On May 11, 2001, MTV broadcast a recording of "Pop" via satellite during NSYNC's tour rehearsal for PopOdyssey, which subsequently led to the song's radio release on May 14, 2001. Despite the success of the group's previous album, No Strings Attached, they were constantly blasted by critics who had preconceptions of what a "credible group" was, which forced them to be more involved in the production of their next album, Celebrity. In an interview with Billboard, Justin Timberlake described the song's unique sound:
We put everything that is not considered 'pop music' in that song. It's time to re-educate the new generation about what pop really is: a collection of sounds and genres. How you mix it all together is what makes pop music interesting -- and popular.
The group enlisted BT after Timberlake heard "The Hip Hop Phenomenon", which was released on the UK version of his 1999 albumMovement in Still Life BT agreed to produce the track on the request that he "treat your vocals so irreverently, it's not even funny". While the song was in production, BT heard Timberlake beatboxing under his breath, demanding him to use his vocals. Timberlake initially hesitated, as he did not want it to be featured on any track, but relented as BT created four tracks using broken headphones. After BT created over 1,200 edits of the track using Max Headroom-styled stutter-edits, he showed the song to JC Chasez and Timberlake, who immediately loved it.
Composition
"Pop" was written by Wade Robson and Timberlake, and produced by BT using his famous "stutter edit" sound. The song refers to the band's longevity during a period of celebrity culture. "Pop" contains "massive DJ loops, scratches, and a hefty amount of editing". John Hugar of Uproxx described it as "a sort of proto-salvo against in the rockist vs. poptimists argument", and stated that it was the precursor to "Rock Your Body". Larry Flick of Billboard described the song as "a crafty, anthemic blend of Cameo-styleelectro-funk beats, Euro-pop synths, heavy-metal guitars, and Timberlake's now-signature human beat-box riffs."
Commercial performance
"Pop" reached number one on the Canadian Singles Chart. It charted in the top 10 in several countries, including number seven in Norway, number nine on the UK Singles Chart, and number 10 on the Australian ARIA Charts. It peaked on the US BillboardHot 100 at number 19.
Music video
Background
The music video for "Pop" was shot from May 13–15, 2001 in Sony Pictures Studios, and was directed by Wayne Isham. Three sets were built: an apartment shot as the opening scene, a multi-storey club, and a green screen where the band performed the song's dance choreography aided with several CGI sequences. A 35-foot tall stage was built with a 40-foot ramp, where the dancers were harnessed to the ceiling. Two days before the shoot, Joey Fatone injured his leg while rehearsing for the PopOdyssey tour in New Orleans, as the area between his knee and calf was trapped between a 300 pound platform underneath the stage, creating a hole in his leg as well as the bone being exposed. Throughout the music video, long-distance camera angles superimposed Fatone's face onto choreographer Wade Robson's body, as the latter substituted in his place due to the sustained injury. Filming lasted for over two straight days, which the band members were not able to sleep and complained about being overworked. The video debuted on MTV's Making the Video on May 28, 2001.
Synopsis
The music video begins with a girl holding a bowl of cereal watching a commercial of Justin Timberlake advertising pop to her: "Hey you! Yeah, I'm talking to you, sassy girl. Need a little ahh in your step? Try this on for size: i-i-i-i-i-it's Pop! I-i-i-it tastes great and makes you feel kind of funny, not here, not down there, but all up in this area. And, c-coming J-July 24, 2001, Jumbo-pop." The girl drops her cereal bowl and the camera passes through three pieces spelling the word "POP". After the music starts, the video takes place at a colorful disco club with NSYNC performing on a lighted circle with the word "POP" in a neon sign behind them. While they are singing, Timberlake is also on a spinning spiral, and JC Chasez is in the crowd. Many special effects, including fast-motion, bullet-time, and computer generated warp-transitions, are used. During the song's breakdown, the group perform an extended choreographed sequence, while they are seen in various outfits. At the end of the video, Timberlake begins to beatbox for thirty seconds, while the other members float in the background.
