OK, every group you talk to says that they will always be together and that they are the best friends. But with some groups you can see that they are telling the truth. For example the guys of *NSYNC 'We're really close, but that is obvious otherwise we would have already hit each others brains in!'
What about solo-plans?
Chris: That's almost the same. We're kinda like the Wu-Tang Clan. They are a band but once in a while one of them does a solo project on which his colleagues sing as well. That's how we are gonna do things. If Justin wants to make a solo record, fine. But then I will be in the studio with him the whole time to watch and to sing as well. If Joey wants to make a record then you can be sure that JC will beg Joey to let him play the piano.
Justin: If *NSYNC wouldn't exist anymore then that would happen as well! Because we have started as friends and thus we will stay friends. Even when we do something alone, we still call the others to ask for their opinion. We're *NSYNC, we belong together.
Do you have to be friends to keep the group together?
Joey: Yes
Justin: Yes
Chris: It sure helps, to be honest!
Justin: And when you're constantly traveling like we do, you have to. Otherwise we would have already beaten the crap out of each other.
Chris: If you look at all the bands that have been together since the 60's, you can see the difference between the ones who were put together and the ones who have came together as friends. Look at the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, they are still together. And if you look at other girls....eh, I mean groups.
Justin: Sp...Sp...
Chris: Did I say girls? OK, I meant to say groups! Groups that were put together, well look how fast they have disappeared.
Justin: Spi...
Chris: No, we're not saying names -haha-
Justin: They can pretend to be friends for a short while, but you'll find out sooner or later.
Joey: We got to know each other, BEFORE *NSYNC. And we hung together because we wanted to, not because we had to.
Do you have time for friends out who are not in the group?
Joey: Yeah sure we do. Most of the time we spent with family and friends we have known for a long time already.
Justin: You can have other friends but they do have to accept that you're not around very often. But you also get a lot of new 'friends'. They will call you up and say: "hey remember me? We always played together back in kindergarten!" What? You always stole my lunch money me, get lost man!
Joey: You keep meeting people, which is cool cuz then you know people everywhere!
Chris: We're not saying that before we formed this group we were best friends and didn't have any other friends!
Joey: (with a desperate voice) We do know more people!
Chris: Those are the people that we were cleaning op in shitty restaurants with. But now the five of us have been touring together for some years. We have the same interviews and we hear each other talk all the time. So we know all about each other now. We're actually closer than most families. I still have the same best friend back at home but there is a lot about him that I don't know. About JC, Justin, Joey and Lance I know everything!
Joey: You really can't keep a secret from the others. But if you do want to keep a secret you still get the feeling of throwing it all out. Which can be really annoying with Christmas presents, hahahaha!!!
Written by Tanja Spaander for Hitkrant [�Holland February 1999]
Typed by Linda for ++LinSync Productions++ [�2000]