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Besides being a beloved pop icon, JC Chasez is also a lifelong animal lover.
That’s why teaming up with Meow Mix was a natural fit for the *NSYNC superstar. In a new advertisement for the cat food brand, Chasez joined a different kind of boy band — full of cats. The group brings back all the 90s nostalgia by transforming Meow Mix’s original 1980 jingle into a perfectly harmonized, quintessential boy band pop hit.
In the commercial clip, the five-piece furry group (a.k.a. The Catty Five) performs sleek choreography while dressed in coordinating denim and all-white outfits. Chasez comes in halfway through the jingle to belt out some serious “meow, meow, meow” ad libs.
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“I was made to host The Catty Five,” Chasez tells Billboard with a laugh. “I grew up with cats — and dogs to be fair. I’m an animal lover in general. So, I loved the Meow Mix idea. Of course, there’s a lot of 90s Nostalgia going on right now, so putting a 90s spin on the longtime jingle was so fun.”
The star also gushed over how “cute” the final product is. “It’s so good. It’s the sound, right? You automatically go back to that era. They they nailed the sound of the era.”
“Thanks to the brilliant Meow ReMix creative from incredible agency and brand partners in Publicis, BBH, and JMS, BCL Entertainment knew that the talent had to be legendary,” Bettie Levy, talent producer of the campaign and founder and CEO of BCL Entertainment, said of the new collaboration in a press statement. “Beyond JC being part of one of the most iconic boy bands of all time, his interest in engaging in and contributing to unique campaigns made this partnership so natural and authentic.”
“We couldn’t be more excited to release the latest installment of our Meow ReMix campaign” added Peter Defries, GCD of BBH USA. “When we were tasked with launching the wet-food range, there was only one genre that could really bring it to life – the rain-soaked boybands of the 90s. And when JC Chasez came on board, we knew we were sitting on another hit.”
“Our latest campaign honors Meow Mix’s storied heritage while also bringing new cultural relevancy to the brand,” said Gail Hollander, chief marketing officer of JM Smucker’s.
The Meox Mix boy band-themed spot comes amid a particularly fun renaissance for boy bands in the music industry, with K-pop groups like BTS and SEVENTEEN dominating the pop landscape. “I want more!” Chasez says.
Besides the emergence of new boy bands, classic groups like Chasez’s own *NSYNC have been getting a second life on TikTok. In particular, a page called @justice4jc has been going viral on the platform, spotlighting the 46-year-old’s impressive vocal range and giving him the “credit & recognition he deserves,” per the user’s bio.
When asked if he’s seen the Justice for JC movement, Chasez admits that he hasn’t personally been following it, but has been told about it by some of his friends. In fact, he hasn’t had much time to scroll on TikTok, as he’s been immersing himself in writing musical theater. “There are similarities [between writing a pop hit and musical theater songs] and there are some some very big differences,” he explains. “When you’re writing a single for something, you’re just looking to write about what you’re feeling in the moment. When you’re working on a musical, there’s alwaysa bigger picture and the story is always the driving force. I would say, in pop music, you can live in the moment and not be worried about what you’re singing about in terms of it not working with another piece.”
He continued, “What really attracted me to it lately is that there’s such a human experience in live theater. There’s no hiding. There’s no AI up there. There’s no dirty tricks. It’s people up there giving you everything in that moment. So that’s what’s really been fun about.”
So far, Chasez has written two plays — a coming-of-age-story and one that’s a “bit more serious” and “beautiful” look at humanity. “It’s kind of like the last thing that I haven’t really dabbled in,” he says of theater. “I started in television, then I moved into music and I made a couple of films. Now it feels like this is the last untapped thing. It’s nice to experience all sides of it.”
Lastly, the singer gave his official response to fellow *NSYNC member Chris Kirkpatrick’s claim that he’s the least active in the boy band’s group chat. “I don’t have an official response, because it’s true!” Chasez says. “They go off on tangents, man. It happens in waves, like, the chat will be quiet for a couple of weeks and then somebody chimes in with something and then everyone’s riffing on that. I get my piece in there, but they get they get chatty.”
Watch the new Meow Mix commercial here.
She loves him, she really loves him. Jennifer Lopez teased her latest homage to husband Ben Affleck on Monday (July 17) when the singer/actress dropped a 20-second preview of her ode to the couple’s Sin City wedding, “Midnight in Vegas.” The first listen to the sweet ballad came a day after the first anniversary of […]
We’re now rocking with Will.i.am and Britney, b—-! The Grammy-winning producer took to social media on Monday (July 17) to tease his new collaboration with Britney Spears, the electro-tinged “Mind Your Business.” The 16-second clip features Spears proclaiming over the track, “Mind your business, b—-!” According to the post, the song is set to arrive […]
From show-stopping vocals to eye-popping choreography and production, Beyoncé‘s Renaissance World Tour is one of the grandest shows happening right now. In the midst of all the show’s opulent elements stands one special surprise for select dates: a dance performance by Grammy winner Blue Ivy, the eldest daughter of the superstar and husband Jay-Z, and grandma Tina Knowles-Lawson couldn’t be prouder.
“Well, this is a heels family. You’re trained early to walk in heels,” Knowles-Lawson, mother to Beyoncé and grandmother to Blue Ivy, told People. “She’s having the time of her life, and I couldn’t be more proud of her because she really worked hard.”
Blue Ivy, the second-youngest Grammy winner in history, seamlessly fit into Beyoncé’s crew of seasoned dancers, featuring ballroom powerhouse Honey Balenciaga and renowned dancer-choreography Aliya Janell.
At the tour’s Paris stop (May 26), Blue surprised the sold-out stadium with some dazzling dance moves set to a pair of her mother’s most empowering anthems: “My Power” and “Black Parade,” both from 2019’s The Lion King: The Gift (Deluxe Edition). Blue’s flawless execution of the “My Power” choreography went viral and sparked a dance trend on TikTok.
Knowles-Lawson, a credited costume designer for the Renaissance World Tour, told the publication, “She is 11 years old, and she had one week to prepare, and she’s just getting better and better. So I’m the proud grandma, always.”
Blue is the eldest Carter child; she is the big sister to 6-year-old twins Rumi and Sir Carter. According to her grandmother, the tween’s confidence has soared “to the sky” since joining the Renaissance Tour. The young dancer made her debut on the tour’s North American leg at the Philadelphia show on July 12.
Blue Ivy has earned one entry on the Billboard Hot 100: 2019’s “Brown Skin Girl” (with Beyoncé, Wizkid & SAINt JN), which won the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Music Video and peaked at No. 76.
It’s been seven years since Ariana Grande unveiled her club-ready hit “Into You” off her 2016 album Dangerous Woman, and the enduring hit has reached a new milestone. The music video for the track crossed the one billion views mark on YouTube. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and […]
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From a whirlwind romance to a reported divorce, here’s a full timeline of Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez’s relationship.
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As his fans would probably say, one Harry Styles just isn’t enough. But luckily, Madame Tussauds is on a mission to make sure there’s plenty of Harries to go around, unveiling seven new wax figures of the pop star across the museum’s various locations around the world on Monday (July 17). Featuring some of the […]
Nick Carter feels most himself when he’s making music. After touring the world with the Backstreet Boys for the past four years, one might think he’d step back and take a much deserved break — but, in fact, he’s just getting started.
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“When I got back home and was finally able to be with the family, it was so amazing, but I’m a musician, I’m a performer. I love music, and so I decided that I wanted to get back on the road and do what I love,” the 43-year-old superstar tells Billboard.
That’s why he’s heading out on the road for his first solo tour in seven years. The Who I Am tour, announced exclusively via Billboard, aims to capture the music, the stories and the journey that, fittingly, made Carter who he is. “I was born in 1980 and there was a lot of music that influenced me throughout the years to be one of the members of the Backstreet Boys. So, I’m going to perform a lot of songs that I love,” he says of what fans can expect from the 14-show run. “80s songs, 90s songs — songs that that we all grew up with, and then also some solo songs and a lot of the Backstreet Boys songs. It’s just going to be a real fun show.”
The tour kicks off on October 4 in Lexington, Ky., before making its way through cities like Nashville, Tempe and Orlando before wrapping up on October 25 in Las Vegas. While Carter will be honoring his Backstreet Boys pop roots, fans can also expect to see a new side of the singer.
“I’m going to go out with a band, and I play guitar. I’m going to be playing drums throughout the show. So, it has a bit more creative personal expression and is a little bit more organic, I guess you could say,” he says of how his tour differs from a BSB run, before sharing the “surprising” songs he hopes to add into the setlist. “There’s no walls for me when it comes to music,” Carter says with a laugh. “One of the songs I really want to do is Simple Mind’s ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ from The Breakfast Club and another one I want to do is Bon Jovi’s ‘Wanted Dead or Alive.’ I’m actually going to do some rap because I grew up listening to rap music. I’m gonna tear up some rap and do my own East Coast versus West Coast!”
Don’t worry, Backstreet Boys fans. Just because Carter is embarking on a solo tour, doesn’t mean he’s not still close with the rest of the guys. “I’m probably going to write a song with AJ [McLean], and I just hung out with Kevin [Richardson] recently. We went to a yoga retreat together,” he says.
Carter’s Who I Am tour comes at a particularly poignant time in the superstar’s life. In November, his younger brother and fellow pop star Aaron Carter died at age 34 after he drowned in the bathtub at his home in Lancaster, Calif., after inhaling difluoroethane and taking alprazolam. His cause of death was deemed accidental.
“It’s been a very rough year for me and my family and losing my brother is still something that I’m processing,” Nick shares. Following Aaron’s death, Nick and his sister Angel launched a donation fund in their late brother’s memory to benefit On Our Sleeves, which advocates to break the stigma surrounding mental health and provides children’s mental health resources to families and teachers nationwide.
“You try to find ways to cope with the things that are being thrown at you in life. Leaning into anything philanthropic or charitable, it makes it about something bigger than yourself,” Nick says of his past few months. “When my sister and I [launched the donation fund], I think that was the only way we were able to process what we’ve been going through. It’s become about how can we turn what we’ve been feeling into something that can hopefully help somebody else, and then we can learn from it and then somebody else can learn from it.”
“I love my brother. He’s my baby brother and I love him. Losing him, it’s been really hard,” he adds, before taking time to offer some advice for those also going through the loss of a loved one. “You just have to take life as it comes and learn from it and, most importantly, just know that you’re not alone.”
Amid the grieving process, Nick has also been facing a new sexual abuse lawsuit from Melissa Schuman – a former member of teen-pop group Dream who has long claimed that she was assaulted by the singer. “I’m a really strong believer in the legal system,” the Backstreet Boys member tells Billboard, noting that he can’t share too many details about the ongoing lawsuit at this time. “I’m confident that justice will be served in the end, and I actually look forward to speaking about it more when it’s all over.”
As for now, Nick says that the Who I Am tour has provided a much welcomed beam of light in a particularly tumultuous year. “I’m a musician. I’m an artist. I’m a performer, but I’m also a human first,” he explains. “Music is therapeutic to me and we all find ways to manage the things that we’re going through in life. Getting out there and performing for fans and just being who I am — it’ll help me during this this time.”
Tickets and exclusive VIP packages for the Who I Am tour go on sale starting July 21 here. See below for the full list of tour dates.
Oct. 4 – Singletary Center for the Arts – Lexington, KYOct. 5 – The Family Arena – St. Charles, MOOct. 7 – Schermerhorn Symphony Center – Nashville, TNOct. 8 – The Classic Center Theatre – Athens, GAOct. 9 – Harbison Theatre – Irmo, SCOct. 11 – Shaftman Performance Hall Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VAOct. 13 – Wilson Center – Wilmington, NCOct. 15 – Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center – Orlando, FLOct. 17 – Pompano Beach Amphitheater – Pompano Beach, FLOct. 19 – Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts – Gainesville, FLOct. 20 – Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall – Sarasota, FLOct. 22 – Morsani Hall Straz Center for the Performing Arts – Tampa, FLOct. 24 – Mullett Arena – Tempe, AZOct. 25 – The Theater at Virgin Hotel Las Vegas – Las Vegas, NV
Though BTS‘ J-Hope is in the midst of his mandatory military service, the singer is still giving ARMY something to talk about, and listen to. BIGHIT Music announced on Monday morning (July 17) that a year after its initial release, Hope’s solo debut, Jack in the Box, will be released in a physical version on […]
Claud is such a big fan of Paul Rudd that they actually have a song titled “Paul Rudd” on their album Supermodels. According to the singer-songwriter, the two had a serendipitous encounter on Taylor Swift‘s Eras Tour that resulted in Rudd being cast in their new music video — for another track, “A Good Thing.”
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Following the release of “A Good Thing,” Claud explained how the unexpected yet delightful collaboration came to be.
“I randomly met him in passing at The Eras Tour, like at the Taylor Swift concert,” they said in a TikTok clip uploaded on Saturday (July 15). “I walked past the VIP tent, and I was like, ‘Paul Rudd, this sounds kinda weird, but there’s a song on my album. The song’s called ‘Paul Rudd.’ I hope this isn’t weird.’”
They continued, “And he was like, so nice about it, and he gave me his email. He was like, ‘Send it to me. I’d love to hear your album.’ So I sent him my album.”
“Can’t believe you trusted me with your email,” Claud added as a side note to Rudd.
“I explained I called this song ‘Paul Rudd’ because it’s me trying to envision myself as this cool and confident and charismatic, lovable character that you play, and that you just are in real life, that I’m often not. And he responded he loved the album.”
Claud took a chance and invited Rudd to the set for an upcoming music video.
“I was like, ‘We’re filming a music video for the song ‘A Good Thing.’ If you happen to be free on this day, would you ever consider stopping by?’ And he came for the whole entire day. He stayed for like five hours,” they said.
“It was the best day of my life,” added Claud.
Claud also shared a selfie with Rudd on Sunday, captioning the snapshot: “Me and Paul meeting at eras tour. Photo creds @phoebebridgers … no sorry you are not going to hear the end of this.”
Watch Claud’s “A Good Thing” music video, starring Rudd as a quirky mailman who’s not very good at delivering mail, below.
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