Lance Bass and A.J. McLean Squash the NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys Feud Rumors

Lance Bass and AJ McLean have finally put an end to the longstanding rumors concerning competition between their iconic boy bands. In the ’90s, Backstreet Boys and ‘NSync were two of the most popular pop groups around, but it was often assumed that they had a fierce rivalry. To demonstrate there was no bad blood between them, Bass from ‘NSync took to social media with a post that permanently erased any suspicions of animosity once and for all by posting a TikTok video with McLean from BSB.

During the week of Jan. 25, Bass and McLean uploaded a video addressing the question, “When people ask about the ‘NSync and BSB feud…” The clip shows McLean lip-syncing to an audio snippet that says, “You know what it never was? That serious.” Bass agrees, mouthing to, “It was never that serious.” “Quite frankly, will never be that serious,” McLean declares. Bass’ video was followed by McLean’s appearance on Frosted Tips with Lance Bass, a podcast from the pop star. McLean proposed a way to bring the two groups together in the episode.

@frostedtipswithlance It was never that serious… #nsync #backstreetboys ♬ original sound – Privacynbling

“‘NSync. Backstreet Boys. Stadium tour. 2024,” McLean said. Although Bass is in, he said he wasn’t the one McLean would have to “convince. “I’m just putting it out there,” McLean answered. “I think the world would implode.” It is not the first time the two groups have shared the stage. In 2021, McLean and Nick Carter joined Bass and ‘NSync’s Joey Fatone at a fundraising event to celebrate Pride Month in Los Angeles. The quartet performed BSB and ‘NSync’s signature dance moves while singing some of their biggest hits, such as “I Want It That Way” and “Bye Bye Bye.” Bass also shared a behind-the-scenes TikTok video of them rehearsing for the event. “Teaching members of @backstreetboys the #ByeByeBye dance is a trip!” he wrote in the caption.

In the ’90s, diehard fans probably couldn’t have envisioned these two groups working together, but Fatone explains that there is no longer any rivalry between the two fan bases. “It’s interesting to have the four of us knuckleheads do something together, which you’ve never seen before,” he said in an interview with Variety. “BSB fans are very loyal, so we’re going, ‘We get it — certain people liked one band or the other back in the day, but now it’s OK to like both.'” His bandmates also discussed the benefits of mixing two bands. “It just fits,” McLean told Variety. “Not that the five of us (Backstreet Boys) don’t work because we obviously do, but it’s a different feeling. It’s like when you’ve been in the same relationship for a long time, take a break, meet somebody new, and it’s fresh and exciting!”