Joey Fatone and Lance Bass, former members of the iconic pop group *NSYNC, are stepping into the limelight as the hosts of a new E! series entitled “Cocktail Wars”. The duo, who were seen together in New York City earlier this week, took a moment to reflect on their past as they discussed the unreleased music from the group, specifically an album recorded prior to their 2000 smash hit “No Strings Attached”.
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Speaking to People magazine, Fatone revealed that there are a number of tracks that were laid down during their early years but were ultimately shelved after the band parted ways with their former manager Lou Pearlman and the associated record label in the late 1990s. He explained that once they separated from Pearlman, the rights to those earlier songs were lost, meaning the band members could not utilise any of that music in their future projects.
“The reason we created ‘No Strings Attached’ was that we had to start from scratch,” Fatone clarified, highlighting the circumstances that led to one of the best-selling albums of all time. Featuring hit singles like “Bye Bye Bye” and “It’s Gonna Be Me”, the album marked a pivotal moment in the pop landscape.
Despite the past challenges, Fatone believes that around 12 or 13 songs from that unreleased album are still circulating among fans and possibly tucked away on CDs or in various vaults. He noted, “There’s copies floating around and the writers have either released it or put it somewhere,” hinting at the existence of a hidden trove of *NSYNC material.
Bass joined in the discussion, suggesting that many of these tracks have likely been lost in the annals of time, with one particular song titled “Tanya” standing out in his memory. He described it as a song with diverse chorus names, but Fatone downplayed its potential success, stating, “It wasn’t that good. It made it nowhere.”
Reflecting on their past endeavours, during an archival interview from the early 2000s, Bass recalled the disappointment of their inability to use the songs they had worked on prior to leaving their label. “We had to totally start over and recreate a new album,” Bass remarked, emphasising their experience of loss and the numerous demo tracks that may never be officially unveiled.
In 2014, the group released “The Essential *NSYNC”, a compilation album featuring B-sides and rare recordings. However, it emerged that none of the band members were informed of this release beforehand, a further example of the complex dynamics surrounding their time as a band.
From 1997 to 2001, *NSYNC produced just four albums before disbanding, but they have reunited on several occasions, most recently in 2024 during a Justin Timberlake concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The performance included fan-favourites like “Girlfriend”, “Bye Bye Bye”, and “It’s Gonna Be Me”, in addition to debuting a new track called “Paradise”, included in Timberlake’s sixth studio album, “Everything I Thought It Was”.
When asked about the prospect of a future reunion, Bass hinted that while there is always a possibility, there are currently no plans in motion. For now, he and Fatone are concentrating on their latest project, “Cocktail Wars”, which is set to air on 18 August.
This new series will see the duo team up with mixologist Melissa Brooke and include guest judges such as Lauren Graham, Rachel Maddow, and Seth Green. Each episode will feature lively battles incorporating skill, creativity, and flamboyance, as contestants experiment with imaginative flavour combinations and dynamic presentation techniques.
As they embark on this new venture, Fatone and Bass are eager to bring enjoyment and excitement to viewers, proving that although their path has diverged since their *NSYNC days, their charisma and camaraderie remains as strong as ever.