NSYNC's Joey Fatone was 'blindsided' when Justin Timberlake left band for solo career

NSYNC's Joey Fatone has spoken out about when Justin Timberlake left the band.

The pop group are set to reunite and release their first song in 20 years, but it hasn't always been plain sailing between the five performers.

NSYNC - Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass - formed in 1995 and went on to release hit single 'I Want You Back' and several albums.

However, after the band's Celebrity tour in 2002, they took a break and it emerged Timberlake was interested in pursuing a solo career. Prepare yourself for a 20-year comeback like no other:

The hiatus turned into a complete ground to a halt for the band and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Timberlake noted he was 'growing out of it'.

"I felt like I cared more about the music than some of the other people in the group. And I felt like I had other music I wanted to make and that I needed to follow my heart," he said.

The band ultimately broke up in April 2002 and Timberlake went on to chase his career as a solo artist, becoming one of the world's best-selling music artists.

Fatone has opened up about the band's break-up, noting he wasn't 'blindsided' by the band calling it quits, but 'more blindsided as far as [Timberlake] coming out with music'.

Getty Images/ Mika Coppola/ MTV

"And not knowing that he was going to go and do an actual album/tour thing," he tells Yahoo! Entertainment.

Fatone continues: "It was more of, ‘Hey, I'm going to do some music, and then we'll get back together.' That's what that was. And it wasn't him — it was the record company. If it was him, then I'd understand it.

"When you're younger, you think it's that person. But then you look at the whole bigger scheme of things, and you go, ‘Oh, that’s why I wasn't there for that.’ That's the business. OK, I get it."

Fatone has previously opened up about NYSYNC splitting up in an interview with Jenny McCarthy.

Getty Images/ Paras Griffin

He explained to the host, at the time, he told his bandmates he was 'all good with everybody doing their own s**t' but just wanted them to 'let us know next time'.

"Meaning: I could've done a lot more s**t than sit around waiting for your dumb a** while you're going out on tour," he adds.

Thankfully, the band members have moved on enough to come back together again for nothing other than the upcoming movie Trolls 3: Trolls Band Together.

UNILAD has contacted Justin Timberlake's representatives for comment.