*NSYNC is back! Sort of. The maybe-reunited group confirmed that they have new music on the way (yay!)—for the next Trolls movie (… oh). As this week’s MTV VMAs, Taylor Swift hinted at a possible reunion for the group, after they presented her with the Best Pop Video award. “Are you guys gonna do something?” she asked. “I need to know what it is.”
Well, now we do. Their upcoming song, “Better Place,” will be included in the upcoming children’s movie, Trolls Band Together. The film premieres on November 17*. *NSYNC member Justin Timberlake has been a part of the Trolls franchise since 2016, voicing the anxious and adorable character, Branch. Over the years, Timberlake has contributed to the soundtrack as well, producing “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” “Move Your Feet,” and the club-inspired track, “Hair Up.” (Which, as a former nanny, I can confirm goes very hard.)
Well, ow’d he get the rest of *NSYNC to drink the Trolls Kool-Aid? That, dear reader, I don’t know. My best guess is that they were charmed by the film’s premise, or money. Probably money. Trolls Band Together follows Branch’s plight to reunite his former boy band. Meta! Despite refusing to sing or dance in the previous Trolls movies, Branch was a part of a successful pop group in his youth called BroZone. Over the course of the film, he and his friend, Poppy (voiced by Anna Kendrick), track down his former bandmates for a reunion that’s long overdue.
*NSYNC doesn’t voice the BroZone band members. Instead, Troye Sivan, Eric André, Daveed Diggs, and Kid Cudi will do the honors. Honestly? That might be better band than *NSYNC. Of course, the children watching Trolls don’t know who *NSYNC is or understand their significance. So, if the band ever makes proper comeback, it better be a frosted-tips-themed tour that’s for individuals over the legal drinking age. Trolls is for kids. *NSYNC is for people who pay taxes.
If you’re curious what their new song sounds like, “Better Place” is currently available to pre-save on music streamers. In the meantime, you can hear clips of the track in the Trolls Band Together trailer. Check it out below.
Bria McNeal
Associate Staff Writer
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5’s revival. When she’s not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.
