'90s band '
Timberlake was performing a medley of hits before accepting the Vanguard Award, which is the VMA equivalent to a lifetime achievement award, before Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, J.C. Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick joined him.
The group may have been on stage briefly performing for less than a minute, but it was enough to send the entire Twitterverse into a frenzy.
First, here's the group. They sang a few chords to their hit "Girlfriend."
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Larry Busacca/Getty Images
The Internet lost it.
Nobody cared when backstreet reunited but a whole generation of 30-somethings died during the #nsync reunion #settlingthedebate
— Margaret (@missjonesy) August 26, 2013
I just died a little. #nsync #firstvine https://t.co/O9h83mx4cR
— Alex Tartour (@ATartour) August 26, 2013
It's official. I'm still just as overly obsessed with them as I was when I was a kid. #90sbaby #nsync
— Nicole Cumbo (@nicolecumbo) August 26, 2013
Thank you JT for reminding everyone what real
— Erin Faisst (@erinefaisst) August 26, 2013music is. #bestperformance #nsync
EVERY 90'S GIRL'S DREAMS JUST CAME TRUE #nsync
— Kami Zahner (@kamizahner) August 26, 2013
it's ok to cry right now. #NSYNC #VMAs
— Damian Holbrook (@TVGMDamian) August 26, 2013
All of the media outlets went beserk.
Time for a nap for Justin and for all of us. #NSYNC #dead
— HuffPostEnt (@HuffPostEnt) August 26, 2013
How are we all doing? Are we okay? Did all the rhinestones fall out of our collective bandanas at once? #NSYNC
— People magazine (@peoplemag) August 26, 2013
RT if you also did the "Bye, Bye, Bye" choreography in your living room #VMA2013 #NSYNC
— EntertainmentTonight (@ETonlineAlert) August 26, 2013
.... and here they are! #Nsync is finally reunited and it feels so good! #MTVVMAs #watchwithUs
— Us Weekly (@usweekly) August 26, 2013
#NSYNC is performing Girlfriend. REPEAT: @NSYNC IS PERFORMING GIRLFRIEND. Someone get the smelling salts, we're about to drop. #VMAs
— E! Online (@eonline) August 26, 2013
I'm crying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR REAL!!! Tears!!!!!!!! #NSYNC #VMAS
— Perez Hilton (@PerezHilton) August 26, 2013
IT'S HAPPENING. #nsync
— On Air/Ryan Seacrest (@OnAirWithRyan) August 26, 2013
So did Target and Covergirl.
That high-pitched squealing? Yeah, that was us. Screaming like 12-year-old girls. #MoreJT #NSYNC #VMAs
— Target (@Target) August 26, 2013
You're all I ever wanted. You're all I ever needed. #covermoment #vmas #nsync pic.twitter.com/wLM9tGZ7d7
— COVERGIRL (@COVERGIRL) August 26, 2013
Even Brooklyn Decker is a hardcore fan:
NOW PRESENTING: MY HOMEMADE NSYNC JEANS. my dad just sent me a pic. The front is covered as well if u were wondering pic.twitter.com/oz7wuCjhk1
— Brooklyn Decker (@BrooklynDecker) August 26, 2013