98 Degrees Reveals How Taylor Swift Inspired Them to Re-Record Their Masters

Because of you, Taylor Swift, 98 Degrees was inspired to revisit their hits.

That's right, Jeff Timmons, Nick Lachey, Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre not only reunited for their recently wrapped tour, but they're taking a musical trip down memory lane.

"We're actually in the studio now working on a new project," Nick exclusively told E! News of the band's big plans at their Oct. 6 show in Beverly Hills, Calif. "We're gonna re-record five of our classic hits in kind of the re-record/get-your-masters-back move. And then we're also gonna have five new songs as well, and a new single coming out at the top of the year."

And the group credited Taylor for giving them the push they needed.

"We've been talking about doing it for a while," Jeff noted. "Because, look, I mean obviously there have been opportunities for our songs. And you know, you have these battles with the label."

He later added, "So, we thought it'd be natural for us to do this, you know, sort of rerecording of our masters. Taylor Swift sort of brought it to the forefront. The fans have embraced that. And so we're like, 'OK, now's the time to do it.'"

In fact, Drew thinks that Taylor—who is set to release her fourth re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) later this month—embarking on this journey has also given other musicians the confidence to take this step.

"I feel like, almost before Taylor did it, it was like, 'Oh, you're re-recording the masters,'" Dancing With the Stars alum said. "It was kind of like, 'I'll just stick with the original' kind of thing. When she did it and she was like, 'No, this is my music. I want to take ownership of it again,' people were like, 'Yeah Taylor!' Now, everybody's like, 'I want to re-record my masters and get it back out there.' So, I feel like there's an acceptance and almost an alliance between the artists and the fans now to support the re-recorded masters."

And this isn't the only way 98 Degrees is turning up the fun. In addition to rereleasing some old tracks as well as dropping some new ones—including a Christmas song—the group celebrated more than 25 years in the industry.

Of course, they aren't the only '90s boy band to recently have a resurgence. In September, *NSYNC released their first single in more than two decades for the movie Trolls Band Together.

"I think that was a unique time that can never be rehashed," Drew shared, "and I think people love it and are reliving their nostalgia right now."

- Reporting by Jacqueline Uddo

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