*NSYNCs Its gonna be May meme keeps us alive every year, says Lance Bass

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Even if *NSYNC hadn’t experienced an unexpected revival in 2024 thanks to the movie Deadpool & Wolverine, they still would have experienced a burst of interest around this time last year thanks to their “It’s gonna be May” meme. And guess what — they’re never gonna be tired of it.

“I mean, it is crazy. If you want to stay relevant, become a meme for the young kids out there,” Lance Bass tells People of the joke, which was created in 2012 because of the way Justin Timberlake pronounces the word “me” in the song “It’s Gonna Be Me.” 

“It’s something that fans get to have fun with every single year. It keeps the song kind of in people’s minds, which is nice. It keeps us alive every year,” says Lance. “It’s the most searched *NSYNC thing ever on that day just because of this stupid little meme, which I’m sure Justin loved,” Lance joked. “But yeah, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.”

“The more the years go on, the more variations you see — including old-school stuff they’re digging up — and then they put the words under the meme. It’s hilarious. I think it’s great,” Joey Fatone adds.

Lance and Joey almost always mark the day with some sort of content or promotion. This year, Chris Kirkpatrick also posted a lengthy comedy skit in which he shows up to perform the song. And on his Instagram Story, JC Chasez reposted a bunch of fans’ videos celebrating the meme.

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