NSYNC (album)
'NSYNC | ||||
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![]() The first release cover. The US and International versions have a different cover, while the Japanese releases have 2 alternative artworks. | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | March 24, 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1995–1997 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 56:18 | |||
Label |
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Producer |
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NSYNC chronology | ||||
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Alternate artwork | ||||
![]() US and international edition cover | ||||
Singles from 'NSYNC | ||||
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'NSYNC[a] is the eponymous debut studio album by American boy band NSYNC, initially released in Germany on May 26, 1997, by Trans Continental Records and internationally on March 24, 1998, by RCA Records. The album reached number one on the Offizielle Top 100 and includes the singles "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart".
The album has since sold over 15 million copies worldwide, with the album earning a diamond certification in the US, as well as peaking at number two on the Billboard 200.
Background
[edit]Band formation
[edit]In 1995, Chris Kirkpatrick met with Lou Pearlman to talk about forming a pop group. Pearlman said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers to be with him in the band. This prompted Kirkpatrick to start forming the group, so he called Justin Timberlake who had been a member of the Mickey Mouse Club. Justin joined and recommended his friend Joshua "JC" Chasez, who also was a cast member on the Mickey Mouse Club. Later, the three bumped into Joey Fatone, whom they all knew, at a club and he became the fourth member to join.
Initially, Jason Galasso was chosen as the group's bass singer and fifth member. After several weeks of rehearsals, the group set up a showcase and began planning to officially sign with Pearlman's Trans Continental Label. However, at the last minute, Galasso dropped out as he was not fond of the group's musical direction, claiming that being a teen idol was never a goal of his.[3] The group started to search for people to replace Galasso. Timberlake soon called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from Mississippi named Lance Bass, who flew to Orlando to audition and was immediately accepted into the group.[4]
Recording
[edit]The newly-formed group began recording demos in closets, which eventually became "Sailing" and "Giddy Up". NSYNC were given an offer to record in Shaquille O'Neal's house in Orlando after he heard them sing the national anthem.[5] During the production of "Sailing", an instrumental was placed before NSYNC started layering the track with harmonies and vocals, while "Giddy Up" was created from a vocal jam session through a computer.[6] The band also recorded in the studio of producer Veit Renn, who used mattresses to create a soundproof environment.[5]
Eventually, the group signed to BMG Ariola Munich, and were sent to Stockholm to begin working on their debut album with the help of producers such as Denniz Pop, Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson around July–August 1996. Initially, the band were recording songs similar to that of Boyz II Men, but had to switch their sound in order to accommodate to the dance-oriented European market. Due to his fascination of Robyn's sound, Pop decided to incorporate Robyn's style into NSYNC's music by combining their R&B vocals with pop tracks.[5]
Singles
[edit]Initial release
[edit]The album's official lead single, "I Want You Back", was released in Germany on January 15, 1997,[7] and reached the top 10 on November 18, 1997.[8] The group's second single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", was released on February 10, 1997,[9] also peaking within the top 10.[10] The third single, "Here We Go", was released on May 5, 1997,[11] just three weeks prior to the release of the album, to similar success.[12][13] Their self-titled debut album was then released by BMG Ariola Munich on May 26, 1997, which peaked at number one on the second week of release in Germany.[14] The group soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe.[15] The album also charted successfully in both Switzerland and Austria eventually selling 820,000 units in GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) region and Eastern Europe.[16][17] Two further singles, "For the Girl Who Has Everything" and "Together Again", were subsequently released on August 18 and November 3, 1997, respectively, achieving success in Germany and other European territories.[18][19]
International breakthrough
[edit]Following their success of their début album in several European territories, the band captured the attention of Vincent DeGiorgio, an A&R rep for RCA Records. After watching the group perform a rendition of their single "Together Again" in Budapest in November 1997, he offered them a record deal with RCA, which the group immediately agreed to. On January 20, 1998, their first German single, "I Want You Back", was released in both the United Kingdom and the United States, becoming their first single in both territories, achieving success on both the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100. Around this time, RCA Records announced that they wished to release the group's debut album, which was previously only released in Germany, in both the U.K. and the U.S., however, wanted to make adjustments to suit both markets. This resulted in the tracks "Riddle", "Best of My Life", "More Than a Feeling", "Together Again" and "Forever Young" being cut altogether, and new mixes of "I Want You Back", "Tearin' Up My Heart" and "For the Girl Who Has Everything" being recorded. The new version of the album also included four new tracks: "I Just Wanna Be with You", "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You", "Everything I Own", "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)". This version of the album was subsequently released in the United States on March 24, 1998.
On June 30, 1998, the group's second German single, "Tearin' Up My Heart", was released in both the U.K. and the U.S., once again achieving success on both charts. Further edits were made for the British version of the album, including remixes of "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)", "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" and "For the Girl Who Has Everything", plus an all-new track, "U Drive Me Crazy", written exclusively for the British market. This version of the album was released in the UK on July 5, 1998. At first, sales of the album were mediocre in both British and American territories, until the band's worldwide broadcast Disney Channel in Concert special in 1998.[20] After the concert was aired, sales of the album began to skyrocket. It reached number two on the Billboard 200 and shipped over 10 million copies in the United States alone, making it certified 10× Platinum and earning the group an RIAA diamond award.[21] On February 9, 1999, a third single from the new version of the album, "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You", was released exclusively in the United States, peaking at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)", the final single, was released days later. Though "I Drive Myself Crazy" did not crack the top 40 on Billboard, its music video was in heavy rotation on MTV show TRL, spending a total of 40 days in the number 1 position.[22] The group then went on to become the #3 top-selling boy-band group of all time.
Commercial performance
[edit]Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Robert Christgau | ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Sputnikmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The album debuted at number eighty two on the Billboard 200 the week of April 11, 1998, with sales of approximately 14,000 units.[27][28] After six months, on October 10, 1998, the album reached and peaked at number 2 on the chart and remained on it for one hundred and nine weeks.[29] It spent a total of thirty weeks inside the top 10. The album spent three weeks at number 2 from September 1998 to January 1999. It peaked behind three different number-one blockbuster albums: Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Garth Brooks' Double Live and Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time.[30] According to Nielsen SoundScan, it was the fifth best selling record of 1998 in the United States with 4,400,000 copies sold.[31] The album was certified ten times platinum by the RIAA on January 5, 2000, denoting shipments of ten millions.[32] The album has sold 9,854,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen Music (as of March, 2015) with an additional 1.50 million units at the BMG Music Club (as of early 2003).[33] In the United Kingdom the album debuted and peaked at number 30 on July 11, 1999, and remained on the chart for only three weeks.[34] Worldwide, the album has sold 15,540,000 copies.[35]
The album was ranked as the 137th best album of all time on the Billboard Top 200 Albums of All Time.[36]
Track listing
[edit]Lead vocals provided by JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake except on "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)", where Justin sings lead on the opening verses followed by Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone on "Together Again", where Chris & Justin sing lead.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" | Lundin | 4:47 | |
2. | "You Got It" | Veit Renn | Renn | 3:32 |
3. | "Sailing" | Christopher Cross | Renn | 4:36 |
4. | "Crazy for You" |
| Gary Carolla | 3:41 |
5. | "Riddle" | Pat Reiniz | Renn | 3:40 |
6. | "For the Girl Who Has Everything" |
| Renn | 3:51 |
7. | "I Need Love" | Carolla | Carolla | 3:14 |
8. | "Giddy Up" |
| Renn | 4:09 |
9. | "Here We Go" |
|
| 3:35 |
10. | "Best of My Life" |
|
| 4:46 |
11. | "More Than a Feeling" | Tom Scholz | Jaap Eggermont | 3:42 |
12. | "I Want You Back" |
|
| 4:24 |
13. | "Together Again" |
|
| 4:11 |
14. | "Forever Young" |
|
| 4:09 |
Total length: | 56:18 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
15. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" (Radio Edit) |
| Lundin | 3:29 |
16. | "I Want You Back" (Radio Edit) |
|
| 3:22 |
Total length: | 63:09 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" (Radio Edit) |
| Lundin | 3:30 |
2. | "I Just Wanna Be with You" | Full Force | Full Force | 4:03 |
3. | "Here We Go" |
|
| 3:35 |
4. | "For the Girl Who Has Everything" |
| Renn | 3:45 |
5. | "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" |
| 4:42 | |
6. | "You Got It" | Renn | Renn | 3:22 |
7. | "I Need Love" | Carolla | Carolla | 3:14 |
8. | "I Want You Back" (Radio Edit) |
|
| 3:21 |
9. | "Everything I Own" | David Gates | Full Force | 3:57 |
10. | "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)" |
| Renn | 4:00 |
11. | "Crazy for You" |
| Carolla | 3:40 |
12. | "Sailing" | Cross | Renn | 4:38 |
13. | "Giddy Up" |
| Renn | 4:08 |
Total length: | 50:55 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" (Radio Edit) |
| Lundin | 3:35 |
2. | "I Just Wanna Be with You" | Full Force | Full Force | 4:03 |
3. | "Here We Go" (Radio Cut) |
|
| 3:33 |
4. | "For the Girl Who Has Everything" (Club Mix) |
| Renn | 3:46 |
5. | "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" (Remix) |
| 4:02 | |
6. | "You Got It" | Renn | Renn | 3:33 |
7. | "I Need Love" | Carolla | Carolla | 3:14 |
8. | "I Want You Back" (Radio Edit) |
|
| 3:12 |
9. | "Everything I Own" | Gates | Full Force | 3:59 |
10. | "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)" (Remix) |
| Renn | 4:00 |
11. | "Crazy for You" |
| Carolla | 3:42 |
12. | "Sailing" | Cross | Renn | 4:36 |
13. | "Giddy Up" |
| Renn | 4:09 |
Total length: | 50:23 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
14. | "U Drive Me Crazy" (Radio Edit) |
|
| 3:34 |
Total length: | 53:57 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Sailing" (Live Version) | 4:39 |
15. | "More Than a Feeling" | 3:43 |
16. | "Some Dreams" | 3:45 |
17. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" (Phat Dub) | 6:32 |
18. | "I Want You Back" (Back Beat Radio Edit) | 3:42 |
Total length: | 72:44 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Tearin' Up My Heart" |
| 3:35 |
2. | "Here We Go" |
| 3:33 |
3. | "For the Girl Who Has Everything" |
| 3:46 |
4. | "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" |
| 4:02 |
5. | "I Want You Back" |
| 3:12 |
6. | "I Drive Myself Crazy" |
| 4:00 |
7. | "U Drive Me Crazy" |
| 3:34 |
Total length: | 25:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "U Drive Me Crazy" (Extended Version) |
| 4:42 |
2. | "For the Girl Who Has Everything" (Unplugged Version) |
| 4:18 |
3. | "Some Dreams" |
| 4:18 |
4. | "Riddle" | Pat Reiniz | 3:41 |
5. | "Best of My Life" |
| 4:46 |
6. | "More Than a Feeling" | Tom Scholz | 3:42 |
7. | "Together Again" |
| 4:09 |
8. | "Forever Young" |
| 4:07 |
9. | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" |
| 3:03 |
Total length: | 36:46 |
- Notes
- ^[a] signifies an additional producer
- "I Just Wanna Be with You" contains portions of "Family Affair", as written by Sly Stone.
Charts
[edit] Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
Decade-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications and sales
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Austria (IFPI Austria)[60] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada)[61] | 4× Platinum | 400,000^ |
Germany (BVMI)[62] | Gold | 250,000^ |
Poland (ZPAV)[63] | Gold | 50,000* |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[64] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[65] | Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[32] | Diamond | 10,000,000^ / 11,354,000[b] |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Release history
[edit]Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | May 26, 1997 | CD single | Ariola | [66] |
Japan | November 1, 1997 | CD | Sony | [67] |
United States | March 24, 1998 |
| RCA | [68][69] |
Japan | June 5, 1999 | CD | Sony | [70] |
United Kingdom | July 5, 1999 |
| Northwestside | [71] |
Germany | January 12, 2018 | LP | Music on Vinyl | [72] |
United Kingdom | January 19, 2018 | [73] |
Credits
[edit]NSYNC
[edit]- Chris Kirkpatrick – countertenor/falsetto vocals
- JC Chasez – tenor vocals
- Justin Timberlake – tenor vocals
- Joey Fatone – baritone vocals
- Lance Bass – bass vocals
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ The album has 2 different titles, 'N Sync and *NSYNC. Some store also listed the album as N-Sync.
- ^ As of March 2015, the album has sold 9,854,000 copies in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan, which does not count albums sold through clubs like the BMG Music Club, where it sold 1.50 million units.[33] Combined, it has sold over 11,354,000 copies in the United States.
References
[edit]- ^ "*NSYNC - *NSYNC - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic.
- ^ Wild, David (November 12, 1998). "'N Sync is the Sound of Young America". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "VH1's Driven's *NSYNC Episode Summary". VH1. Archived from the original on December 23, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- ^ Tortorici, Frank (May 4, 1999). "'N Sync's James Lance "Lansten" Bass". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c Weatherby, Taylor (March 24, 2018). "*NSYNC Reflects on Making U.S. Debut & Competing With Backstreet Boys as Self-Titled Album Turns 20: 'It Was Us Against the World'". Billboard. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
- ^ Taylor, Chuck (April 18, 1998). "Following its soulful instincts, RCA's 'N Sync set to break away from boy-group brigade". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 16. p. 72.
- ^ "I Want You Back". January 15, 1997 – via Amazon.
- ^ "Top 100 singles-chart". www.offiziellecharts.de. November 18, 1997. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "Tearin' Up My Heart". February 10, 1997 – via Amazon.
- ^ "Tearin' Up My Heart: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ^ "Here We Go". May 5, 1997 – via Amazon.
- ^ "*NSYNC – Tearin' Up My Heart". GfK Dutch Charts.
- ^ "'N SYNC – Here We Go". GfK Dutch Charts.
- ^ "'N Sync". www.offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
- ^ "N Sync Pictures, Biography, Discography, Filmography, News, Ringtones, Videos". Starpulse.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ^ "*NSYNC – *NSYNC (ALBUM)". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 12, 2010.
- ^ Paoletta, Michael; Pride, Dominic (March 20, 1999). "'N Sync's Indirect Path to the Top". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 12. pp. 6, 84.
- ^ "For The Girl Who Has Everything: N Sync: Amazon.co.uk: MP3 Downloads". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ^ "Together Again/Enhanced: Amazon.de: Musik". Amazon.de. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
- ^ Dominguez, Robert (November 15, 1998). "'N SYNC WITH TEENS MEET THE LATEST BOY BAND TO MAKE A POP SPLASH WHILE DODGING FLAK FROM THE CRITICS". NY Daily News.
- ^ "RIAA - Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - November 26, 2015". RIAA.
- ^ Jackman, Ian (2000). Total Request Live: The Ultimate Fan Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 71. ISBN 9780743418508.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "*NSYNC". AllMusic. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ "NSYNC". Robert Christgau.
- ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide. New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 593. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
rolling stone 'n sync album guide.
- ^ K., Simon (October 22, 2016). "'N Sync". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
- ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. April 11, 1998. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ Mayfield, Geoff (April 11, 1998). "Between the Bullets". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 15. p. 108. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 21, 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Top 200 Albums". Billboard. October 10, 1998. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ "Chart Watch Extra: You Won't Believe These Albums Stalled At #2". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
- ^ "Best Selling Records of 1998". Billboard. Vol. 11, no. 5. January 30, 1999. p. 75. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved September 21, 2017 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – 'N SYNC – 'N SYNC". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ a b Peoples, Glenn (March 26, 2015). "Why Zayn Malik's Departure From One Direction Won't Hurt Band's Music Sales". Billboard. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". UK Albums Chart. Official Charts Company. July 11, 1999. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
- ^ Summers, Kimberly Dillon (2012). NSYNC A Biography. ABC-CLIO. p. 10. ISBN 978-1-4408-0100-6.
- ^ "Greatest of All Time Billboard 200 Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 1, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2015.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 198.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – 'N sync – 'N sync" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3553". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved July 28, 2013.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – 'N sync – 'N sync" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Billboard - Hits of The World". Billboard. June 14, 1997. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – 'N sync – 'N sync" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1997. 25. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Billboard - Hits of The World". Billboard. September 12, 1998. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Charts.nz – 'N sync – 'N sync". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – 'N sync – 'N sync". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – 'N sync – 'N sync". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – 'N sync – 'N sync". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "'N sync | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ "'N Sync Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "'N Sync Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ "Jahreshitparade Alben 1997". austriancharts.at (in German). Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
- ^ "RPM's Top 100 CDs of '98". RPM. Vol. 68, no. 12. December 14, 1998. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved July 13, 2018 – via Library and Archives Canada.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1998". Billboard. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1999". Billboard. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2000". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
- ^ Mayfield, Geoff (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – 'N Sync – 'N Sync" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – 'N Sync – 'N Sync". Music Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('N Sync; ''N Sync')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 1997 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('N Sync')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
- ^ "British album certifications – NSYNC – 'N SYNC". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
- ^ "'N Sync". May 20, 1997 – via Amazon.
- ^ "'N'Sync 'N'Sync CD Album". CDJapan.
- ^ "N-Sync". March 24, 1998 – via Amazon.
- ^ "N Sync". March 24, 1998 – via Amazon.
- ^ "'N Sync-US Version 'N SYNC CD Album". CDJapan.
- ^ "New Releases – For Week Starting July 5, 1999: Albums" (PDF). Music Week. July 3, 1999. p. 22. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
- ^ "N Sync". April 13, 2018 – via Amazon.
- ^ "N Sync". April 20, 2018 – via Amazon.