Q&A with former *NSYNC singer J.C. Chasez

Q&A with former *NSYNC singer J.C. Chasez

Since his former band, *NSYNC, went on hiatus in 2002, J.C. Chasez recorded two solo albums: 2004's "Schizophrenic" and his latest due this year. Chasez was in Syracuse, N.Y., to promote his new single, "Until Yesterday." The Daily Orange had a chance to sit down and talk with the pop icon.

The Daily Orange: What was it like working with Justin Timberlake, your former group member, on your new album?

J.C. Chasez: Working with Justin on the new single was fantastic. It was fun. We were hanging out, talking on a personal level, then at one point it got brought up, what if we write together again? He was great at catering to what I wanted to do as an artist and bringing out the best in me.

D.O.: Your new single, "Until Yesterday," is about a girlfriend who gets pregnant with another man's child. Where did you get the concept from?

J.C.: There's the line, "I loved you all the way until yesterday." It's a different take on how to say, "I don't want to be with you anymore." Everyone says I hate you, I don't want to be with you or it's not working. And from there this whole thing grew. Well you know what? Maybe she cheated on you, you still didn't know it, now she's having a baby, you think you're in love and this baby's yours then you find out it's not yours. That's pretty much the worst scenario I could come up with. So we wanted to do a song that raised the stakes.

D.O.: What is your favorite song on the new album?

J.C.: "Kate" is my favorite song. It's an imaginary person I have created as my muse. Some days she's wonderful; some days she's a horrible human being. In fact, the name of the album might be changed to "Kate."

D.O.: What is the sound of the new record?

J.C.: Pop, no doubt about it, but it's a wonderful genre because it crosses so many boundaries. I'd classify it as an intelligent pop record; every song has been thought out, and it tells great stories. I'm trying to reach music lovers, people that are smart; I don't want to treat anybody like a dumb listener. With pop music at this point, I feel like there's a bit of it that does it. I think as a human being, an artist and a person, I want to hear something more intelligent. But just because it's intelligent doesn't mean it can't be fun.