"Bye Bye Bye" is the first single released from American boyband 'N Sync's second album, No Strings Attached. Released in early 2000, it is a reference to the group's break from their manager Lou Pearlman and their record label, RCA. It was debuted at the 1999 Radio Music Awards. This song was featured on the 2001 compilation album "Now That's What I Call Music! 6"

Background [link]

The song was written and produced by Kristian Lundin and Jake Schulze as part of Cheiron Productions with Andreas Carlsson providing additional lyrical contribution.^[1] Lundin told HitQuarters that unlike many hit songs that are rooted in a lyrical hook, "Bye, Bye, Bye" is "totally production driven" and "created from the kick and the bass up".^[1]

Chart performance [link]

"Bye Bye Bye" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #42, the week of January 29, 2000, reaching the Top 10 by the week of March 4. The song remained in the Top 10 of the Hot 100 singles chart through May 20, 2000, for 12 weeks. The single peaked at #4 in April 2000 for two consecutive weeks. The song was the most added pop single to radio all time, being added to over 200 radio stations in the first week alone. The record was previously held by rivals the Backstreet Boys.^[2] The song was a bigger hit internationally, reaching the top of the charts in Australia and New Zealand and #3 in the United Kingdom.

Critical reception [link]

"Bye Bye Bye" received 2 Grammy nominations, "Record of the Year" and "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". The song and video won the group 3 Video Music Awards at the 2000 MTV VMA's. (Best Pop Video, Best Choreography in a Video and Viewer's Choice) The video won the most VMA's that year. It also won a Radio Music Radio award in 2000, for best song of the year. Rolling Stone, however, listed "Bye Bye Bye" as the 17th most annoying song of all time.^[3] Other awards included 3 Teen Choice Awards in 2000 (Choice Single, Choice Music Video, and Song of the Summer), MuchMusic Video Music Award (Favorite International Group for "Bye Bye Bye") and Blockbuster Entertainment Award 2001 (category Favorite Single for "Bye Bye Bye"). The song was voted the number 1 Boyband/girlband song on U Choose 40 on C4 in New Zealand.

Music video [link]

The video, directed by Wayne Isham from January 10–11, features *NSYNC as puppets controlled by an evil puppetress (played by Kim Smith). She cuts the strings first on Joey and Chris, and they run over the top of a speeding train, then hide among the passengers to escape her. She cuts Justin loose next, and he outruns her trained dogs through a warehouse, eventually escaping into the pouring rain. Then Lance and JC are cut loose and fall into a red Dodge Viper RT/10. They speed away from her, while being chased by her silver BMW Z3. All this is interspersed with shots of the band dancing in a blue box with a fixed camera, making them appear as though they are on different planes of gravity. The video edit of the song also adds a few cuts where Timberlake lands in the warehouse, and when Lance and JC start the car chase, and adds an additional final chorus.^[4]

The video premiered on MTV's "Making the Video" and features the same actress as appears in "It's Gonna Be Me". It originally held the record for longest streak of being #1 on TRL with 25 straight days at the top spot, until another one of their videos (I Drive Myself Crazy) made it to 26 straight days at #1.^[5] The video was #60 on MuchMusic's 100 Best Videos. The video debut on TRL January 24, 2000.

Awards and Nominations [link]

[edit] MTV Video Music Awards

[edit] Grammy Awards

[edit] Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards

[edit] Teen Choice Awards

[edit] MuchMusic Video Awards

Tracklisting [link]

• Europe

1. "Bye Bye Bye" - 3:19
2. "Bye Bye Bye" [Instrumental] - 3:19

• Worldwide

1. "Bye Bye Bye" - 3:19
2. "Bye Bye Bye" [Instrumental] - 3:19
3. "Could It Be You?" - 3:41

Chart positions [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

• "Bye Bye Bye" Official music video on YouTube