*NSYNC Gets Neptunes To Help Them Score 'Girlfriend'
(12/21/01)

*NSYNC is preparing to release the video for its new single, "Girlfriend," on December 31. The video is a take on film The Fast And The Furious, and was shot in downtown Los Angeles on December 6 and 7.

The song, produced by the Neptunes, is expected to cross over to urban markets, following the path of its predecessor "Gone," produced by lead singer Justin Timberlake. It's currently Number 15 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.

Mimi Valdes, editor at large for Vibe magazine, says she's not surprised by the group's popularity on the R&B charts. She interviewed the quintet in April for her feature in the August 2001 issue of Vibe.

"'Girlfriend,' I love that song so much," says Valdes, who adds that the song reminds her of early music from '80s R&B group New Edition. She says "Girlfriend"'s lyrics are pure and innocent, and the song brings a cool R&B vibe to the marketplace. "I think R&B was just missing [that]," she says. "It's just ironic that these white boys just brought that back."

In related news, pop starlet Britney Spears entered the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart two weeks ago for the first time, with her Neptunes-produced single "I'm A Slave For U," which is Number 93.