ABOUT THIS EPISODE
After more than twenty years, the popular ’90s boy band 98 Degrees is back. The band will release a new album and hold a pair of reunion concerts in Pasay City, Philippines, on May 30 and 31. The group has a project called Full Circle, which features re-recorded classics and new songs. It is their first studio album in close to 10 years.
Driven to regain control of their catalog, the band followed a path recently popularized by Taylor Swift. “We were certainly inspired by her (Swift) to do it, to great success and acclaim [and] we felt it was the right time in our career to make that move and take some ownership back over the songs that have paved the way for our success over the years,” said Nick Lachey.
The album features note-for-note re-recordings of the band’s Billboard Hot 100 top 20 hits, including “Give Me Just One Night (Una Noche)” and “The Hardest Thing.” Lachey explained, “We decided we wanted to keep them true to their original form that people fell in love with.”
Jeff Timmons echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the importance of staying faithful to the original recordings. “Over the past 20-plus years, we’ve developed vocally in different ways, but we wanted to keep the songs with the integrity of the originals, because that’s what people fell in love with,” he said. Timmons noted that fans are quick to react when arrangements are altered. “We wanted them to sound almost exactly like the originals.”
Justin Jeffre mentioned that replicating the timing and nuance of their version of those songs was harder than he thought it would be, but was critical for authenticity. Drew Lachey emphasized the practical side of the re-record – by owning their masters, they would have more control over getting royalties and permissions for media.
Full Circle also includes new tracks like “Got U,” co-written by Drew Lachey, and “Stranger Things (Have Happened)” and “Tremble,” produced by Noah Conrad and Dave Aude. The upcoming live shows promise to blend nostalgia with a refreshed sound, reconnecting longtime fans with the music that defined a generation.
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