I Hope My Daughter Finds Her Own *NSYNC

On April 30, 2018 the boyband *NSYNC (or 'N SYNC depending on how far back your fan-girling days go) received a star on the famed, Hollywood Walk of Fame. First of all, it is about damn time. Second of all, CUE ALL THE TEARS. This year marks the 20th anniversary since the group's debut album and the first time in TWO YEARS all five men were (publicly) at the same place at the same time. More than 2,000 fans went to LA to try and get a glimpse of the boys and to relive a simpler time at their Dirty Pop-Up shop and experience. I wanted to be there more than words can express but sadly I was left to watch the live stream from my living room and eat up every Facebook Live and Instagram photo I could get.

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In the week leading up to this event I looked into flights and hotels, for 2 people - no not for my husband and I but for me and my mother.

You see, *NSYNC was just as much hers as they were mine. She may say she didn't love them in exactly the same way, but she facilitated my love with buying every album, every shirt, every notebook, and every concert ticket. She also had the task of recording ON VHS, every morning show appearance. We even went out to the Today Show in New York at 4am, one time for them, now that is dedication.  

We did not make the journey to LA, I am responsible for a 10 month old after all. But I made sure to text her when the live stream was about to start. We watched together, texting about funny moments, when we spotted Lance's mom and to say how cute Joey's parents are. Then to my surprise she sent a text that simply said "why am I crying", and it was perfect because I was crying too.

Watching these grown men on my TV for the first time since they joined Justin Timberlake during his VMA performance in 2013 brought back a flood of emotions. I saw my 12 year old self be-bopping at their concert at Madison Square Garden and as I watched them interact, make jokes and look genuinely happy to be there with each other it showed me that it may have been 16 years since they went on "hiatus" but nothing really changed.

I don't know for sure, but I think that's why my mom cried as well because she remembered just as clearly as I did. She drove us to Giants Stadium with "Honk if U Love *NSYNC" written on the back window and she remembers how excited I was when at one point in the show JC had a water gun that he shot into the crowd and I got hit! There are a lot of memories tied to these five men and they were all experienced with my mom.

​It makes me hope that one day, my daughter will find a group that she loves, and I am able to take her to their concerts and recored (on the DVR or whatever the next invention is) their TV appearances so she can watch them when she gets home from school.
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​I hope this is something that we can share and experience together. I loved going to concerts, my first being the Spice Girls at age 8. I still love going to concerts though it has gotten considerably harder as I got older with work and schedules becoming more complicated (and now having a baby there is the added piece of having someone watch her).

But one day, maybe when she's 8 or 9 or 10 she'll hear a song on the radio that she really likes or she'll see some act on the Disney Channel that makes her want to have their faces plastered all over her wall and I'll be more than happy to indulge.

I only hope that whichever singer or group she finds, they're half as talented as *NSYNC because we really did get lucky with them.

They released a playlist on Spotify fittingly titled, It's Gonna Be May!, I really hope I don't have to explain why it is titled It's Gonna Be May! or why them reuniting on April 30th was the best thing to ever happen to a meme. Now, I admittedly don't listen to too much *NSYNC these days but one chord into a song and I still know all the words.

Monday was a great day. It brought so many of us back to a simpler time, and watching videos of those in line it just looked like one big party.

​Here's to another 20 years! Maybe one day we'll get a reunion tour. Maybe.

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