*NSYNC Album: “No Strings Attached [Japan Bonus Enhanced CD]”

The European version of No Strings Attached. This CD has two bonus tracks (I'll Never Stop & If I'm Not The One) that you can't get here in the States! Full track listing is: 01. Bye Bye Bye 02. It's Gonna Be Me 03. Space Cowboy (Yippie-Yi-Yay) 04. Just Got Paid 05. It Makes Me Ill 06. This I Promise You 07. No Strings Attached 08. Digital Get Down 09. Bringin' Da Noise 10. That's When I'll Stop Loving You 11. I'll Be Good For You 12. I Thought She Knew 13. I'll Never Stop

14. If I'm Not The One

NSA is a great cd anyway, but with this import, you're adding the beautiful "If Only Through Heaven's Eyes", originally from the Set It Off soundtrack, "This Is Where The Party's At", a fun B-side that you'll end up liking, "If I'm Not The One", also a great song, and finally "Yo Te Voy A Amar", the beautiful spanish version of "This I Promise You". Definitely worth the $21, and if you can get the videos off the extra cd, it'd be even better.

I have been an NSYNC fan since the beginning and No Strings' is even better than the 1st CD. The change in style is cool and I would put the new sound against any other band today! I used to be a Rage and Pantera fan but NSYNC has brought a change! BYE,BYE,BYE

Most people are surprised when I tell them I listen to NSync. I don't blame them, considering my diverse taste in music. No Strings Attached is certainly different from their debut album, which is not to say this is a bad thing. Quite the contrary. It took me a day to get used to their new sound. NSA is a lot funkier, and every track is a package bursting with energy. Songs like "It's Gonna Be Me" and "Bringin' Da Noise" (co-penned by JC himself) are just Top 40 hits waiting to happen. One of the bonus tracks "I'll Never Stop" is reminiscent of the pre-NSA era.

Fear not, just as NSA is filled with catchy make-you-wanna-dance numbers, it has its share of pretty slow ones. With a little help from Richard Marx on "This I Promise You", and hit-spewing Diane Warren on "That's When I'll Stop Loving You", NSA is an album with something for everyone (who likes NSync, that is). NSync get to show off a more mature side and wonderful vocal harmony on the acapella "I Thought She Knew". Speaking of mature, "Digital Getdown" paints quite a picture.

Get the CD and listen for yourself. I did and I love it :)

Reviewer: Educated and into *NSYNC from This Planet Finally! Artists who don't take themselves so seriously, who don't consider themselves God's gift to the music industry, and who aren't trying to make some sort of bold angsty statement with a shocker image. Boy-band? Whatever. Critics say that like it's an insult. What's wrong with happy, fun music? When I'm depressed, I want to listen to something that will bring a smile to my face, not something that allows me to wallow in it. The men of *NSYNC are honest about their objectives on this CD: they wanted to make a happy, fun CD with a minimum of ballads (although they are handily included at the end to prove that, yes, they can do more than carry a tune, thank you). This is not rocket science, people. This is not "heavy lyrics 'R' us". Play the CD. Listen. Dance. Then go home.

Some fans are disappointed that *NSYNC has strayed from the sound they debuted with on their first CD. I suppose such fans will have to drop off, then; *NSYNC has made it clear that what we were hearing was not the "real" them and not what they'd like to be remembered for.

Others are upset that certain songs on the album more than allude to 'things sexual'. Oh, dear. Somebody better inform this group of 20-something males that sex is a topic off limits! Perhaps such lyrics will turn off the younger fans, but then again, perhaps *NSYNC's goals are not to cater to the young'uns any longer.

The odd critic will complain that *NSYNC is trying (or trying too hard) to be like their predecessors (one in particular, which shall remain nameless). One would wonder if such critics have actually listened to both groups' music. If nothing else, this was proven with the new CD. The style of most of the numbers reflects the group members' interest in the techno/club/hip-hop scene, which is markedly different from other groups' reliance on mid-tempo, adult-contemporary numbers.

Regarding charges that it takes a "real" musician to accompany themselves on instruments or write all of their own lyrics: Simply composing one's own lyrics does not mean that the emotion behind the lyrics can come across in the vocals. It happens to take something special to be able to convey the emotion required, and *NSYNC possesses that gift. And when you're slamming out a cappellas at the drop of a hat, who needs to play their own instruments anyways? Justin's beat-boxing and Lance's bass undertones are more than enough for me. Need I remind anyone that the human voice is our most powerful instruments?

Oh, and to anyone who whines that *NSYNC cannot sing, I issue a simple challenge: Get together with four friends and sing "I Thought She Knew" better.