High Level Signals

January starts with a magazine that technically belongs to the following month.

The February 2001 issue of Teen People hit newsstands in early January.

And even though the interview inside was conducted back in October of 2000, it gave us a clear snapshot of what NSYNC believed their immediate future would look like.

It was a window into the not-so-distant past when the group was exhausted from the no-strings-attached era, but still optimistic about what the next year would bring.

JC talked about how much of their success came down to what he called their footwork, pointing out that the group worked so much previously that they only had four days off for Christmas.

Meanwhile, Lance looked ahead to the next album, already scheduled for release in June, and insisted that this time they wouldn't be touring while recording.

If they could just stay in one city for a few months, he said, the album would be stronger for it.

Diane Warren, one of the most prolific songwriters in the music industry, said, praised NSYNC's longevity and their ability to expand beyond music, which was the perfect segue for the writer to talk about the group's various side projects.

Chris had a clothing line, Fumanskito.

Lance was managing two artists.

Joey had filmed his part in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

JC had written and produced a track for a group called Wild Orchid.

And Justin had acted in a Disney movie called Model Behavior.

But even with all of that, the interview makes one thing clear, and it's that in late 2000, NSYNC was still deeply invested in being a band.

That's the mindset they carried into January.

And at first, nothing about the month contradicted that optimism.

January 2nd brought the Grammy nominations, and NSYNC earned three nods.

It was a strong start to the year, and it was exactly the kind of validation they expected after the success of No Strings Attached.

Around the same time, it was implied that they were already in the studio working on their next album.

JC told MTV News they wanted things a bit more funky this time around, which aligned perfectly with the creative direction they'd already hinted at back in October.

From January 7th through the 9th, the group had a brief flurry of public appearances.

Two award shows back-to-back, followed by a live televised interview with Larry King on CNN.

Then, a little over a week later, NSYNC appeared at Rock in Rio 3, one of the largest audiences that they ever performed for at one time.

In terms of visibility, momentum, and cultural presence, January looked exactly like what you'd imagine for one of the most popular groups in the world.

But while NSYNC was in South America performing for hundreds of thousands of people, the media ecosystem back home was starting to focus on their possible decline.