The story behind Taylor Swift and *NSYNC’s ‘iconic’ friendship bracelet moment at the VMAs 2023

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What do you give “The Girl Who Has Everything?”

Lance Bass nearly broke the internet when he gifted Taylor Swift with a stack of beaded friendship bracelets — and reunited with his *NSYNC band members — on stage at the VMAs 2023 on Tuesday night, and it turns out the “Anti-Hero” singer wasn’t the only one sporting a stack of custom jewelry that night.

Bass ordered the colorful bracelets from Little Words Project, with the jeweler’s director of brand experience, Mariah Grippo, sharing with Page Six Style that the viral moment has “lit up” their community “in the most incredible way.”

“Lance is a lover and a friend of LWP,” Grippo tells us. “This pass-on moment was planned by him and his amazing team in hopes that if Taylor won the Pop award, he could pass it on to her on stage.”

Lance Bass gave Taylor Swift some sweet personalized bracelets as she won Best Pop Video at the VMAs 2023.Getty Images for MTV

Swift’s stack includes these bracelets with a mix of Taylor and *NSYNC-inspired styles.Little Words Project

Swift clutched the bracelets as she accepted her award.Getty Images for MTV

Bass wore his twins’ names on his wrist along with his son’s nickname, Buster.lancebass/Instagram
After Swift won a Moon Person for Best Pop Video, the violet-haired *NSYNC star presented her with three bracelets according to Grippo, who says the “Shake it Off” singer received one reading “NSYNC,” one with her initials, “TS,” and a third personalized with “FTGWHE” — “which represents her favorite *NSYNC song, ‘For The Girl Who Has Everything.’”

As anyone who’s been to the Eras Tour this year can attest, beaded friendships have been all the rage at Taylor Swift shows, with fans making and exchanging them at the shows in honor of the lyrics to her song “You’re On Your Own, Kid.”

Grippo notes that not only was Bass “wearing a full custom stack,” as the singer showed off in an Instagram post, but that Justin Timberlake, J.C. Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick and Joey Fatone also had their own personalized bracelets.

Bass held the bracelets as she hugged the “Lavender Haze” singer.Getty Images for MTV

The band looked on with pride as Swift gave her acceptance speech.Getty Images for MTV


“Their bracelets said ‘Dirty Pop,’ ’10 01 95′ and ‘NSYNC,’ you just couldn’t see all of their wrists, but Lance made sure they had them on,” she adds.

While the idea to deliver the bracelets to Swift if she won was presented to the Little Words Project team “a few days before the VMAs,” Grippo notes that the “final bracelet and pass-on plan was set the night before” and they had “just a few hours” to make the pieces.

Unsurprisingly, the iconic moment has upped interest in the brand’s pieces, which are available for $25-$45 on its website as well as in select Target stores and Little Words Project boutiques.

She thanked Bass with a hug before delivering her acceptance speech for the first award of the night.Getty Images for MTV

Swift was the queen of the night, winning the most awards and wearing a stunning Atelier Versace gown.FilmMagic

She changed into an EB Denim dress for the VMAs afterparty, where she proudly sported the beaded bracelets.GC Images
“We are definitely seeing buzz on our website, especially on our customization page where people can create their own bracelets quoting their own favorite Taylor Swift or *NSYNC lyrics,” Grippo shares.

“We are a brand all about spreading kindness and self-love through the words on our wrists and Lance did just that on the world’s stage,” CEO and founder Adriana Carrig tells Page Six Style, who started the business in her parent’s basement a decade ago.

“The entire purpose of our product is to wear it for as long as you need the word’s encouragement, and then to one day pass it on,” she adds. “So to see Lance do just that on live television to the woman who basically currently owns the friendship bracelet was absolutely iconic.”