Entertainment

*NSYNC Fans Need To See The Band’s Joke About Their Walk Of Fame Reunion’s Perfect Timing

by Taylor Ferber
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

A historic ceremony on Monday, April 30 to celebrate *NSYNC's Hollywood Walk of Fame star included emotional speeches, mobs of screaming fans, and yes, a perfectly-timed, self-deprecating joke. With all five band members present, JC Chasez cracked an "It's gonna be May" joke at *NSYNC's Walk of Fame ceremony and it was all in good fun. Years of the infamous meme poking fun of the 2000 song "It's Gonna Be Me" were brought to life in that moment. And given the timing of the ceremony (just a day before May 1), the joke really brought the pop band's legacy, both on and off the internet, full circle.

People may be sick of the *NSYNC meme, and many have come to express that as yet another May approaches. Still, it's the gift that keeps on giving, which is why Chasez took a moment to speak to the fans who can't get enough of the viral meme and how entertaining it is. During the ceremony, he took the mic and said, "By the way, in case any of you didn't know, tomorrow..." He took a pause and sang the one and only lyric: "It's gonna be May." Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake, the face of the meme, proudly put his arm in the air and did a dance move to Chasez singing the line. If the man of the meme totally embraced the moment, it seems that it's not dead after all. Sorry, internet.

Over a month before the ceremony even took place, Lance Bass shared his excitement with fans, officially naming April 30 "It's Gonna Be May Day" on Twitter. The meme's been going strong for years, long before the band's special ceremony, and it doesn't look like it'll be put to rest anytime soon.

According to Know Your Meme, the "It's Gonna Be May" meme dates back to 2012 when it was first posted on a fan's Tumblr account. Ever since, variations of the meme all show a screenshot of Timberlake singing (or just one of his enthusiastic facial expressions), in which he iconically turns "me" into "may." In March 2012, BuzzFeed posted a photo of an April calendar with the meme on the last day of the month. In 2014, President Obama posted his own version of the meme with a photo of himself and Timberlake at The White House and the caption "It's gonna be May" on his Facebook page.

Year after year, Timberlake can't even resist getting in on the action.

Long live the "It's Gonna Be May" meme and all of its colors, shapes, and sizes.

The meme has provided glorious entertainment for social media users, but ever wonder why Timberlake famously sang the lyric that way in the first place all those years ago? In a 2016 interview with Capital FM, the singer explained producer Max Martin's influence, saying, “I think he just wanted me to sound like I was from Tennessee." Seems like he got the job done, and fans won't let him forget it.

Timberlake closed out the Walk of Fame ceremony on a hopeful note for audiences waiting for a band reunion. The singer thanked "the greatest fans in the world" and said, "I can't wait to see what the future holds." Fans in the crowd lost their minds and began a "Reunite" cheer. The last time *NSYNC performed together was briefly at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. It's been years since the group first made its debut in 1997, and although they haven't released a studio album since 2001, it seems a reunion isn't completely off the table.

While Timberlake is currently on his Man of the Woods tour, Chris Kirkpatrick recently said a reunion is possible, to Variety. An *NSYNC reunion gives so much potential for new music, new shows, and most importantly, more memes.