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'N Sync, (from left) Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, J.C. Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick, perform at the Tacoma Dome March 4.

'N Sync rise to top as Kings of Pop

Group plays Tacoma Dome next week

ROSS RAIHALA, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Friday, March 1, 2002

The teen-pop boom that ignited in 1997 with the Spice Girls and Hanson continues its rampage, despite the annual critical predictions (or perhaps fond wishes) that it is about to die at any moment.

And now, four years on from 'N Sync's own debut, the fivesome stand as the champions of all things dreamy and screamy.

'N Sync play the Tacoma Dome Monday. While some of the shine has faded from the group, Justin Timberlake and those other four guys pretty much own the current crown as Kings of Pop.

Why? Well, here are a few reasons that 'N Sync are about as good as it gets -- as far as this sort of thing goes, anyway.

- They have a sense of humor: During a recent press conference to promote the current tour, J.C. Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick joked about, among other things, body hair. In that same question-and-answer session, Kirkpatrick hinted at a possible future for 'N Sync: "Maybe we'll just be a garage band that tours around playing theaters." And what's funny about that is he wasn't necessarily kidding.

- Joey Fatone: Along those same lines, 'N Sync has basically made its weakest link a public joke. The hirsute, full-figured Fatone -- or, as some wags have labeled him, Fat-One -- is mostly known for falling down a lot, impregnating his girlfriend and looking more like a roadie than an actual member of the group. Choreographers now work breaks into dance routines to give old Joey a quick breather. And the new Chili's/'N Sync commercials end with a huge crate of ribs crushing Fatone. Cheers!

- They will attend the opening of a door, as long as MTV is covering it: From the start, 'N Sync has shown tremendous savvy by making itself forever available to MTV, the channel responsible for the bulk of the group's success. They, along with teen strumpet Britney Spears, have catered to every last whim of the rabid "Total Request Live" crowd, and it has paid off well.

- Timberlake has emerged as the star: At some point shortly after "Bye Bye Bye" made 'N Sync a household name -- even in households without 14-year-old girls -- the group decided to essentially cede the spotlight to the blandly handsome, vaguely interesting Timberlake, who is now considered the "leader" of 'N Sync. And if that means less attention for the, uh, goofier-looking Kirkpatrick, that's a good thing for all involved.

- That Timberlake/Spears relationship: After initially keeping their relationship under wraps, Timberlake and Spears came out of the closet and launched a full-on media campaign to become music's most headline-grabbingest couple since Kurt and Courtney. They even had a personal videotape stolen, a la Pamela and Tommy Lee, although it turned out to be just a boring, sex- and drug-free travelogue.

- The nonexistent competition: Nick Carter's run-in with Florida cops last month did prove that, indeed, a Backstreet Boy can get arrested. But that incident, not to mention fellow bandmate A.J. McLean's visit to rehab, earned Backstreet heaps more press than its "Hits: Chapter One," a poor-selling best-of collection from the once-unsinkable boy-band warriors. O-Town, meanwhile, have managed to squeeze out a few hits. But as the group's New Year's Eve MTV live performance embarrassingly proved, they can't really, you know, sing.

- The critics actually kind of like them: In a 4 1/2-star review, the All Music Guide called 'N Sync's "Celebrity": "a trials-n-tribulations of fame album, in the grand tradition of (Michael Jackson's) 'Bad,' (Guns 'N Roses') 'Use Your Illusion' and (Nirvana's) 'In Utero' ... (that marks) the emergence of Timberlake and Chasez as credible soulful singers and, yes, songwriters." Entertainment Weekly, meanwhile, wrote that "Celebrity" is "the consummate teen-pop experience (with) the R&B swipes, the ballads, the grasps at artistic self-expression, and the requisite Europop."

- The end may not be 'N Site: Concert ticket sales are way down for 'N Sync, and its "Celebrity" album has sold less than half the copies of the group's "No Strings Attached" breakthrough. Still, 'N Sync has not been plagued by the bad-blood rumors of, say, the Backstreet Boys. If anything, Kirkpatrick probably wasn't lying when he recently said: "We're five guys that are best friends having a great time with what we're doing, and trying not to step on anybody's toes."

Ross Raihala covers music and entertainment for The Olympian and can be reached at 360-754-5406 or rraihala@olympia.gannett.com.

'N Sync

- When: 7:30 p.m. March 4.

- Where: Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D St., Tacoma.

- Tickets: $39.50-$110.

- For information: Call Ticketmaster Northwest at 206-628-0888.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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