Lance Bass Talks New Children's Book, NSYNC Reunion and Life as a Dad (EXCLUSIVE)

When he’s not singing “Bye Bye Bye,” NSYNC member Lance Bass can be found doing one of two things: getting ready for Halloween and hanging out with his kids. And now the 8-time Grammy nominee has decided to combine the two in a heartwarming Halloween children’s book, Trick or Treat on Scary Street.

And in this revealing interview the singer opens up about what led him to finally write it, what his kids think about it and yes, he talked about his time in NSYNC. All that and more are below! 

First for Women: Congratulations on the release of ‘Trick or Treat on Scary Street.’ What led you to write a children’s book?

Lance Bass: I'm a Halloween super freak. Growing up, I loved Halloween, especially scary Halloween, but particularly trick or treating. I grew up in Mississippi, where my neighborhood was super safe, and you never thought about having adult supervision when you went trick or treating. You and your group of friends just had your Goonies experience, and every Halloween you looked forward to having this adventure. So I knew I wanted to write a book about trick or treating, because I think it is kind of a dying breed in a lot of places. And when I had my kids, it really inspired me to finally bring it to life. After my kids were born, I pitched it to my publishers, and they were very excited about it. It did take about three years to finally get it physically in our hands, but here we are. 

FFW: Were there any surprises or bumps in the publishing road that you didn’t see coming?

LB: It was so much easier than I thought. As a musician, your freshman album is always good, because you've been dreaming of it and thinking about it all your life. It's always the sophomore that is a lot more time-sensitive and, like, “Wait, what is my second idea?” 

So this one just came really easy to me, because it was always in my head. As you can see, I had an amazing publisher who really accepted a lot of the ideas I wanted. As a musician, I knew I wanted it to rhyme, so it was a great process. My agent, Rick Richter, who is just a God in this industry, held my hand through this whole process, because it's something very new for me, but they made it super easy. 

I hate to say it was that easy, because I know the second one will probably be a little more of a chore, but this was just a no-brainer for me.

FFW: So, you are obviously the unofficial king of Halloween. Are your kids as obsessed with the holiday as you are? 

LB: Yes, thank goodness my kids are just as obsessed with Halloween as I am. We love Christmas and Halloween. 

It was interesting, because now they understand the holidays. So they love trick or treating. They only hit about five houses, and then we went to Christmas. Then, January came, and they went right back to Halloween. So I'm like, “Uh oh, I think they picked their favorite.” 

We have been reading Halloween books every night since January. They are obsessed, and it makes me super happy. 

FFW: You and your husband have some of the best energy on social media! How do you two keep up your positive attitudes, and is there one thing you do to ensure you are spending that quality time together?

LB: Usually when you have kids, you don't have time for your partner, right? It’s like, “Okay, we just don't have time for date night,” and all that. But our kids brought us closer together because we do, fortunately, get to work out of our homes. He's an artist, and I get to do all my stuff. So we spend every day together with our kids. 

We had COVID babies, so they didn't leave our house the first year of their lives. So it's been amazing that we got to spend so much quality time with our kids and also with each other. And he's just an incredible dad. The love that he has for these kids and the love they have for him just makes me fall for him even more. 

FFW: Okay, we have to talk about NSYNC for a minute. Have any members read ‘Trick or Treat on Scary Treat’? It was obvious on Instagram that Joey did!

LB:  I don't know if they have; I haven't sent them the book yet. I didn't even know Joey did, but they will be getting their book for sure. 

They all know I've been working on this and are very supportive. They're incredible dads themselves, and they inspired me to even have kids. So it's really fun that we all get to enjoy this new era of [having]families now. When we get together, we don't talk about stupid teenage stuff and fart jokes. We actually talk about our kids. So, it's a different time these days.

FFW: Do you have a favorite NSYNC song, and why? What makes this song different than the others?

LB: It's a song called “It Makes Me Ill.” I just love it. It's a deep cut. We never released it, but it was supposed to be on the No Strings Attached album. Kandi Burruss from The Real Housewives of Atlanta wrote it, and it's just always been my favorite song, even when we recorded it. 

FFW: You have that hilarious Reel on Instagram about parenting with ADHD. It was so funny yet so real. As someone with ADHD, would you mind sharing a little about your journey there?

LB: I feel like my ADD really helps me as a parent, especially to twins, because I'm constantly multitasking.  My husband is completely opposite. So, together. We're a good parenting duo, because he'll pick up my slack. I'm really good at starting things, and he'll be really good at finishing things.

FFW: Okay, last but not least…FIRST always asks celebrities a few quick-fire questions.

The first song (or band) you remember listening to and loving?

LB: It might have been the Beach Boys. I just remember loving the Beach Boys, and I think they came to a festival in Mississippi, and  I remember that being one of the first-ever live concerts I saw. 

FFW: Your first Halloween costume?

LB: In the early 80s, you didn't have many choices. You would go to the store and there would be 10 horrible plastic costumes you’d sweat underneath. And I think it was Bugs Bunny. 

FFW: What is the first book or series you remember being obsessed with?

LB:  I love Goosebumps. In my generation, we’re just Goosebumps people.

FFW: What was your first impression of your husband?

LB: I thought he was the only straight guy at the party and thought, “Of course, I was attracted to the only straight guy at the party here,” but he ended up being gay. Yay!  

FFW: And finally, what was your first sold-out show like? 

LB: I don't remember my first sold-out show. It took us a little while, but we were definitely in Germany. We were a German band, as many people don't remember, but it went pretty quickly over there. We blew up very fast.

For more FIRST exclusives, keep scrolling!

Alison Sweeney Talks Self-Care, Bouncing Back From Failure (EXCLUSIVE)

Shawn Johnson & Andrew East Talk Parenting and Date Night Tips

Lana Condor Talks 'To All the Boys' and Her Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Tips!