hurley said she found it "strange" that Tiger Woods, who filmed a Buick commercial during the strike, was fined only $50,000 and Britney Spears and *NSYNC were not fined for filming a McDonald's commercial.
�����**Personal Note: For those of you who don't know, *NSYNC & Britney weren't fined because they shot the commercial outside the country (Canada to be exact...lol)**
Platinum Christmas Reviewed
(12.18) Source - VH1.com: Have yourself a highly produced holiday. "Platinum Christmas" is a stuffed stocking of vocal effects, synthetic instruments, and overblown sentiment - soon to be heard on eternal repeat at your local mall.
�����Britney Spears opens things up by moaning and groaning about "My Only Wish (This Year)" - which, of course, is true love wrapped up in a red bow. Fortunately, her boyfriend Justin Timberlake's band, *NSYNC, have one wish, too: "I Don't Wanna Spend Christmas Without You." Boy, is their yule log gonna burn bright this year!
�����You can probably imagine the hair-raising histrionics of Christina (hi, I'm the talented one) Aguilera's bilingual version of "Silent Night/Noche de Paz."
�����Dave Mathews' slightly precious life of Jesus, "Christmas Song," is nevertheless refreshingly spare, with just acoustic guitar and keyboards offsetting his voice.
�����Dido's bittersweet "Christmas Day" is a beguiling blend of guitar, bongos and loops, and things wrap up with a triple diva assault: TLC romp through a funky "Sleigh Ride"; Toni Braxton trills through the "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire" song; and Whitney Houston asks "Who Would Imagine a King." Given her recent confounding behavior, we'd bet she would.
Year In Review: A Chronological Look Back At The Biggest News Of 2000
(12.18) Source - Allstar: What a year it's been. Boy bands continued to dominate the charts. Rap-metal beat the hell out of good ol' fashioned rock. And, hip-hop's kingpins just couldn't stay away from trouble. As part of allstar's 2000 Year in Review coverage, we'll bring you a 12-part, month-by-month timeline of the biggest news stories of the past year. Today's recap: April.
�����April 3, 2000: An Ohio teen sues the Black Crowes for playing their music too loudly, claiming that the band's April 1999 Knoxville, Tenn. concert caused hearing loss. Meanwhile, Kid Rock films his "American Bad Ass" video in L.A.
�����April 17, 2000: Proving they have a sense of humor, *NSYNC surprised Bloodhound Gang -- known for making fun of the boy band -- onstage in Orlando by having Joey Fatone and Lance Bass jump out of a footlocker on the set.
To Britney, From Justin With Love
(12.17) Source - TeenPeople.com: What will be under Britney Spears's Christmas tree this year? A robin's egg-colored box, apparently. The New York Daily News recently reported that Justin Timberlake was overheard telling others that he planned to hit that New York jewelry institution, Tiffany's, to buy pearls for "my girl." And, that the pearls were "part of a whole package."
*NSYNC'S Bass The Kingmaker?
(12.17) Source - Infobeat: A member of the singing group *NSYNC could determine who becomes the next president of the U.S. Lance Bass, a member of North America's reigning boyband, is among the Florida absentee voters whose ballots will be tabulated today.
�����Before *NSYNC's second sold-out show in three nights at the SkyDome, Bass jokingly told The Toronto Sun the drawn-out presidential election could come down to him. "I might be the one vote," Bass said. "We'll have a president Saturday and, whoever it is, is going to be great.
�����"It's a great thing when you have such a close call, because that tells you that both are great and qualified. If Gore wins, I'm happy. If Bush wins, I'm happy." Bass did not reveal who got his vote.
Misc. *NSYNC News
(12.17) Source - Various: For those of you who don't know...here is some minor, misc. news about the guys:
�����~Surprise! Justin Timberlake took the stage to introduce Son By Four at Z-100's Jingle Ball, co-sponsored by Teen Peopoe, on Thursday night.
�����~Chris Kirkpatrick & Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC joined more than 100 of the world's top athletes to celebrate Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year - Tiger Woods - on Dec. 12th, 2000 at New York's Beacon Theatre. CBS Sports Jim Nantz (The NFL Today) hosted the awards show.
�����~JC Chasez, along with current girlfriend Bobbee Thomas, attended the premire of the latest Tom Hanks film, CastAway. The heartthrob told Access Hollywood he was there to see Rita Wilson, having to back out of a dinner date with her the night before.
�����~FoxNews.com blundered big time when posting pics from the premire of the new Tom Hanks flick CastAway, stating JC attended the premire with his WIFE, Bobbee Thomas.
�����~MuchMusic has reported the next single to be released by Jive artist, Joe will be 'I Believe In You' - the duet with labelmates *NSYNC off his latest album, "My Name Is Joe".
�����~It seems boyband fans all agree that *NSYNC would kick-ass in any basketball game. The Disney Channel recently took an online poll for "Which Boyband Would Most Likely Win A Basketball Game?". Results, posted via television, placed the guys of *NSYNC as the champions with 99% of the vote. The Backstreet Boys took second place with 1%, 98 Degrees & No Authority coming in last with 0%.
�����~*NSYNC.com has a few new clips of exclusive video footage available for download, including a clip of the guys practing for the Billboard Awards, & two clips from their first ever trip to Japan eariler this year.
�����The most recent edition of Entertainment Weekly puts the guys of *NSYNC as the 5th Top Entertainers of the Year in the magazine's annual listing.
�����~*NSYNC nabbed all 4 awards for which they were nominated for on the online 2000 Teen Awards, including Best Teen Cover, Best Untrue Gossip (the Justin/Britney rumors), Coolest MTV Video, & Favorite Boyband. Over 110,000 voters participated in the online awards, held at Teenmag.com.
�����~*NSYNC still holds the record - & gained yet another award - for having the hottest & most popular online chat in the year 2000. January's 2001 issue of Yahoo! Internet Life Magazine claims the online chat with Chris & Joey on March 23rd was one of the top chats this year!
�����~Joey Fatone of *NSYNC is in the process of filming upcoming movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," expected to be released sometime in 2001. The film is directed by Joel Zwick with a budget of $11 million & is being produced by Tom Hanks & wife Rita Wilson.
Lance To Throw New Years Party in NYC
(12.16) Source - NSYNC.com: Lance Bass and Eytan Sugarman, in association with A Happy Place Productions, present the REAL Millennium New Year's Eve Jam 2001, live from the Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Performers include Nelly, Ludacris, Kelly Price with Darius Green, Black Rob, The Sugar Hill Gang and Special Guest DJ Angie Martinez with Coco Chanel and DJ Jazzy Joyce. Special guests include Derek Jeter, Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, Britney Spears and many, many more. More details coming soon!
New Found Glory
(12.16) Source - RivalMag:
�����RivalMag:Who's your Rival?
�����Ian & Jordan: (Thinking for a really long time)
�����RivalMag: Did you have some down time? Are you sad? Yah, like an hour and a half ago you were crazy.
�����Ian: No, we just partied a little bit. I'm tired now. hmm....Rival... If I had to pick a rival it wouldn't really be like a rival because I don't hate anyone. But Justin Timberlake from *NSYNC is together with Britney. I would pick him but it would be hard 'cuz I like *NSYNC. If I had to pick a rival, I'd pick him.
�����Jordan: I like *NSYNC.
�����RivalMag: What's your fav. *NSYNC song?
�����Jordan: I don't know. I don't know them by name. I just like their songs.
�����RivalMag: What about the Backstreet Boys?
�����Ian: The Backstreet Boys are not...they're kinda crappier. Some of their songs are good but some of their writers are not as good, they're not as good, they're not as cool looking.
�����Jordan: I think they [*NSYNC] have catchier songs than them. Jordan starts to sing. "I was hanging with the fellas, saw you with you..."
�����All: (Laughing)
�����RivalMag: You have their CD don't you?
�����Jordan: (laughing) Yes, yes I do.
�����Ian: I have all their CDs. I have the Christmas album also. I also have all of Britney's albums, all of Britney's singles.
�����RivalMag: Whats your fav. Britney song?
�����Ian: (Thinking) I like "Born To Make You Happy" on the first record. I think its called "When Your Eyes Say it" on the new record and "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know."
�����Jordan: I think I'm liking Mandy Moore more than Britney Spears.
�����RivalMag: Do you think people would be surprised to know that?
�����Jordan: Everybody knows we like her. They bring us stuff all the time. Britney stuff.
�����RivalMag: Right, you guys are the ones that get the presents.
�����Jordan: No one has been bringing me any Power Puff Girls stuff lately.
�����Ian: I traded someone on this tour backstage passes for like forever. For a lifetime to our shows for this big card board life size cutout of Britney. It cost me like fifty bucks to send it home.
�����RivalMag: If you get to meet her, what would you say?
�����Ian: I probably wouldn't be able to say a word.
�����RivalMag: She's young!
�����Ian: She's not young, she's 18. I'm only 23, that's not that old.
�����RivalMag: That's still young!
�����Ian: No way! Those are the best ones dude. On their 18th birthday. Like when they're 17 and at midnight it's their birthday the next day...
�����Visit their official site at newfoundglory.com!
Year In Review: A Chronological Look Back At The Biggest News Of 2000
(12.15) Source - Allstar: What a year it's been. Boy bands continued to dominate the charts. Rap-metal beat the hell out of good ol' fashioned rock. And, hip-hop's kingpins just couldn't stay away from trouble. As part of allstar's 2000 Year in Review coverage, we'll bring you a 12-part, month-by-month timeline of the biggest news stories of the past year. Today's recap: March.
�����March 29, 2000: *NSYNC breaks the record for first-week sales with No Strings Attached raking in 2.4 million copies in week one. Just days prior on March 25, the group broke TicketMaster's record for single-day concert ticket sales (850,000 tickets sold).
�����Check out all of allstar's Year in Review coverage!
Chateau Chasez
(12.13) Source - E! Online: Let's get our minds off the broads and on boarding, shall we? Y'all recall that the two blondies, Justin and Britney, are said to be house hunting in Hell-Ay, right? And even more significant, they're said to boast their own decorator. (Fuh-get lawyers, my sweets; when a couple shares an interior designer, you know that means the decorating is meant to be serious.)
�����But J.'s not the only *NSYNC-er who hungers for haunt-haute. This time it's J.C. Chasez, who was spotted shopping for some funky furnishings.
�����Dressed in jeans and a tie-dyed tee, the toned tunester looked tasty in a rumpled kind of way. With his decorator in tow, J.C. spent hours browsing through Our House Antiques on 3rd Street.
�����Onstage, the flashy performer sports skintight red-leather pants, and he showed this afternoon that his taste in decor is just as, um, eye-catching. The singer stared dreamily at a strangely unidentifiable $12,000 wood object, a huge platinum mirror and loads of lights.
�����I'll leave it up to you, my fashionable friends, to decide what exactly the belter was searching for when he requested "the lamp with the big globes."
�����Considering his cleavage companion at the Billboard party, looks like someone's got a bit of a fixation. There are therapists for such things, J.C.
Kiss 'n' Dispel
(12.13) Source - E! Online: Who's smooching who in Hollywood this week? I know, I know, it's whom, but the English language - as far as I'm concerned - exists primarily to be redesigned and redressed. Sort of like Britney Spears.
�����The frock Ms. Spears wore to the Billboard Awards in Sin City last week is surely making one woman sinfully happy. Christina Aguilera is known for giving Brit-babe fashion pause, so let's pray it works the other way around, no?
�����Who knew Britney was a Celine Dion wannabe? (Christina, perhaps?) Because certainly B.S.'s psychedelic hat, bathrobe and bustier extravaganza conjures up images of C.D.'s backward-tux-wearing stunts (at least to this bitcher-stitcher).
�����Luckily, the 19-year-old singer switched to her more winning wardrobe for the exclusive after-pah-tay (hosted by thong-lovin' Sisq) at the Venetian's plush Velvet Lounge. In a pink tank top 'n' pants, the Southern Baptist played digital dancing with *NSYNC-er Justin Timberlake on a cushy red couch.
�����(Could the cuties' new displays of public confection be a sign of more serious things to come? Oops...I teased you again! But not fer long, sweetie pies--at the end of this item comes a sublime slice of betting cake.)
�����Brit 'n' Just are used to being the center of attention by now, not that you can miss the cuddling couple, what with their ubiquitous bodyguard gorillas in the midst.
�����Hairier still: So fired up was the crowd (being entertained by flame-eating dudes) that the the Bible-studying gal was extra careful with her highball glass brimming with...Coke. (She's still underage, remember.)
�����But B.S. got up to mingle for a few and careened into a waitress, causing the booby tray toter to lose a rack of martinis. To the rescue came our gal Brit, who helped clean up the mess. Fab!
�����A few seats over, J.C. Chasez was chatting up an even chestier woman with a crucifix necklace wedged into her ample cleavage, when a boyish smooch took place just inches away.
�����Affection alert! *NSYNC hottie Chris Kirkpatrick puckered up and planted a messy peck on the face of Backstreet Boy Howie D.. (For all those getting excited out there, I'd say the lip ac-shun was closer to the cheekbone than the labium, but young folks today are so friendly these days, it's hard to tell.)
�����Now, if you believe talk of a fiery feud going on between the musical dudes, whatever will the other *NSYNC-ers think of this buss betrayal?
�����No such question was on the minds of Britney and Justin, however. The duo remained, for the most part, plopped on their feathered throne, where they hung out, made schmoopy faces but decided not to swallow each other's faces on this particular occasion.
�����(Hopefully, Ms. S.' new heart for fashion will go on undiminished.)
�����Altar P.S.: Just's mama confessed to one of his cohorts recently that "I hope it'll happen." No, not breast reduction for Brit, you silly ninny - marriage! "She's always at the house, and he's always buying her things," added the matriarch. Fashion rags, clearly, are not among those goodies, says this baddie.
Intriguing Couples 2000: Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake
(12.12) Source - Kiwibox: After they were first spotted clubbing in New York in the summer of 2000, the affection between Britney Spears and *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake became more public on Sept. 7 at the MTV Video Music awards at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall and later at the nightclub Twirl, reported People. "They sat next to each other or danced the whole night," touching each other's faces and doing "the little things people do that show they're a couple." Since then they've been spotted together in Miami and Los Angeles, despite the fact he lives in Orlando, Fla., and she calls Louisiana home. It seems to be a lot more than just friendship, though the two go back to 1993 together, before they were even teens. Both costarred on the Disney Channel's Mickey Mouse Club.
Kiwibox.com Offers Signed Fumanskeeto Outfit
(12.11) Source - Kiwibox: FuMan Skeeto is founded by Chris Kirkpatrick from *NSYNC, with the idea of doing two things, making clothes and producing new musicians. The idea became a reality after Chris and three friends discussed it and realized they all had the same vision, thus the FuMan Crew was formed.
�����Now the crew has launched its online store and a winter line of clothing at fumanskeeto.com and a separate exclusive line at Nordstrom department stores everywhere. To find a Nordstrom near you, click here.
�����Chris has given Kiwibox a full outfit, autographed by him to giveaway to you cool people out there! It looks like something in the pictures below. You can win it in this contest by showing the Holiday spirit of Giving. Everytime you make ANY purchase between now and the end of the year at the Kiwibox Mall, the proceeds benefit the Kiwibox Foundation and the charities it works with, such as the Justin Timberlake Foundation. Every purchase you make will give you one entry into the contest.
�����The grand prize winner will receive a complete outfit autographed by Chris, runners up will receive other cool FuMan Skeeto, or Kiwibox Mall merchandise, and *NSYNC swag. Winner will be announced in Jan. To find out whatelse you can do to contribute to the Kiwibox Foundation and Justin Timberlake Foundation, go visit the Kiwibox Giving Back section. Don't forget to check out the cool fashion items at fumanskeeto.com and Nordstrom!
�����For info about the contest, click here!
Fashion Police: Purple Hazed
(12.11) Source - MSN: Pop music's power couple is on the money when it comes to color-coordination at the My VH1 Awards. Justin Timberlake looks dapper in a purple Bain Douche shirt and Paul Smith velvet suit - and Britney Spears snugly matches her man with an amethyst frock.
Ian Browne Suggests *NSYNC
(12.10) Source - Infobeat: Ian Browne of the Matthew Good Band dispenses advice in the latest Canadian Musician magazine: "Do it for love, not money. If you want to make money in the music business, get a degree in entertainment law and start writing for *NSYNC. I wish I were kidding."
*NSYNC, Spears, Aguilera Amoung Rolling Stone's People Of The Year
(12.10) Source - Rolling Stone: The latest issue of Rolling Stone not only features an in-depth article on pop superstars the Backstreet Boys - who recently released their third LP, Black & Blue - but draws in another crowd with their "People of the Year" article for 2000. Amoung those who obtained the top-notch status? Backstreet 'rivals' *NSYNC, pop princess Britney Spears, and the genie herself, Christina Aguilera amoung others.
*NSYNC Grace Teen People's Top Moments Of 2000
(12.10) Source - Teen People: The latest issue of Teen People contains a feature on pop songstress Christina Aguilera as well as an article highlighting the Top 10 Moments of 2000 ranging from the stories to the styles that rocked the year.
�����Biggest Entertainment Stories: #5 *NSYNC - Bye Bye Bye: That's what Backstreet Boys said to its first-week sales record when *NSYNC's No Strings Attached hit the streets last March. The biggest album of the year, No Strings nearly bested former title-holder Millennium in its first day - and sold 2.4 million copies its first week! At press time, it remained to be seen whether the new BSB CD, Black & Blue (due November 21), would put the Boys back on top. But no matter: 2000 belonged to *NSYNC. They were everywhere - on a sold-out tour; in concert on HBO; as guests on practically every award and talk show (they broke crowd records when they performed on Today's summer concert series). They even made a pit stop at a Maryland girl's Bas Mitzvah - for a reported fee of $1 million! And you ain't seen nothing yet. Say Lance Bass: "2001 is going to be a huge year for us." Look out for a fourth disc ("The next record is going to be the big thing," says JC Chasez, "because it's like, 'How do we reinvent ourselves?'") and, yes, another tour.
�����ShowStopping Styles & Scene-Stealing Images: #7 *NSYNC - The look came straight off the basketball court (think Latrell Sprewell and Allen Iverson) and was most recently spotted at the Spring 2001 fashion shows. But it really got attention when *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake braided his famous curls. "Cornrows have reached the next level," says Roberto Di Cula, a stylist at Manhattan's Warren-Tricomi Salon, where Hilary Swank and Natalie Portman are clients. "There's a lot of fun zigzags going on - not just traditional straight cornrows.