Admit it ladies – at least, ladies around my age. You went through a time when you were totally into N SYNC. Or the Backstreet Boys, or 98 Degrees, or one of the many spin offs of these Top 3 Most Successful Boy Bands of the late 90s and early 2000s.

In the interest of acceptance and healing, I will admit, I am one of you. On the very bottom shelf of my CD rack sit all three American-release N SYNC albums, their Christmas album, and (because I have an aunt in Germany who encourages my geekdom, especially when it’s on my Christmas list) the European release of their debut album, which has at least three tracks not released in the States.

I can still tell you the last names of every last member of the band, and at least one fun fact about each of them. Or if I can’t, I can look it up in one of the decade-old fan magazines mouldering somewhere in my closet next to the posters that once practically wallpapered my room. Including the one of Justin Timberlake (the great love of my adolescence) standing in a waterfall wearing a soaking-wet wife beater that had the place of honor – on the ceiling right over my bed.

Oh yes, it was love at first listen – the moment I heard “I Want You Back” on the radio, I was hooked for life…or at least for years 11-14 of it. Come on, you know you remember the one I mean – “You’re all I ever wanted. You’re all I ever needed. So tell me what to do know. Cuz I want you back.” Enter thumping beat…and thumping heart. Pathetic, yes, but it’s not like I had much to distract me at glamourous (or ghetto) Eisenhower Middle School from the delights of Justin, JC, Joey, Lance, and Chris.

My first concert was even when my dad, who has some moments when I can’t believe he ever embarrassed me because of how randomly cool he is, gave in and let me go to the Tacoma Dome to see my lover boys in person. Thus, though my mother will tell you that parking, navigating, and listening to the screaming girls was a Hell that only love for me induced her to endure, I remember screaming. A lot of screaming, trying my best to catch Justin’s attention so he’d realize that I must be the one for him. (shut up, I don’t want to hear it, I know it was stupid).

So don’t sweat it, all you former boy band lovers. Long gone are the days when I would lecture my father in all seriousness about how if he really gave songs like Tearin’ Up My Heart (It’s tearin’ up my heart when I’m with you, and when we are apart I feel it too, and no matter what I do I feel the pain, with or without you) or even the immortal Bye, Bye, Bye (which I actually don’t remember anymore, but I can still do the dance from the music video) a chance, he would abandon losers like Bob Dylan and Neil Young and fall in love with some *ahem* real musicians. Long gone are the days when I would debate passionately with my classmates about how really, N SYNC was formed before the Backstreet Boys even dreamed of wanting it that way (yes, that was indeed a reference to one of their songs. I did indeed go there), so loser Nick Carter fans could just bite me because he was a copycat. But I am willing to share the shame, and the nostalgia of the boy band days. After all, they say you never forget your first love…although sometimes we wish we could.