Gone (NSYNC song)

"Gone" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released as the second single from their third studio album, Celebrity. The song was first performed on PopOdyssey, during the summer of 2001. The commercial release of the single did not occur until September 2001.

"Gone"
Single by NSYNC
from the album Celebrity
B-side	"I'll Be Good for You", "The Game Is Over"
Released	September 4, 2001 (2001-09-04)
Recorded	2001
Studio	Westlake Recording Studios (Los Angeles)
Genre	Pop, R&B, soul
Length	4:54
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Justin Timberlake Wade Robson
Producer(s)	Justin Timberlake Wade Robson
NSYNC singles chronology
"Pop" (2001) "Gone" (2001) "Girlfriend" (2002)
Music video
"Gone" on YouTube

The song was nominated at the 44th Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, but lost to U2's "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of".

Background

The song was initially meant to include Michael Jackson.

"Gone" was initially written by Justin Timberlake as a collaboration with Michael Jackson in 2001. However, Jackson passed on the song, which allowed Timberlake to introduce it in an A&R meeting for NSYNC's next album, Celebrity.[1] It was the first album Timberlake cut on his own, as he brought it to the group to record together.[1] Jackson eventually changed his mind and requested to be featured on the song as a duet; however, the song was already released, and the two couldn't find a way to revamp it.[2] In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Timberlake expressed his reaction:[2]

I'm on the phone, I'm literally punching myself in the face, because I said, 'I can't do that. Could we do an 'N Sync track featuring Michael Jackson? Or Michael Jackson featuring 'N Sync?' And he was very absolute about the fact that he wanted it to be a duet between himself and I.

In an interview with Billboard, JC Chasez described the song's significance on the group:[3]

["Gone"] is about as raw as it gets. It's just us and a beat-box, with just a tiny accent of acoustic guitar and violin. That song is a proud moment for us; it really shows how tight we are as a group.

Critical reception

Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that the song established "Timberlake as a solo artist long before he was actually a solo artist, and remains one of his very best singles to date."[2] He also mentioned that it makes NSYNC's previous single "Thinking of You (I Drive Myself Crazy)" sound like "child's play".[2]

In 2018, Billboard staff ranked the song 24 on their list "The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time," writing, "the bridge is downright surreal, as the sparse beat drops out entirely, the meter all but dissolves, and the five members sound like they're swarming Timberlake's subconscious, until he breaks out for a final chorus of matserful ad libs. But it all comes back to that one word: harrowing, relentless and unmistakably final."[4] In 2015, Rolling Stone staff ranked it as the 30th greatest boy band song of all time.[5]

Chart performance

"Gone" peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 13, 2001. It also reached number fourteen on the Hip Hop/R&B Airplay charts, becoming the only pop boy band to chart there. The single also hit number 27 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It also reached number twenty eight in Canada, number twenty four in the UK, number twenty one in Japan and number forty three in Sweden.

Music video

The music video for "Gone" was directed by Herb Ritts and filmed in August 2001. However, the music video itself was not released until late September 2001, due to the September 11 attacks. The video is shot in black-in-white (with a few scenes in sepia), and has shots similar to Charlie Chaplin-esque footage. The video is a mixture of flashbacks of Justin Timberlake's video girlfriend, played by Croatian fashion model Korina Longin, and his world currently, all filmed in an apartment.[6][7]

The video shows flashbacks of his girlfriend's birthday party, and random parts in their apartment where emotional moments taken place. The video became NSYNC's eighth number 1 video for TRL and MuchMusic. This video and their other music video "Pop" even got spins on BET's 106 & Park, making NSYNC the only all-white band to ever get rotation on the show. The video debuted on an episode of TRL on September 27, 2001, and was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, but lost to "Without Me" by Eminem.

Track listing

European maxi single[8] No. Title Length 1. "Gone" (Radio Edit) 4:22 2. "Gone" (Spanish Radio Edit) 4:22 3. "Gone" (Album Version) 4:51 4. "I'll Be Good for You" 3:56 Japanese maxi single[9] No. Title Length 1. "Gone" (Radio Edit) 4:22 2. "Gone" (Album Version) 4:51 3. "I'll Be Good for You" 3:56 4. "Pop" (Databass Remix) 5:32 UK maxi single No. Title Length 1. "Gone" (Radio Edit) 4:22 2. "I'll Be Good for You" 3:56 3. "Pop" (Pablo La Rosa's Funktified Mix) 5:38

European Gone Clubbin version No. Title Length 1. "Gone" (Gone Clubbin' I'll Be Back Late Mix) 5:57 2. "Gone" (Radio Edit) 4:22 3. "The Game Is Over" 3:25 Australian Gone Clubbin version No. Title Length 1. "Gone" (Gone Clubbin' – I'll Be Back Late Mix) 5:57 2. "Gone" (Gone Clubbin' – I'll Be Back Late Radio Edit) 3:57 3. "Gone" (Radio Edit) 4:22 4. "Gone" (Spanish Version) 4:22 5. "Girlfriend" (The Neptunes Remix) 4:43

Credits and personnel

Recording[10]

• Recorded at Westlake Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Personnel[10]

• Justin Timberlake – songwriter, producer, arranger, multi instruments
• Wade J. Robson – songwriter, producer, arranger, multi instruments
• Alan Armitage – recording
• Kevin Guarnieri – assistant recording engineer
• Peter Mokran – mixing
• Tony Flores – assistant mixing engineer
• Chris Haggerty – digital editing
• Robin Wiley – string arrangement
• Yasu – strings recording
• Jeremy Welch – assistant strings recording engineer
• The Hampton String Quartet – strings performer
• Michael Thompson – guitars
• Michael A. Lang – piano

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2001–2002) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[11] 67 Belgium (Ultratip Flanders)[12] 17 Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[13] 28 Germany (Official German Charts)[14] 62 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 40 Scotland (Official Charts Company)[16] 36 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] 85 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 43 UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 24 UK Indie (Official Charts Company)[20] 3 US Billboard Hot 100[21] 11 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[22] 27 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[23] 14 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[24] 7 US Rhythmic (Billboard)[25] 17

Year-end charts Chart (2002) Position US Billboard Hot 100[26] 75 US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[27] 75

Release history

Country	Date	Format	Label	Ref.
Japan	October 24, 2001	Maxi	Sony	[28]
Austria	November 5, 2001			[29]
Germany				[29]
Switzerland				[29]
United Kingdom	November 26, 2001			[30]

References

1. Payne, Chris (May 8, 2014). "Justin Timberlake Nearly Had Duet With Michael Jackson a Decade Ago". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
2. Lipshutz, Jason (May 9, 2014). "'N Sync's 'Gone' Comes Back: Why Michael Jackson's Proposed Duet is an Essential Justin Timberlake Track". Billboard. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
3. Flick, Larry. "'N Sync: Shouldering The Burden of Celebrity". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 30, 2001. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
4. "The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
5. Walters, Barry; Stevens, Kat; Spanos, Brittany; Murray, Nick; Benjamin, Jeff; Johnston, Maura (September 24, 2015). "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
6. "Korina Longin Complete Biography". Celebs101. Celebrity Photos. Retrieved April 28, 2013. Korina starred in NSYNC's "Gone" music video
7. "Korina Longin Profile". Fashion Model Directory. The Fashion Model Directory. Retrieved April 28, 2013. She features in NSYNC's music video "Gone".
8. Gone (European CD single liner notes). NSYNC. Sony Music Entertainment. 2001. 9252742.CS1 maint: others (link)
9. Gone (Japanese CD single liner notes). NSYNC. Sony Music Entertainment. 2001. ZJCI-30010.CS1 maint: others (link)
10. Gone (liner notes). NSYNC. Jive Records. 2001. 9252742.CS1 maint: others (link)
11. http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020221-0000/www.aria.com.au/issue608.PDF
12. "Ultratop.be – *N Sync – Gone" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
13. "Celebrity - *NSYNC - Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic.
14. "Offiziellecharts.de – *N Sync – Gone". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
15. "Irish-charts.com – Discography *N Sync". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
17. "Swisscharts.com – *N Sync – Gone". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
18. "Swedishcharts.com – *N Sync – Gone". Singles Top 100. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
20. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
21. "N SYNC Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
22. "N SYNC Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
23. "N SYNC Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
24. "N SYNC Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
25. "N SYNC Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
26. "Billboard Top 100 – 2002". billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
27. "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 2002". Billboard. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
28. "Amazon.co.jp: イン・シンク : Gone - 音楽". amazon.co.jp.
29. "Gone". November 5, 2001 – via Amazon.
30. "Gone". November 26, 2001 – via Amazon.

External links

• "Gone" Official Music Video on YouTube