Justin Timberlake’s curly hair looked like ramen noodles. Honestly, that’s the first thing most of us think about when we revisit the year 2000. But beyond the frosted tips and the baggy denim, NSYNC It’s Gonna Be Me became something much bigger than a boy band hit. It turned into a cultural cornerstone that refuses to die. It’s the song that launched a thousand memes and cemented the group's legacy in a way nobody—not even Lou Pearlman—could have predicted back then.
The Weird Science Behind the Pronunciation
You know the sound. It’s not "me." It’s "May."
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When Max Martin and Rami Yacoub wrote this track at Cheiron Studios in Sweden, they weren't trying to create a meme. They were trying to make a hit. Max Martin is famous for his "melodic math." He prioritizes the way a vowel sounds over the actual word. He told Justin to sing it that way because it punched harder. It cut through the heavy synth-pop production.
Basically, the "May" pronunciation happened because a Swedish producer thought it sounded better for the rhythm. It’s a quirk of phonetics. Timberlake leaned into it. He didn't just sing it; he bit the word. Now, every April 30th, social media explodes. It’s a digital holiday. You can't escape the picture of 19-year-old Justin looking intense while the caption tells you exactly what month is coming next. It's fascinating how a specific vocal choice in a recording booth in Stockholm changed the way we experience the transition from April to May decades later.
Making the Plastic: The Doll Video
The music video is a fever dream. Directed by Wayne Isham, it features the guys as plastic dolls in a toy store. It’s kinda creepy if you look too closely. Those jerky, mechanical movements? They weren't just for show. The group actually spent hours practicing how to move like they had plastic joints.
They were competing with the Backstreet Boys' "Larger Than Life." The budget was massive. They had to build a life-sized toy store set. Each member had a "doll" version of themselves made, which later became actual merchandise you could buy at Odyssey Records or Tower Records. People forget that this was the second single from No Strings Attached. The first, "Bye Bye Bye," was the monster hit, but "It’s Gonna Be Me" was the one that finally landed them their first and only Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Jive Records Drama
Success wasn't guaranteed. Not even close.
The group was in the middle of a brutal legal war with their former manager, Lou Pearlman, and their old label, RCA. They were essentially fighting for their names. When they moved to Jive, there was immense pressure. If No Strings Attached failed, the "boy band craze" was officially over. Instead, they sold 2.4 million copies in a single week.
Think about that number.
In a world before streaming, 2.4 million people got in their cars, drove to a store, and handed over cash for a CD. NSYNC It’s Gonna Be Me was the backbone of that momentum. It proved they weren't just a "Bye Bye Bye" fluke. The production was edgier than their previous stuff. It had a bit of a funk influence, mixed with that aggressive, Y2K pop sheen. It was "dirty pop" before they even released the song "Pop."
Why the Meme Persists
Memes usually have a shelf life of about two weeks. This one has lasted over a decade. Why?
It’s the perfect storm of nostalgia and utility. It’s a calendar-based joke. Every year, without fail, the date arrives. It creates a sense of community. Even Justin Timberlake participates now. He’s acknowledged the "May" thing on Twitter multiple times. It’s become a self-aware piece of pop culture history.
Also, the song is actually good.
If it were a bad song, the meme would feel annoying. But the harmony in the bridge—where they go "You've got no choice, babe / But to move on and you'll find"—is some of the best vocal work of that era. JC Chasez usually carried the heavy lifting vocally, but on this track, the blend is seamless. They were a vocal group first, a dance group second. People often lose sight of that because of the matching outfits.
Breaking Down the Production
If you listen to the stems of the track, the bassline is surprisingly aggressive. It’s got this growling synth that feels almost industrial. Max Martin was experimenting with combining the "boy band" sound with something more "street." It was a bridge between the bubblegum 90s and the more R&B-focused early 2000s.
- BPM: 165 (It’s fast. That’s why the dancing looks so frantic.)
- Key: C Minor (This gives it that slightly "darker" or more serious tone compared to "Bye Bye Bye.")
- The "Kicker": The silence right before the final chorus. That half-second of quiet makes the drop back into the "It’s gonna be ME!" hit ten times harder.
The syncopation is what makes it catchy. It’s "stop-start" music. It forces your head to bob. Honestly, it’s a masterclass in pop construction. It doesn't waste a single second. Every "yeah" and "ooh" is placed with surgical precision.
The Cultural Shift
By the time the single reached the top of the charts in July 2000, the landscape was changing. Britney Spears was dominating. Eminem was shaking up the industry. NSYNC managed to stay relevant by being slightly more "adult" than their competitors.
"It’s Gonna Be Me" is essentially a song about a guy waiting for a girl to realize her current boyfriend is a loser. It’s a bit "nice guy" coded if we're being real, but it worked for the demographic. It positioned them as the reliable, albeit plastic-wrapped, alternatives to the "bad boys" of the era.
How to Experience the Track Today
If you're going back to listen to it, don't just watch the YouTube video. The compression on those old uploads is terrible. Find a high-fidelity version or the remastered 20th-anniversary audio. You’ll hear layers of backing vocals you probably missed on your Walkman back in the day.
Actionable Ways to Relive the Era
To truly appreciate the impact of this track, look at the credits. Look at how many songs from that specific year were produced by the same three guys in Sweden. It’s a rabbit hole.
Check out the live performance from the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. It’s the one where they have the TV screens for heads. It’s peak Y2K. It shows the sheer athleticism required to sing those harmonies while doing full-out choreography.
If you're a musician, try to cover it. You'll quickly realize that the "Me/May" note is actually quite difficult to hit with the same resonance Timberlake used. It requires a specific placement in the mask of the face.
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Finally, mark your calendar for April 30th. Whether you love it or hate it, the meme is coming. You might as well be the one to post the high-quality version of the gif. It’s a piece of history that transitioned from the radio to the very fabric of how we communicate online.
The song isn't just a throwback; it's a testament to the power of a well-placed vowel and a group of guys who were willing to be turned into plastic for the sake of a hit.
Next Steps for Pop Culture Historians
- Analyze the Max Martin Formula: Listen to "It’s Gonna Be Me" back-to-back with Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again." Notice the identical drum hits and structural "drops." This was the Swedish takeover of American airwaves.
- Track the Billboard Shift: Look up the Hot 100 for the week of July 28, 2000. See what NSYNC had to beat to get to Number 1. It gives you a clear picture of the sheer competition they faced from R&B and Alternative Rock at the time.
- Audit the Remixes: Find the "Jack D. Elliot Remix." It was featured on some of the single releases and offers a completely different, house-music take on the track that was popular in clubs at the turn of the millennium.