However, as the boy band went their separate ways, Chasez decided to step out of the shadows of his former band and embark on a solo career. The result was his debut solo album, ‘Schizophrenic’, a project that showcased his evolution as an artist and his willingness to take creative risks.

With *NSYNC back together and in celebration of the release of their new single ‘Better Place’, we’re taking a look back at Chasez’s under-rated debut solo album.

Creative Freedom: A Departure from NSYNC

For Chasez, the transition from *NSYNC to a solo career was a significant shift in his artistic journey. As a member of *NSYNC, he shared lead vocals with Justin Timberlake and he participated in the collaborative process of creating music. However, with ‘Schizophrenic’, Chasez was granted the artistic freedom to fully explore his individuality and who he is as an artist in his own right.

This newfound creative freedom allowed him to experiment with various musical styles and genres, something he was never able to do within the confines of a boy band. Chasez was determined to break free from the restraints of life within the group and create an album that reflected his own unique vision.

Diverse Musical Influences: Crafting a Unique Sound

‘Schizophrenic’ was a musical journey that defied easy categorisation. Rather than sticking to a single genre, Chasez embraced a diverse range of musical influences, creating a sound that was truly his own. Elements of pop, R&B, funk, rock, and electronic dance music converged to form a rich and eclectic sonic landscape.

The album’s title, ‘Schizophrenic’, reflected this diversity and hinted at the multiple musical personalities showcased within. It was a deliberate choice, signalling Chasez’s intent to challenge expectations and offer listeners a varied and engaging musical experience.

Collaborations with Renowned Producers and Songwriters

To help bring his ambitious vision to life, Chasez enlisted the expertise of accomplished producers and songwriters. Collaborations with the likes of Dallas Austin, Basement Jaxx, and BT injected the album with freshness and innovation. These super-producers helped shape the album’s eclectic sound, contributing their unique perspectives to the project.

The collaborations didn’t just add musical depth but also brought out Chasez’s versatility as an artist. Working with different creative minds allowed him to explore various musical facets, ensuring that each track on ‘Schizophrenic’ had its distinct flavour.

Lyricism and Personal Themes: Delving Deeper

While ‘Schizophrenic’ showcased Chasez’s musical versatility, it also delved into personal and introspective themes. The album dug deep into Chasez’s inner thoughts and emotions for a collection of personal songs. Songs like ‘All Day Long I Dream About Sex’ and ‘Build My World’ demonstrated his lyrical abilities and his willingness to address more mature subject matter.

These tracks, in particular, resonated with audiences as they offered a glimpse into Chasez’s personal journey and experiences. The willingness to open up and be vulnerable in his lyrics added depth and authenticity to the album.

Chart and Sales Performance: The Commercial Reception

Upon its release in February 2004, ‘Schizophrenic’ made its debut on the Billboard 200 chart at number 17. While it fell short of expectations and failed to match the huge success Timberlake was enjoying as a solo artist, it garnered attention for its innovative sound and strong promotion.

The singles from the album – ‘Some Girls (Dance with Women)’, ‘All Day Long I Dream About Sex’ and ‘Build My World’ showcased the album’s diverse range and contributed to its commercial appeal, but sadly they didn’t make much of an impact on the Billboard Hot 100.

In terms of sales, ‘Schizophrenic’ achieved Gold certification by the RIAA, signifying the sale of over 500,000 copies in the United States. While it didn’t achieve multi-platinum status, the album found a dedicated fan base and garnered attention for its innovative sound.

Legacy and Artistic Growth: “Schizophrenic” Beyond the Charts

‘Schizophrenic’ may not have achieved the commercial success of some of his *NSYNC contemporaries’ solo endeavours, but it remains a significant milestone in Chasez’s artistic journey. The album demonstrated his willingness to take risks, experiment with music, and explore personal themes. It stands as a testament to Chasez’s creative ambition and musical versatility, and it a favourite among fans.

The post Looking back at *NSYNC star JC Chasez’s debut solo album ‘Schizophrenic’ appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

With their harmonious vocals, synchronised dance moves, and catchy tunes, Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick became household names. Fans had given up all hope of the band ever making music together following their split in 2004 but the five-piece is back together with new song ‘Better Place’ due this week.

Following their recent appearance at the MTV VMAs and to celebrate their new song this week, we take a trip down memory lane and revisit the top 5 *NSYNC songs that continue to make us pop till we drop.

1. “Tearin’ Up My Heart” (1997)

The song that introduced *NSYNC to the world! “Tearin’ Up My Heart” was released in 1997 as their debut single from the self-titled debut album. With its catchy melody and heartfelt lyrics, it was an instant hit. The song’s upbeat tempo and harmonious vocals showcased the group’s undeniable talent, and it remains a fan favorite, even after all these years.

2. ‘Bye Bye Bye’ (2000)

‘Bye Bye Bye’ is arguably *NSYNC’s most iconic song. Released in 2000 as the lead single from their sophomore album ‘No Strings Attached’, this track skyrocketed the band to superstardom. With its unforgettable puppet-themed music video and the famous “bye bye bye” hand gesture, this song became a pop culture sensation. Its infectious chorus and danceable beat still have us singing along and imitating those signature dance moves whenever it comes on.

3. “It’s Gonna Be Me” (2000)

“It’s Gonna Be Me” continued *NSYNC’s chart-topping streak when it was released in 2000 as the second single from ‘No Strings Attached’. This song became an anthem for anyone looking to claim their love interest before anyone else did. With its memorable music video set in a toy store and a chorus that’s impossible to forget, it’s a timeless gem that we still can’t resist belting out.

4. ‘This I Promise You’ (2000)

To balance out their upbeat hits, *NSYNC gave us the beautiful and heartfelt ballad ‘This I Promise You’. Released in 2000 as the third single from ‘No Strings Attached’, this song became a staple at weddings and romantic occasions. With its touching lyrics and soaring harmonies, it remains one of *NSYNC’s most beloved slow jams.

5. ‘Pop’ (2001)

In 2001, *NSYNC decided to address the haters with ‘Pop’. This energetic track, from their album ‘Celebrity’, was a departure from their previous sound and showcased their growth as artists. The song’s lyrics cheekily acknowledge their critics while delivering a message of self-assuredness and authenticity. It’s a fun and infectious tune that encourages you to embrace your individuality.

The post 5 *NSYNC songs that we still can’t get enough of appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

One of seven tracks produced by The Neptunes on the record, ‘Let’s Take a Ride’ is a midtempo R&B jam that sees Timberlake leaning into his soulful side. The song isn’t bad per se, it’s just not as memorable as much of the rest of the album. It was a staple of the setlist for the ‘Justified’ World Tour that ran from 2003-2004 and it gave Timberlake a break from dancing.

The post Justin Timberlake’s ‘Justified’ turns 20 this year – we rank all the songs on the record appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Boybands aren’t a new thing, with some arguing that The Beatles could fit the bill.  Then there’s the Bay City Rollers, Wham! and Bros who all created hysteria and a loyal, predominantly teen girl, fanbase.  For us the dawning of the boyband as we know it, was in the early 90s when New Kids On The Block and Take That ruled the charts.  The dance routines, the cute one, the rebellious one, guessing which one was gay etc – boybands have given us some of pop’s finest moments.

Join us as we pick five of the biggest boybands from that era onwards and rank them in order of their members’ successful solo careers.

5.Blue

Antony Costa

Antony has had just one top 40 hit to date and that came in 2006 when Do You Ever Think Of Me peaked at no.19.

Duncan James

Following Blue’s temporary split, Duncan teamed up with soprano Keedie to deliver a  I Believe My Heart, a song from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest musical at the time, The Woman In White.  The track just missed out on the top spot of the chart and was followed in 2006 with Duncan’s first solo album Future Past which unfortunately only got as high as no.55 in the UK album chart.

Lee Ryan

Better known for his foolish antics, Lee actually has a powerful voice with a beautiful tone.  Out of all the Blue boys, he was perhaps the one you’d have put money on becoming the next big solo artist.  His debut solo single Army of Lovers was released in the summer of 2005 and is the highest charting solo Blue single reaching no.3.  It was the lead track from his self-titled and only album to date which got as high as no.6 and spurned two other top 20 singles.  Lee released a new single in 2010 but it only got as high as 33.

Simon Webbe

Congratulations to Simon who has the honour of having the most chart success as a solo artist amongst the Blue boys so far with two top twenty albums and four top twenty singles.  Released less than a month after Lee Ryan’s solo single, Lay Your Hands gave Simon his first top 5 single and No Worries matched the no.4 peak when it was released in November 2005.  His debut album went top 10 and was certified double platinum.  He released a second album Grace the following year which got to no.11 and was certified gold.  His third album was released last year but failed to chart.

Here’s a song to put a smile on your face, No Worries

[brid video=”270056″ player=”531″ title=”Simon Webbe No Worries”]

4.One Direction

The only boyband where all five members have had top 10 solo singles following the band calling it a day (at least for now).

Louis Tomlinson

After the passing of his mother, Louis gave an emotional performance on X Factor of his debut single with Steve Aoki in December 2016 and it very nearly hit the top spot, peaking at no.2.  He followed this with another top 10 hit with Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals but his third single Miss You only just scraped the top 40 at no.39.  We are still waiting for his debut album.

Liam Payne

Liam is taking his time to perfect his debut album release but that’s not stopped him releasing singles however and he can boast five top 40 singles so far including two top 10s.  He has of course been busy being a dad to Bear with Cheryl, but alas it looks like the power couple are no longer together.  Still it’ll be material for the album!

Niall Horan

Niall surprised fans when he dropped This Town in October 2016 with no real warning or fanfare.  The acoustic style track, set the tone for a folk influenced rock album and gave Niall his first top 10 single.  It was soon followed up by the fantastic Slow Hands which was released in May 2017.  His debut album Flicker was released last November and got to no.3 on the charts and gave him a third top 40 hit single.

Niall has also just released a brand new song from animated film Small Foot.  Listen now

[brid video=”270256″ player=”531″ title=”Niall Horan Finally Free (From “Small Foot”Audio)”]

Harry Styles

He was the last 1D boy to release his debut solo single and it was worth the wait as he gave us the epic Sign Of The Times which went to no.1 in April last year.  He released his self-titled album soon after and that also topped the charts.  He also won over the critics for his role in the movie Dunkirk.

ZAYN

The first to jump ship and also the first to release a solo single, Pillow Talk which went straight to no.1 in the UK.  His debut album Mind of Mine topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic making him the first British male solo artist to debut atop the Billboard 200 with his first release.  He’s notched up 7 top 40 hits including duets with Taylor Swift and Sia.  He has teased that his second album will be released in a mysterious way…what this means we will have to wait and see.

Meantime, here’s Pillow Talk

[brid video=”270057″ player=”531″ title=”ZAYN PILLOWTALK”]

3.N*Sync

JC Chasez

The co-main vocalist in N*Sync alongside JT,  JC arguably had a stronger voice than Justin but his solo career never really took off.  JC’s label Jive/Zomba was going through a restructure and unfortunately he never seemed to get the push he deserved.  He has since gone on to write for others (McFly/ ) and starred as a judge on US TV show America’s Best Dance Crew.  If you haven’t listened to 2004’s masterpiece Schizophrenic you need to do so immediately.

Here’s a taster with Blowin Me Up With Her Love

[brid video=”270059″ player=”531″ title=”JC Chasez Blowin’ Me Up (With Her Love)”]

Justin Timberlake

He was the cute, curly blonde haired all-American boy in N*Sync who went on to become one half of the late nineties/early noughties power couples when he dated fellow Mouseketeer Britney Spears; who can forget the double denim look!  His split from her helped cement his career as a solo artist when he followed his debut single Like I Love You with Cry Me A River, who’s video contained a Britney look-a-like.  With 5 top 3 UK  albums to his name and 26 top 40 singles, JT is still going strong and has just dropped a surprise new track that isn’t featured on current album Man Of The Woods.  Could this be a hint at a new album or perhaps a repack in time for Christmas?

Check out the new single SoulMate

[brid video=”270060″ player=”531″ title=”Justin Timberlake SoulMate (Audio)”]

2.Boyzone

Mikey Graham

Michael ‘Mikey’ Graham released his debut single and only top 40 UK hit in 2000.  It was called You’re My Angel and reached no.13, but unfortunately the album Meet Me Halfway didn’t make the top 40 and a further two singles failed to chart.

Stephen Gately

Second lead singer in Boyzone, Stephen sadly passed away in 2009 at his home in Majorca.  In 1999, he was forced to out himself when a former acquaintance was said to have gone to the newspapers and Stephen decided to take control of the story, by telling it his way.  He followed this with a single New Beginning in 2000 (a double a-side with his take on Bright Eyes) which got to no.3 in the UK.  He had two further top 20 singles and a top 10 album, also called New Beginning.

[brid video=”270295″ player=”531″ title=”Stephen Gately New Beginning (Original Video)”]

Ronan Keating

Lead singer of Boyzone, Ronan Keating has had the luck of the Irish with solo success that has seen him rack up eight top 10 solo albums including 4 no.1s and 15 top 40 singles, three of which topped the chart.  It all started with When You Say Nothing At All which was helped by being included in the soundtrack to Notting Hill back in 1999.  Of course, his solo career hasn’t stopped him joining the lads for more Boyzone music too but this November they’ll release their final album Thank You & Goodnight.

Let’s go back to the start of his solo career with the no.1 When You Say Nothing At All.

[brid video=”270053″ player=”531″ title=”Ronan Keating When You Say Nothing at All”]

1.Take That

Mark Owen

When Robbie left Take That and the band called it a day, perhaps noone was expecting Mark Owen to release a trippy indie rock album called Green Man.  It was preceded by the Lennonesque Child which reached no.3 in November 1996.  Second single Clementine also reached no.3 but the album only got to 33.  Mark then left his solo career for a number of years before returning with the anthemic 4 Minute Warning which ironically got to no.4 in 2003.  Once again the parent album failed to ignite and stalled at no.59.  As did his third album How the Mighty have Fallen in 2005 and fourth album The Art of doing Nothing peaked at no.29 in 2013.  To date Mark has had six top 40 UK singles.

Gary Barlow

It all started so well for Gary.  He was the main songwriter and often lead singer in Take That’s first phase and he started strong with a no.1 single in the UK with piano ballad Forever Love in summer of 1996.  He had a whole album in a similar style ready to go but US music mogul Clive Davis wanted to make Gary a big star in the US too and so new songs had to be recorded.  Second single Love Won’t Wait came out some 9 months after Fovever Love and was co-written by Madonna nonetheless.  It went to no.1 in the UK and set up the album Open Road which also topped the charts.  By the time Gary released second album Twelve Months, Eleven Days there seemed to be a backlash against him and he struggled to have success with single Stronger only getting as high as no.16 and the album peaking at no.35.  It wasn’t cool to be a Gary fan any more, possibly due to his former band mate Robbie’s growing success and the rivalry that the latter was very vocal about.  Fast forward to 2005 and a documentary aimed to reunite all the members of Take That but Robbie bottled it.  It did however, lead to Take That relaunching as a four piece and incredibly successfully so.  Barlow and Williams made up off camera and to show there was no hard feelings the pair duetted on Shame in 2010, a track they wrote together for Robbie’s second greatest hits album.  Gary released his third proper solo album Since I Saw You Last in 2013 and it peaked at no.2 and was certified double platinum.  To date Gary has had nine top 40 UK singles including three no.1s and four top 40 albums.

[brid video=”270297″ player=”531″ title=”Gary Barlow Open Road”]

Robbie Williams

Love him or hate him, you can’t deny the success Robbie Williams has had.  Firstly, as part of Take That from 1991 to 1995, where he fronted songs like Everything Changes and Could It Be Magic, and as a solo artist.  He left Take That in 1995 admist drug taking issues and a year later released a cover of George Michael’s Freedom as a statement song that took him to no.2 in the charts.  Robbie’s solo career was looking a bit shaky when his next few singles and his debut album Life Thru A Lens didn’t seem to win over the public.  But then came Angels and with it the album suddenly had a new lease of life.  In 2010, Robbie rejoined the Take That boys and made Take That mk2 a five piece again for the album Progress (and the EP Progressed).  As a solo artist, Robbie has an incredible 35 top 40 hits and 12 no.1 albums on the UK chart, plus his credibility as a live performer is second-to-none.

Here’s our favourite Robbie track, Rock DJ

[brid video=”270052″ player=”531″ title=”Robbie Williams Rock DJ”]

Do you agree with our choices?  Should Five, Westlife or NKOTB been on our list?  Tell us your thoughts on our social media @entfocusmusic.

Check out Max George’s Barcelona HERE.

Listen to Danny Jones’ Is This Still Love HERE.

The post When Boybands go solo; our top 5 success stories appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

‘N Sync made quite the mark on pop music during their 7 years of making music. Forming in 1995, the five-piece – Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass – enjoyed a breakthrough in Europe almost a year before they made any impact in the US. Arriving in the industry a little after Backstreet Boys, who were seen as their main rivals, ‘N Sync had a slow rise to fame but once they finally broke through they smash records left, right and centre. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the pop group’s debut album (well the original version that is) and it’s being marked with a release on vinyl.

This isn’t just any old vinyl release though. Labelled as the 20th anniversary edition, ‘N Sync is a collector’s edition blue vinyl of which there are only 2,000 in the world. Rather than opting for the US re-release of the album, Music on Vinyl have put out the original European version of the album and dare I say it’s a real treat. It boasts the original track listing meaning there will be some songs on here that fans haven’t heard before as well as the original versions of their countless hits. Many ‘N Sync fans will have the US re-release, which featured remixed tracks, omitted some tracks from the original release and added some new ones.

This 20th anniversary edition is actually pretty special. There’s something quite thrilling about seeing the album with its original art work spread across the canvas of the vinyl sleeve. It comes with a full-colour booklet featuring all the lyrics and photos from the era along with a poster. Cheesy the poster may be but there’s a little bit of me that squealed as I opened it up and saw the fresh-faced fivesome pointing outwards with their names printed on each of them. The blue vinyl is eye-catching and I love that each side has a label featuring a different picture of the group. The attention that’s been put into this release is quite magnificent.

In terms of the music ‘N Sync is actually a much better pop album than I remember it being and it’s aged, for the most part, pretty well. The album kicks off with the full-length version of Tearin’ Up My Heart, an early track for iconic songwriter Max Martin, and it transports you back to the 90s. The majority of the album is uptempo in a similar vein to that track but what always set ‘N Sync apart from their contemporaries was their stellar harmonies, which form the centre of every song.

An interesting cover of Boston’s More Than a Feeling showcases the band’s voices brilliantly but it’s not the best song on here by any means. Dance tracks such as You Got It, Giddy Up and Here We Go highlight the pop/R&B fusion that the band explored further on their second and third albums. A cover of Christopher Cross’ Sailing enables you to hear the group’s voices free from the thumping beat and it’s actually a very strong version of the song.

Highlights include the hit single I Want You Back, the very 90s Boyz II Men style ballad Best of My Life and the moody midtempo For the Girl Who Has Everything.

One thing to note is that this isn’t 180 gram vinyl but actually the sound quality is really solid. Once could argue that you don’t need to hear the depth of pop in the way you do with most genres but I was impressed by the quality of this pressing.

This vinyl release from Music on Vinyl is everything an ‘N Sync fan could want and more. True pop music is too often ignored when it comes to vinyl so I’m delighted to see this classic album arrive on the format. It would have been an obvious choice to put out No Strings Attached, the group’s record-breaking 2000 album, but I’m glad it’s their debut that has been show some love. ‘N Sync is an absolute must-have and it’s a beauty of a collector’s item.

[brid video=”218918″ player=”531″ title=”NSYNC I Want You Back”]

Track listing: Side One 1. Tearin’ Up My Heart 2. You Got It 3. Sailing 4. Crazy For You 5. Riddle 6. For the Girl Who Has Everything 7. I Need Love Side Two 1. Giddy Up 2. Here We Go 3. Best of My Life 4. More Than a Feeling 5. I Want You Back 6. Together Again 7. Forever Young Record label: Music on Vinyl Release date: 13th April 2018

The post ‘N Sync – ‘N Sync 20th anniversary edition vinyl review appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

This week Dead 7, the tongue-in-cheek zombie western from Backstreet Boys star Nick Carter and the team behind Sharknado, The Asylum, arrives in the UK on Syfy. The movie features boy band stars from Backstreet Boys, *NSync, 98 Degrees and O-Town.

I called up Howie Dorough, from the Backstreet Boys, to find out more about the movie, discuss how the project came together, and to get an update on the next Backstreet Boys album.

What is Dead 7 all about?

Dead 7 is a cowboy vs zombie movie if you can try to imagine that. It’s a light-hearted movie that Nick (Carter) co-wrote with a couple of writers in California. The project is an idea that he had. He was always creative as a kid, writing and drawing comic characters, zombie characters and cowboy characters. He came up with this idea for a movie and reached out to us to see who would be interested in doing it.

AJ (McLean) and I partook in it and they reached out to some other boy band guys. I think we have a good cast of characters that people wouldn’t expect to be in a movie together. It was fun and very light-hearted. We went to Montana to film over around 4 weeks. I had a great time and it was fun catching up with all the guys that we’ve shared moments with over the years and remembering stories. It gave us a chance to get to know each other once again.

Your character is The Vaquero. What do we need to know about him?

I’m a Mexican sniper and he’s a funny character. He knows Whiskey Joe (Joey Fatone) and there’s a group of us that get joined together to fight off these zombies. Joey’s character and mine have these fun love-hate bantering moments with each other and we got out there and try to take on the zombies of the world…or at least of Montana! They take us on too!

You mentioned that Nick asked the band who would like to be involved. Why did you want to be part of the movie?

First of all I wanted to support my brother Nick who reached out to us and I’m honoured that he did. Also I’ve always had a passion for acting since I was a little kid. When I was growing up in Orlando I did a little bit of everything – acting, singing and dancing. As a kid I did some movies like Parenthood with Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, Cop and a Half, a couple of bits on some TV shows like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Saturday Night Live, when we performed they would ask who wanted to be part of a skit and I’d raise my hand.

For me I’ve always wanted to get back into acting and do it one day properly and have it as a second career. I think people that have done a great transition are Donnie Wahlberg, Mark Wahlberg and Will Smith. It’s one of those things where obviously because I’m in a boy band, it’s not the easiest think to break out of that box and get people to cast you in a lead role. It’s going to be getting small parts and building my way up. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to play a small role in a bigger movie later on. I’m very grateful that Nick gave me the opportunity to do this movie. I keep joking that none of us will be getting an Oscar nominations for it but it was a fun experience.

The movie is a whole lot of fun. What it as fun to make as it is to watch?

It was lots of fun to make. We stayed in this old Western town in Montana from the 1800s and it was like a ghost town. It was so cool to be in the same area as these guys and stay in the same hotel. We hung out before and after our scenes. I had my birthday weekend, and some friends in Montana invited us to their house. About 8 of us went, and Joey (Fatone) was there. He and I hit it off so well and just got to know each other. Now we catch up every so often in Orlando when we’re back home. It was cool and a great experience. There was no drama and we took the chance to talk about our stories and the old days and the people we knew. It was just fun rekindling that experience there again.

Dead 7 has already aired in the US. What kind of reaction have you had from the fans?

I haven’t really had chance to get a lot of feedback from the fans. When it came out I was actually in Utah with my family doing a little bit of snow vacationing. This weekend will be the first time we’re catching up with our fans in China, to do a show. A couple of weeks from now we’ll be doing our annual Backstreet Cruise out of Barcelona to France and Italy. It’ll be the first time I’ll be able to hear from the fans. The crew around us all said they loved my accent. My wife is in the movie industry and she’s worked for Jerry Weintraub, who did all the Oceans 11 and 12 movies, and her sister is the manager of Amy Adams and Vin Diesel so I knew I wouldn’t get praise for this film!

Brian (Littrell) and Kevin (Richardson) didn’t appear in the movie. Have they given you any feedback?

I just saw them yesterday for the first time as we got together to rehearse for the China show. We were so busy that we didn’t get much chance to talk about the movie. Hopefully in the next couple of days I’ll hear from them, unless they don’t want to talk about it (laughs) and thought it was so bad they don’t want to say anything!

Backstreet Boys are working on a new album at the moment. Do you have any idea when that might arrive?

We’re still in the early stages of making this record with a couple of writers and producers. Right now we’re out there searching for the right songs and direction. Every album we take our time to ensure it’s a growth and a departure from the last record. We’re definitely in the midst of the creative early stages of it. I wish I could give you more information about where we’re at. We’ve recorded about 4 songs, 1 or 2 of them we know are strong contenders for the record. Normally we record a plethora of songs and the cream rises to the top when all is said and done. I’m hoping we can get it out before the end of this year but if not for sure by next year. Hopefully by the fourth quarter we’ll have something out, even if it’s just a single.

Do you have any plans to work on any more solo material?

Yeah actually. Each of us is working on solo stuff. Believe it or not I recorded a solo record that is being worked on as a children’s theatre production. It’s something I wanted to venture off and do, something totally outside of the box from the Backstreet Boys. I have two kids – a three year old and almost a seven year old – and they inspired me to do some music that’s fun with a little sense of adult humour but really relatable to kids. I’ve seen some of these kinds of movies like Wreck-It-Ralph and Toy Story, that adults and kids can watch at the same time and both be entertained. That’s why I created a CD/musical that’s going to be fun for both audiences to listen to.

You expressed your interest in doing more acting. Is there anything in the pipeline at the moment?

Actually no roles in the pipeline, I wish I could say I did. I’m now living back home in Florida so I’m not in California to find the roles but eventually it is my passion, when Backstreet Boys takes a little time off, to get back out there and reconnect with my agents and acting managers. I want to see what might be the right fit for me. I feel like no role is too small or too big. I definitely won’t have any lead roles in any big movies but if I can just get my foot in the door with some smaller roles that are a departure from what people would expect to see from me, hopefully they’ll give me the chance to show that I can stand on my own two feet and maybe have a little bit of credibility so people want to do more movies with me.

Why should UK viewers get out the popcorn and tune in to Dead 7 when it airs?

They should probably tune in because it’s the first time in history that this many boy band dudes are in one movie (laughs) and we’re not killing each other, we’re being killed by zombies. It’s a fun light-hearted film. We not only did a film together but we sang the lead title track together too. We just show everybody out there that the years they thought that there was animosity between us, it has never really been there and it was more media created. It’s just an epic moment in time right now. Also if they have nothing going on for two hours, it’s a good way to kill the time! (laughs)

Dead 7 airs on Syfy at 9pm on Tuesday 3rd May 2016. Watch the trailer for the movie below:

[brid video=”32181″ player=”531″ title=”Dead 7 (promo)”]

The post Backstreet Boys’ Howie Dorough Dead 7 interview appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The track is a collaboration with Anise K and features Bella Blue. Walking On Air has already been released to iTunes across the globe so you can get your hands on the track now.

Walking On Air is the first music we’ve heard from Lance since N’Sync parted ways with the star opting to try his hand at acting and presenting in more recent years. He also features on season 7 of Dancing with the Stars where he reached the final finishing in third place.

In the video for the track Lance is seeing wearing a blue suit whilst dancing and singing in the desert. You can check out the video below:

The post Lance Bass debuts Walking On Air music video appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The night was packed with incredible performances including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Macklemore & Lewis with Jennifer Hudson and Kanye West. Justin Timberlake stole the night with a performance featuring a medley of hits and a brief reunion with his NSYNC bandmates.

The most talked about performance was that of Miley Cyrus who shocked the audience with a raunchy rendition of her smash We Can’t Stop. She then joined Robin Thicke for an even raunchier performance of his hit Blurred Lines before staying on stage to dance whilst he sang Give It 2 U. Oh Miley!!

The full list of winners for the evening were:

Video of the year: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

Best female video: Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Best male video: Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven”

Best pop video: Selena Gomez, “Come & Get It”

Best hip-hop video: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

Best rock video: Thirty Seconds to Mars, “Up In the Air”

Best collaboration: Pink and Nate Ruess of fun., “Just Give Me a Reason”

Best video with a social message: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert, “Same Love”

Best song of the summer: One Direction, “Best Song Ever”

Artist to watch: Austin Mahone, “What About Love”

Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award: Justin Timberlake

Best direction: Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie” (director David Fincher)

Best visual effects: Capital Cities, “Safe and Sound”

Best choreography: Bruno Mars, “Treasure”

Best art direction: Janelle Monae featuring Erykah Badu, “Q.U.E.E.N.”

Best cinematography: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton, “Can’t Hold Us”

Best editing: Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”

The post 2013 MTV VMA winners list appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

New York Post’s Page Six claims that Timberlake will reunite with JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick for their first performance in over 10 years. Timberlake is due to receive the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the ceremony.

The rumours began when the members of *NSYNC were spotted at Timberlake’s show in Miami last week.

Would you like to see *NSYNC performing together or do you think Justin should leave the past behind? Let us know by casting your vote below:

[socialpoll id=”13643″]

The post Justin Timberlake to perform with *NSYNC? appeared first on Entertainment Focus.