Lance Bass, 46, shared the surprising origin story behind iconic ’90s boy band NSYNC, and it’s not what fans expected. The legendary heartthrob told Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Richard Marx that the music group came to be out of pure “spite” from Chris Kirkpatrick feeling snubbed by the Backstreet Boys.
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“He went to college with Howie D… Howie Dorough from the Backstreet Boys,” Bass shared on Marx’sStories to Tellpodcast in November 2025. The duo met at Valencia College in Orlando, Florida, in the early 1990s. “Howie came into class one day and he was like ‘Hey guys, I’ve made this group called the Backstreet Boys and, you know, blahblahblah’,” Bass remembered. The announcement didn’t sit well with Kirkpatrick.
“Chris was like, ‘I didn’t get to audition! What? I would make it before you!'” Bass shared. That’s when Kirkpatrick decided to take matters into his own hands. “He found out Lou Pearlman was the one who put them together, so he cold calls Lou Pearlman and he’s like, ‘If I put a group together, will you fund us?'” Surprisingly, the now-disgraced music producer and manager agreed.
“That’s how it all started. It was out of spite for him not even getting to audition for the Backstreet Boys,” said Bass. “Good for Chris!” Marx said with a laugh. “It’s very Chris,” Bass admitted.
Fans loved hearing the surprising lore and took to the comments to share their thoughts. “All things work together through our lord and savior and pop daddy Chris!!!” said one fan, while another wrote, “That’s amazing! I never knew that!” A third wrote, “Thank you [Chris] for 1. Not auditioning for BSB 2. For believing in yourself and your talent, and 3. For giving us the greatest gift of all… NSYNC!”
The two boy bands went on to become friendly rivals through the ’90s and early 2000s, both producing major hits and having massive success. While BSB had higher overall record sales, NSYNC topped their biggest album sales week with No Strings Attached, hitting 2.42 million copies sold in its first week, which was a record at the time. Backstreet Boys also performed better on international charts, but NSYNC got a U.S. No. 1 hit with “It’s Gonna Be Me” in 2000, something BSB still hasn’t achieved.
Sadly, NSYNC went on an “indefinite hiatus” when Justin Timberlake launched his solo career in 2002, and their last album, Celebrity, was released in 2001.
This story was originally reported by Parade on Nov 6, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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