No Strings Attached (NSYNC album)
| No Strings Attached | ||||
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| Studio album by NSYNC | ||||
| Released | March 21, 2000 | |||
| Recorded | February 1999 – January 29, 2000 | |||
| Genre | Pop, R&B, dance-pop, teen pop | |||
| Length | 47:15 | |||
| Label | Jive | |||
| Producer | Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Rami, Riprock 'n' Alex G., Teddy Riley, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Richard Marx, Veit Renn, Guy Roche, Kevin Antunes, Babyface | |||
| NSYNC chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No Strings Attached | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Christgau's Consumer Guide |  |
| Entertainment Weekly | C– |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Sputnikmusic | 3.0/5 |
No Strings Attached is the third studio album by American boy band NSYNC, released on March 21, 2000 by Jive Records. Looking to distinguish their music from that of their labelmates, its music incorporates pop and R&B styles. Prior to the release of the album, NSYNC separated from their management Trans Continental and their label RCA Records; its title is a play on the idea of independence from corporate control.
Contributions to the album's production came from a wide range of producers, including group members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez and new collaborators Kristian Lundin, Jake Schulze, Rami, Teddy Riley, Kevin "She'kspere" Briggs, Richard Marx, Veit Renn, Babyface, and Guy Roche.
After several delays due to legal battles, No Strings Attached was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. The album debuted atop the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 2.4 million copies, setting the record for one-week sales in the country; a record that lasted 15 years, until Adele surpassed the first-week sales record in 2015 with her third studio album 25. Four singles were released from the album. Its lead single "Bye Bye Bye" is credited with creating the hype for the album's eventual landmark success.
The title of the album alludes to puppets and the idea of independence NSYNC earned following a legal battle between its then-management. NSYNC was signed by Trans Continental Management to Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG) in Germany, due to a pre-existing deal, and its distribution rights in the United States were automatically bought by RCA. In 1999, NSYNC sued Trans Continental and financier, Louis J. Pearlman, due to illicit corporate practices. They cited Pearlman's defrauding the group, which, according to MTV, was more than fifty percent of their earnings, rather than his promise of only receiving one-sixth of the profits. The band, whose self-titled debut album and its quick follow up had commercial success, insisted "they have not seen enough of the profits" that they had generated by selling eight million albums in the United States alone. On October 12, 1999, Trans Continental, along with RCA's parent, BMG Entertainment, filed a $195 million suit in a federal court to bar NSYNC's transference to Jive and from performing or recording under their current name. The suit also forced NSYNC to return masters recorded in 1999 in preparation of their second album. With an undisclosed settlement in 2001, NSYNC finally severed its contract with Trans Continental and switched labels from RCA Records to Jive Records, which releases its contemporaries such as the Backstreet Boys and pop sensation Britney Spears.
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