Justin Timberlake and Joey Fatone in 1998.Photo:Mikki Ansin/Getty

American Pop singers Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone all of the group N’Sync, pose in matching outfits, Boston, Massachusetts, 1998

Mikki Ansin/Getty

Joey Fatonedidn’t expect to say “Bye, Bye, Bye” to*NSYNCwhen he did.

He continued, “It was more of, ‘Hey, I’m going to do some music, and then we’ll get back together.’ That’s what that was.”

The singer shared that he and his bandmates thought *NSNYC was going to resume as normal after the “SexyBack” artist returned from hisJustifiedWorld Tour, which lasted from May 2003 to June 2004 and followed the release of his debut solo effort of the same name. “We thought he was just going to go out and just come back after the [Justified] tour. I was like, OK. But he went on tour and then things started going.”

*NSYNC in 1999.Bob Berg/Getty

Pop group *NSYNC, (clockwise L) JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick,Lance Bass, JustinTimberlake, and Joey Fatone pose for an August 1999 portrait in Los Angeles, California.

Bob Berg/Getty

TheDancing with the Starsrunner-up also clarified that he understands now that the changes the pop band went through weren’t solely his bandmate’s choice. “And it wasn’t him — it was the record company,” Fatone explained. “If it was him, then I’d understand it. When you’re younger, you think it’s that person. But then you look at the whole bigger scheme of things, and you go, ‘Oh, that’s why I wasn’t there for that.’ That’s the business. OK, I get it.”

*NSNYC reunited with their first song in over 20 years last Friday. Afterteasing itfor several weeks, the ‘90s icons released “Better Place,” an original single off theTrolls Band Togethersoundtrack.

All five members of the beloved group — Fatone, Timberlake,Chris Kirkpatrick,JC ChasezandLance Bass— appear on the song, which is an infectious banger that calls back their early boy band sound and has a contemporary disco-pop beat.

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The fivesome officially reunited this year at theVMAsin September, where they shocked fans as theyappeared on stage togetherto present the award forbest pop video.

Since then, they’ve shared ahandfuloffun, heartful postsonsocial mediacelebrating getting back together.

source: people.com