NSYNC Member Finally Reveals Real Reason Behind Band’s Feud with the Backstreet Boys

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NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys no longer have a feud between them. The boy bands were the hottest musical acts of the 90s, a time when their fanbases had intense rivalries. The groups were frequently pitted against each other back then, something that drove album sales as each fanbase tried to outdo the other.

Now, NSYNC member Joey Fatone has cleared the air surrounding that intense period. Speaking at ’90s Con, Fatone revealed the feud was created specifically to boost each band’s commercial appeal. The two boy bands were rarely ever seen in each other’s company, which had furthered speculation of hostility.

However, Fatone has now clarified that the feud was manufactured by their management team, which both bands actually shared the whole time.

Joey Fatone Says The NSYNC And Backstreet Boys Feud Was Engineered By Their Manager

Joey Fatone was asked about NSYNC’s long-perceived feud with the Backstreet Boys at ’90s Con. The 49-year-old acknowledged the rivalry that the media had sold at the time, but revealed that it was their management’s doing. The Backstreet Boys and NSYNC were both managed by Lou Pearlman, who Fatone said would engineer the conflict so that fans bought into the competition.

Fatone said that Pearlman kept both bands apart but would constantly tell one about the other. According to the singer, Pearlman would tell both groups to do things differently so they stood out from the other. While that sounds like a positive thing, Fatone didn’t appreciate it because neither band benefitted financially from it.

“He wasn’t wrong, though, because then it was actually a friendly competition that became a battle,” Fatone acknowledged Pearlman’s strategy before elaborating. “But guess what? It was both going into their pockets. It was still going into the same person. And none of us knew that. The fans didn’t really know anything about it.”

The Backstreet Boys And NSYNC Only Began Interacting Years After Their Peaks

In the ’90s Con panel, Joey Fatone said that NSYNC and Backstreet Boys eventually evolved into their own sounds. The singer referred to Backstreet Boys’ songs as “monster ballad hits” and NSYNC’s catalogue as “monster uptempo hits.” Fatone said this was a result of all the differences they were frequently told about taking shape and form.

The 49-year-old confirmed that interactions between the two bands were extremely limited. At the time of their peaks, the groups rarely ever saw each other despite being managed by Lou Pearlman. Fatone said he feels this was done to avoid both bands colluding with each other.

The singer thinks that their management “didn’t want us to talk because things were not adding up 100%.” NSYNC and Backstreet Boys had massive falling-outs with Pearlman, leading to an extended conflict between them and their manager.

In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, Fatone spoke to the outlet with NSYNC member Lance Bass and Backstreet Boys members AJ McLean and Nick Carter.

The singers confirmed the “fabricated” nature of the feud, although they also agreed the constant competition did make it “real” at one point. The band members have since put any animosity aside and interact on friendly terms.