“Trolls Band Together” may be a family film, but millennials will be able to instantly recognize the soundtrack’s numerous ’90s pop and rock hits.
Of course, it helps that Justin Timberlake is an executive music producer for the DreamWorks Animation sequel and reprises his role as Branch, a pop troll, from the prior “Trolls” films.
This time around, Timberlake recruited his former NSYNC bandmates — Lance Bass, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick — to sing “Better Place,” the lead single from the soundtrack. It’s the band’s first song in more than 20 years and charted on Billboard.
Take a listen below:
NSYNC also made a cameo at the end of the film as Kismet, the band Branch joined after BroZone disbanded.
Kismet included Ablaze (Joey Fatone), Hype (JC Chasez), Boom (Lance Bass) and Trickee (Chris Kirkpatrick). The characters even had little nods to their real-life counterparts: Boom has rainbow hair (Bass was one of the first out boy banders) and Trickee has Kirkpatrick’s signature goggles and “pineapple” updo.
One of NSYNC’s biggest hits — “I Want You Back” — is sampled in a musical medley in the film:
The throwback medley opens with New Kids on the Block’s “You’ve Got It (The Right Stuff),” followed by “I Want You Back,” Boyz II Men’s “MotownPhilly,” The Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” and finally the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.”
Many bands are also name-dropped throughout the film. When BroZone disbands, Floyd (Troye Sivan) has a heart-to-heart with Branch, saying: “We’re not ‘n sync. We’ve gone from to boyz to men and now there’s only one direction for us to go — the backstreets.”
Later in the film, 98 Degrees, 2Gether and even Menudo find their way into the script.
TheWrap has a breakdown of all the other songs featured in the DreamWorks Animation sequel.
“Troll Band Together” is currently playing in theaters.
