AOL Music blog

Talking backstage at the American Music Awards about 'Until Yesterday,' the first single from his forthcoming album, JC Chasez called it "an intelligent pop record."

Chasez says that on the song, which was co-written and co-produced by former *NSYNC mate Justin Timberlake, he looked to an artist he considers "intelligent pop" for inspiration. "[Freddie Mercury] was a rock artist, but he definitely did pop music. There are splashes of Freddie Mercury in the first single," Chasez says. "When it came to the arrangements and the harmonies, I did some operatic parts and things like that, which were a lot of fun."

Prince and George Michael, he says, are two more intelligent pop artists. But Chasez wants people to know he isn't necessarily comparing himself to those masters. "I'm not trying to say my record's like that. I just think they brought unique perspectives to pop music and put thought into their records, and that's what I did."