No Strings Attached (CD - 2000)

Additional personnel: Lisa "Left Eye" Lopez (rap vocals); She'kspere (various instruments); Estborn Ohrwall, Michael Thompson, Dean Parks, Ruben "Rubalicious" Ruiz (guitar); K-Toonz (Fender Rhodes piano); Guy Roche (keyboards, programming); Michael Railton (keyboards); Troy "T-roy" Antunes (bass); Billy Ashbaugh (drums); Jez Colin (programming); Jeffery CJ Vanston (programming); Rich Lightning (turntables).

Producers include: Kristian Lundin, Jake, Rami, Riprock, Alex G.

Engineers include: Mike Tucker, Chris Trevett, George Mayers.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. "Bye Bye Bye" was nominated for the 2001 Grammy Award for Record Of The Year and for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Personnel: *NSYNC (background vocals); Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, Justin Timberlake (vocals); Chris, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes (rap vocals); Esbjörn Öhrwall, Michael Thompson (guitar); Kevin Antunes (Fender Rhodes piano, voice box, vibraphone, hand claps); Guy Roche (keyboards, drum programming); Michael Railton (keyboards); B. lll (vibraphone, hand claps); Billy Ashbaugh (drums); Jez Colin (drum programming).

Audio Mixers: Joe Smith ; Kevin "KD" Davis; David Cole; Michael Tucker; Riprock; Alex G.; Mick Guzauski; Pat McMakin; J.C.; Carl Nappa.

Arrangers: Guy Roche; Robin Wiley; Richard Marx.

It would be easy to dismiss N Sync off the cuff as the second band to reach popularity in a passing fad (the resurgence of photogenic boy groups). With the success of fellow Orlando-ites Backstreet Boys, one might assume N Sync would be forever overshadowed. However, when you sell 2.4 million copies of one record in its first week, you've pretty much earned the removal of the epithet, "passing fad." On NO STRINGS, N Sync pulls off feats of wonder through taking a formula and injecting it with stronger twists of talent than many of their competitors.

"Space Cowboy (Yippie-Ki-Yay)" features TLC's Left Eye and the combined force actually manages some funk Rick James could admire. The requisite ballads are present, and it's hard to ignore the sensuality of the lead single, "Bye Bye Bye." N Sync even benefits from a deft choice of cover tunes in the slinky version of the classic jam "Just Got Paid." N Sync are, and have always been, more than just second fiddle carpetbaggers, and NO STRINGS ATTACHED shows there's more than enough teenage adoration to spread around. minimize