98 Degrees Says *NSYNC ‘Stole the Thunder’ From Them Amid Comeback Plans

*NSYNC set the internet ablaze when they reunited at the VMAs on Sept. 12 to present the best pop award to Taylor Swift, and sparked larger rumors of new music, touring and more, much to the delight of fans. But fellow boybanders 98 Degrees, who are making a comeback of their own, were a little less than thrilled at having the competition.

Speaking with Andy Cohen for the host’s SiriusXM live show on Tuesday (Sept. 19), the group — which consists of members Nick and Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons and Justin Jeffre — shared their feelings about *NSYNC’s return to the scene. Cohen wondered “how annoyed” 98 Degrees felt when the “I Want You Back” singers appeared to make their return.

“Stole the thunder,” Nick jokingly replied, with Jeffre adding, “It’s a boy band universe.”

Drew then gave a serious response, saying that *NSYNC’s return can only benefit the entire boyband genre in the long run. “When one succeeds, we all succeed. Because we’re all kind of like us, *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, we’re all clumped into the same, into the same kind of pile there. So, if one’s elevated, it elevates everybody,” he said.

Nick added, “But I mean, happy for those guys personally too, because we obviously know them well at this point. And excited for the fact that they’re hopefully gonna do this — they’ve held up for a long time, so [have it] be a big moment. Yeah. Fingers crossed.”

98 Degrees is currently on its 25-year anniversary tour, which will see the boyband making stops will make stops in Florida, New York and Pennsylvania and more before concluding with a show at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park in San Diego on Oct. 8.

Watch 98 Degrees talk about *NSYNC’s return — as well as their own — in the video below.