[dance music]
- On this episode of "My Life on MTV"...
- ♪ Baby, can't you see
- They tore up hearts and ruled the charts.
♪
- ♪ It's gonna be me
- NSYNC, number one.
They hold the number one video in the country.
- "Baby One More Time" debuted at number one.
- ♪ Hit me, baby, one more time ♪
- They launched the choreo that you still know,
and wherever they went,
a sea of screams followed.
- We love you, you're awesome. [cheering]
- An airtight boy band with moves for days...
♪
And a southern belle who bared it all.
- ♪ Like that
- In the post-grunge era,
NSYNC and Britney Spears
pioneered a new wave of pop.
We're busting open the archives,
sharing everything they did for our cameras only.
- MTV's the real deal.
- This is "My Life on MTV."
- Ladies and gentlemen, rock n' roll.
all: ♪ It's tearin' up my heart ♪
♪ When I'm with you
♪ Every little thing I do
♪ Never seems enough for you
♪ Bye bye, don't wanna be a fool for you ♪
♪ Just another player in your game for two ♪
- ♪ What's the deal with this pop life ♪
♪ And when is it gonna fade out? ♪
- Justin, Chris, Joey, Lance, and JC,
they've sold over 70 million albums worldwide.
♪
all: ♪ Here we go
- How did you guys hook up?
- Chris originally had the idea of friends getting together
because they wanted to put a group together.
- We've been touring in Europe for a year and a half,
so things have been going well over there,
but as far as being in the States,
it's a whole new ballgame.
♪
- Before they were selling out tours,
they were selling it on the MTV stage
for the very first time,
rocking some serious '90s styles.
- Here, performing "I Want You Back,"
please say hello to NSYNC.
[cheers and applause]
- The first time I saw myself on MTV,
I realized what everybody meant
when they told me I should have changed my haircut.
♪ It's hard to make the things I did undone ♪
♪ A lesson I've learned too well for sure ♪
- And we were wearing those big, baggy jeans.
What were we thinking?
- Matching outfits and questionable haircuts aside,
the release of their first U.S. album
had NSYNC popping, locking,
and winning over fans at TRL.
all: ♪ And no matter what I do ♪
♪ I feel the pain
♪ With or without you
- When they hit the road for the NSYNC tour,
they saved us a seat on the bus...
- We're looking for the NSYNC concert.
- And gave our cameras backstage access.
- The dog just peed on national television.
All that time we've spent potty training,
the minute he gets on TV, he froze up and let it go.
- NSYNC rolled up to their first VMAs
with an impressive three nominations under their belt.
- Well, if we don't win all three,
we're gonna go burn the city down.
- Not so fast, Lance.
[record scratches]
- And the winner is TLC.
- Ricky Martin.
- Backstreet Boys.
[cheers and applause]
- With an intro from their longtime pop pal.
- Right now, I'd like to introduce to you
some friends of mine.
NSYNC, now you may get down.
- NSYNC schooled the audience
with a short-but-sweet performance.
all: ♪ When we are apart, I feel it too ♪
♪
♪ Bye bye bye, bye bye, don't wanna ♪
- Free from the grip
of a problematic management team,
in 2000, NSYNC threw some shade with their next album,
"No Strings Attached," which sold
over two million copies the first week.
- We are the masters of our own, you know, destiny.
Basically, we got no strings to hold us down.
- The boys enjoyed a newfound artistic freedom,
going balls to the wall in the album's first video.
all: ♪ Bye bye
- The room is bizarre.
When you first get in there,
you feel like you're in the twilight zone.
When you put five people in one room
and then you turn the room,
all five of you smack into the same wall.
- There was only one place to go
for the video's world premiere.
- Justin has in his hand,
"Bye Bye Bye," the actual video.
Why don't you run that back to Pat in the tape room?
- All right. - And he's a nice guy.
He won't hurt you in the back. - Go, go.
Truck, little man, truck. - We'll send Justin,
and then we'll check this thing out, right?
There's Justin there down the hallway.
all: It's the premier of NSYNC's latest video,
"Bye Bye Bye," on TRL.
- ♪ I'm doin' this tonight
♪ You're probably gonna start a fight ♪
♪ I know this can't be right
♪ Hey, baby, come on
- And fans gave "Bye Bye Bye" a big hello,
voting to keep it at number one on TRL
for an impressive 54 days.
all: Hi, we're NSYNC,
and you're watching TRL.
- The best show in the world.
- Tell me why you think they deserve
to be at the top of the countdown.
- They can dance.
They got the hot moves and a hot groove,
and I love to see Justin shake his bootay!
- [laughs]
all: ♪ But it ain't no lie
♪ Baby, bye bye bye
[echoing] ♪ Bye bye
- Soon, Justin and the guys would be
shaking their booties worldwide,
touring the globe and giving us
exclusive behind-the-scenes access.
- The beginning of each tour
is always the most nerve-racking.
We all usually forget most of our steps,
or a lot of the steps...
"a lot" of the steps.
- And sometimes the lyrics.
♪
[overlapping shouting]
- You are fired. You're fired.
- All right. Wardrobe meeting.
- Oh, my God, whatever happened
to the days where we went down to the mall
and picked up shirts?
- Let the tour begin.
[cheers and applause]
- After thousands of hours together on the road,
the boys showed just how "NSYNC" they were
when they stopped by our studios in Times Square.
- The most embarrassing moment in NSYNC history.
- Oh, that's easy. - JC says himself.
- We were going out to walk out for a TV show.
He comes running out, and he did a full layout
and landed on his face,
and the rest of us just walked around
and stood and laughed at him.
- Who spends the most time looking in the mirror?
[audience shouting]
- Justin!
- It's Justin.
- Don't make me open up a can. - Ooh.
- Millions of fans saw NSYNC on tour,
and the VMAs gave those fans the front-row seats
they always wished for.
- Will there be, like, a Britney Spears-NSYNC
like there was last year?
- We're gonna do our own thing this year,
and it's gonna be fun.
- They gave us the whole four minutes this time.
all: ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye
- ♪ Hey all: ♪ Bye bye bye bye bye
♪
- ♪ You might been hurt, babe
♪ That ain't no lie
all: ♪ It's gonna be me
- And they got even more stage time,
taking home not one...
- The winner is NSYNC.
- But two awards.
both: NSYNC.
[cheers and applause]
- We got a Moon Man, we got a Moon Man.
all: NSYNC! - Whoo!
- By now, NSYNC had officially
become part of the MTV family.
- Right now, may I welcome all of you to NSYNC TV.
- We love you, you're awesome. [cheering]
- Hi, Anna, this is NSYNC.
- [shrieking] Oh, my God!
- As their success grew...
- I love you, Carson! - [high-pitched] I love NSYNC.
Ladies, are you ready?
[cheers and applause]
- So did the pandemonium.
- Eight thousand people outside,
all of Times Square has been shut down.
- In 2001, they poked fun at their stardom
with the title of their next album, "Celebrity."
all: ♪ Get you off my mind
♪ And try my best to be a man and be strong ♪
- You gave yourselves a huge writing responsibility
on this record as well.
- It's just something we've always wanted to do.
- ♪ 'Cause we'll do it to you every time, come on ♪
all: ♪ Do you ever wonder why
- We're not having any insecurity about it.
We're realizing that we can do it.
- And at the 2001 VMAs,
the guys had officially popped.
They were nominated more times than ever before.
- And the winner is NSYNC. - "Pop."
- For best group video,
best pop video,
best dance video,
and viewer's choice.
- ♪ Dirty, dirty, dirty pop
- ♪ Now, why you want to try to classify ♪
♪ The type of thing we do?
all: ♪ Cause were just fine doin what we like ♪
♪ Can we say the same for you? ♪
- I wish everybody in the world
could feel what we're feeling tonight.
- Thanks a lot.
- But the feeling wouldn't last.
The guys' grueling tour
and recording schedule was taking its toll.
- It's been a roller coaster ride; I mean,
the workload has been triple what it usually is.
♪
- The band took a much needed break that didn't end,
with each guy taking the time
to work on their own projects.
- ♪ I'm bringin' sexy back, yeah ♪
- ♪ Pass me a drink and let's go ♪
- It's a cool script and everything.
It's a lot of fun, it's very challenging.
- The clothing line that I started,
- What's the name of the clothing line? - FuMan Skeeto
- Hopefully, I will be
cleared by the Russians to go over
and live there for six months
and train to be a cosmonaut.
- In 2013, the pop gods answered fans' prayers
when NSYNC reunited
for their first performance in years at the VMAs.
- You asked for it.
♪
all: ♪ Bye bye
♪
- NSYNC will always hold a place in music history
and fans' hearts forever.
- ♪ Might sound crazy
♪ But it ain't no lie
♪ Bye bye bye
[cheers and applause]
- NSYNC.
[cheers and applause]
- Ladies!
- Faithful fans remain infatuated with NSYNC
and will always want them back
if they ever decide to join forces again.
all: ♪ When I want you back
♪
- Ladies and gentlemen, rock n' roll.
- Turn the music up.
♪
♪ I'm not that innocent
♪ I'm addicted to you
♪ Don't you know that you're toxic? ♪
♪ We got them candles hanging
♪ Hanging from the ceiling low ♪
♪ You're a womanizer, baby
♪ I'm a slave for you
Like that.
♪
- A catchy hook...
- ♪ Oh, baby, baby
- And a schoolgirl outfit
turned her into a global phenomenon.
- ♪ Hit me, baby, one more time ♪
- Britney Spears is on TRL.
- Britney Spears. - Britney.
- Britney.
- This is Britney Spears.
- It's Britney, bitch.
When I was younger,
I was always singing,
always dancing all the time.
- At just 16, all that singing and dancing paid off.
- Britney Spears hanging out at MTV.
- ♪ Oh, baby, baby
- Your video's big time right now on TRL.
- Oh, thank you, I saw it on MTV
like, oh, like, three days ago.
It was really cool. It was really cool.
- Britney Spears, here's "Baby One More Time."
- ♪ Baby, how was I supposed to know ♪
- "Baby One More Time" stayed at the top
of the TRL chart for 10 weeks.
- A lot of kids can relate to, you know,
being in school. They're bored.
They want to get out of school. Then we go out, you know.
Then there's, like, a lot of dancing and just a fun video.
♪ Hit me, baby, one more time
- Well, with the number one selling single
in America the last couple of weeks
and a tour with NSYNC, Britney Spears
is teen pop music's new queen.
- And that collaboration was getting
attention for other reasons as well.
- Who was your first crush?
- Yeah. It was Justin.
Hi, I'm NSYNC.
NSYNC: And we're Britney Spears.
all: And you're watching MTV News 1515!
- ♪ Crazy
♪
- Huge, huge, huge debut for your record,
"Baby One More Time." Debuted at number one.
- So excited. Just flipped out.
I was like, "Yay!" So excited. I called my mom.
♪ You drive me crazy
- From her music to her moves,
fans were loving everything Britney.
♪
- I live for Britney Spears.
Live. Live. Live.
For Britney Spears.
[cheers and applause]
- Being able to be nominated is just, you know, really cool.
- And Brit-mania had gone global.
She took home her first awards at
the MTV Europe Music Awards.
- I would like to thank Jesus Christ and my family.
I love you so much and thank you.
- When she was ready to hit the VMAs for the first time,
she took us along to get red carpet ready.
- They come all the way up to here?
So what do you wear here?
- Well, a short dress or panties.
We showed them with panties and a dress
that matched over the top.
- Oh. Okay, panties. Wear panties.
♪
- Britney was nominated for three VMAs.
- And the winner is Ricky Martin.
- But even though she didn't take home a Moon Man...
- But give it up for Britney Spears.
- ♪ Oh, baby, baby, I shouldn't have let ♪
- She had a performance that won the night.
- ♪ Hit me, baby, one more time ♪
♪
[vocalizing]
♪
♪ Hit me, baby, one more time
♪
- And even though she was now
Britney with a capital B...
all: Go, Britney, go, Britney, go.
- You're an icon now, you're a doll.
- It's kind of freaky.
- It's very freaky, but it's cool though.
- At home she was just like us.
- I mean, if she's going to a movie, well,
I expect her to be home 30 minutes after the movie.
That's about how long it takes to drive to come home
and if she's seeing somebody... [laughter]
- In May of 2000,
Britney's sophomore album, "Oops, I Did It Again,"
was released and immediately started breaking records.
- ♪ I think I did it again
- Looks like Britney is on pace
for a million selling first week
for her album "Oops, I Did It Again."
Britney is likely gonna break the record
for first week sales by a female solo artist
set by Mariah Carey.
- While making the video,
Brit was the boss.
She knew what she wanted and got it.
- When I'm performing the song,
I just let go and I just act crazy and have fun.
♪ Ooh, baby, baby
- Britney and a red jumpsuit
were a total vibe
and kicked off a new dance craze
that had everyone dancing and singing along.
all: ♪ Sent from above
- ♪ I'm not that innocent
- We all saw a different Britney Spears
when she returned to the VMAs stage in 2000.
- ♪ Oops, I did it again
♪ I played with your heart
♪ Got lost in the game
♪ Ooh, baby, baby
♪ Oops, you think I'm in love
- She was bold, confident, and empowered,
but all eyes were on that bodysuit.
- I honestly had no idea
it was gonna be such a big deal of what I had on.
I just wanted to be very sparkly and pretty.
Ooh, I did it again.
[cheers and applause]
- When this Louisiana girl \hneeded some family time,
she traded sparkles for sweats
and brought MTV over \h\h\h\hfor dinner.
\h\h\h\h- It’s nice going to restaurants
and stuff like that,
but there’s something about
your mom’s home cooking.
- Fans were Britneyfied.
\h\h\h- We do extra sit ups just to look like Britney.
- My friends and I \h\hhave all gotten
our belly buttons pierced.
Kind of brought it out \h\h\h\hinto the open.
\h\h\h- I wanted to do it, but my mom wouldn’t let me.
- ♪ Just listen
- And in 2001, TRL dedicated
\h\h\h\h\h\ha special to all things Britney.
- I thought it would be fun to start from the beginning
and go back to the early days.
- Oh, okay.
- It was your choreographer
back at the Mickey Mouse Club.
[cheers and applause]
Did she have any bad habits?
- She used to scrunch \h\h\h\hher nose up.
- I still do that.
\h- You have a new record coming out November 6th,
self-titled.
It’s so highly anticipated,
even Madonna had a record \h\hcoming out that day.
\h\h\hShe’s pushed her own release date back a week.
[cheers and applause]
\h\h\h\h- Brit would perform once again at the 2001 VMAs.
\h\h\h\h\h- I’m really excited about this year’s performance.
Because it is MTV.
It’s such a big show.
You want to do your best.
♪ Now watch me
- Britney’s performance \h\h\h\h\hwas hypnotic,
and when an unexpected guest \h\h\h\hjoined her on stage,
it became a show highlight.
- ♪ I’m a slave for you
♪ I cannot hold it
♪ I cannot control it
♪ I’m a slave for you
♪ Like that
- By 2003, Britney \hwas unstoppable.
- First ever TRL award show
\h\h\h\h\h\hfor first lady Britney Spears, everybody.
- And she was already being
dubbed this generation’s \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hMadonna.
And in her honor, \h\h\h\hBrit sang
"Like a Virgin" with Christina \h\h\h\h\h\h\hin a rare duet.
- ♪ I was beat, incomplete
\h\h\h\h\h- She rebounded from a very public breakup
and made VMA history \h\h\h\h\honce again.
♪
- Ooh, I did not do that.
I did. I did.
\h\h\h\hThe whole moment was seriously so surreal
\h\h\h’cause, like, I looked up to her.
Being up there is like a moment
that I will never, ever forget.
[cheers and applause]
- She became the first female \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hartist to have
four albums debut \h\hat number one.
Brit was breaking records \h\h\h\hwherever she went.
From the biggest shows \h\h\hin TRL history,
one of the biggest crowds
\hin TRL history gathered outside
\hof MTV headquarters for a live performance
that lit up Times Square.
- ♪ Gotta get with that bass
♪ I’m up against the speaker, tryin’ to take on the music ♪
♪ It’s like a competition, \h\h\hme against the beat ♪
♪ I wanna get in a zone
♪ I wanna get in the zone
♪
- Despite her epic success \h\h\hand legions of fans,
there’s a price for fame,
and she was beginning to pay.
\h\hThe paparazzi fed the obsession
into her personal life, \h\h\h\h\h\h\hand it was
starting to take its toll.
- ♪ Still gon’ put pictures of \hmy derriere in the magazine ♪
- We know what you’re all \h\htalking about today.
\h\h\h\h\hBritney Spears getting married to Kevin.
- ♪ Are you kiddin’ me?
- Confirmed Britney Spears \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hwebsite,
\h\hI’m not making this up, says that she is pregnant.
- ♪ I’m Mrs. Extra! Extra! \h\h\h\h\h\hThis just in ♪
♪ You want a piece of me
♪ I’m Mrs. she’s too big now, \h\h\h\h\h\hshe’s too thin ♪
- Perhaps the best known \h\hand most scrutinized
of celebrity couples,
\h\h\hBritney Spears and Kevin Federline
\h\h\h\hhave called it quits after two years of marriage.
- In a dark moment, that’s when
all of the best stuff \h\hcomes out for me.
\h\h\h\h- ♪ All eyes on me in the center of the ring ♪
♪ Just like a circus
- It’s official, Britney Spears
has come back with a vengeance.
The first single off her upcoming album, "Circus,"
hit number one on the Billboard \h\h\h\h\h\h\hcharts last week.
- It was no coincidence that she would appropriately call
\h\hher next two albums "Blackout" and "Circus."
\h\h\h- ♪ Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor ♪
♪ Just like a circus
- It’s Britney, bitch,
and she’s back on top.
♪
- The music is a reflection
of what you’re going through, \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hso...
It’s such a part of me,
\h\h\hthe record, because of what I’ve gone through.
\h- Britney came back renewed and empowered,
delivering her first \hnumber one single
since "Baby One More Time."
- ♪ What you are, baby
♪ Womanizer, woman-womanizer
♪ You’re a womanizer, oh
♪ Womanizer, oh
♪ You’re a womanizer, baby
- A huge night at the VMAs \h\h\h\h\hsealed the deal.
After nine years \hof nomination,
Brit finally took home \h\h\h\h\hher first...
- Britney Spears.
\h\h\h- Second... - Britney Spears.
- And third Moon Man \hat the 2008 VMAs.
- Britney Spears.
- I just want to dedicate this \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hto all
of my amazing fans out there \h\h\hfor all their support.
♪ Show me how you want it \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hto be ♪
- The first lady of TRL
\h\hstarted her MTV career with "Baby One More Time,"
and the fans had spoken.
In 2008, it was voted TRL’s \h\h\h\h\hmost iconic video.
- No doubt, pop culture in TRL
would never be the same \h\h\h\hwithout hearing
those very first three \h\h\hinfectious notes.
♪
- And the last that would ever
air on the show.
- Last time Britney Spears will be number one on TRL.
"Baby One More Time."
- ♪ Hit me, baby, \hone more time ♪
[cheers and applause]
- Through the ups and downs,
\h\h\h\hMTV and Brit stood side by side, and in 2011,
Britney joined the ranks of fellow icons Madonna,
Janet Jackson, and U2 \h\hwhen she received
the coveted Michael Jackson \h\h\h\hVideo Vanguard Award
at the VMAs.
\h\h\h\h\hMTV celebrated her with an epic dance tribute.
\h\h\h- ♪ Oh, you’re a womanizer, baby ♪
[cheers and applause]
- Fast forward to now
while fans haven’t seen Britney \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\hlive on stage
since her grueling 4-year Las \h\h\h\h\h\h\hVegas residency,
she stays connected with her \h\h\h\hfans on social media.
Offering love and gratitude for their support and dropping some
new music along the way.
\h- ♪ You are now, now rockin’ with ♪
♪ Will.i.am and... - ♪ Britney, bitch
- I love you, Britney!
[pop music]
♪