Stray Kids salute NSync with Bye Bye Bye at American Music Awards special
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K-pop boy band Stray Kids' (from left) Han, Bang Chan, I.N, Changbin and Seungmin recreated the marionette-inspired introduction of NSync's Bye Bye Bye.
PHOTO: STRAY KIDS/X
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It ain’t no lie. K-pop group Stray Kids paid tribute to their boy band forebears at the American Music Awards (AMAs) 50th anniversary special, which aired in the United States on Oct 6.
The two-hour special celebrated half a century of music and pop culture with segments by various artistes honouring different genres and important figures in music.
The eight-member Stray Kids were tasked with recognising the legacy of boy bands, and did so by highlighting one of pop music’s most enduring boy band hits – NSync’s Bye Bye Bye (2000).
As the music to Bye Bye Bye came on, Stray Kids kicked off their set with strings dangling from the ceiling and attached to the limbs of members Bang Chan, Changbin, Han, I.N and Seungmin.
The strings are a homage to the marionette-inspired concept in the music video for Bye Bye Bye. The concept was also recreated by NSync during their AMAs performance of the song 24 years ago in 2000.
Stray Kids’ act then segued into dance breaks for the three remaining members of the octet – Felix, Hyunjin and Lee Know – before the group came together and performed their Latin-influenced hit Chk Chk Boom, which was released in July.
Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, the stars of superhero blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), appeared in character for the Chk Chk Boom music video. And Bye Bye Bye was featured on the film’s soundtrack along with Stray Kids’ Slash.
Near the end of Chk Chk Boom, the group weaved a brief segment of Bye Bye Bye back into the performance before wrapping up their set.
Their performance at the AMAs’ 50th anniversary was introduced by NSync’s Lance Bass and American boy band Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean.
Bass gave the K-pop group a thumbs up after their performance. Beneath an Instagram reel of the tribute posted by the awards, Bass commented: “Been there, danced that... and Stray Kids just owned it.”
In an interview with music news outlet Billboard on Oct 6, Felix said: “Performing at the AMAs for the first time and collaborating with NSync was very memorable (and) special.”
The AMA 50th anniversary special also featured performances from singers such as Jennifer Hudson, who paid tribute to the late diva Whitney Houston, one of the top AMA winners of all time.
