# \*NSYNC or ★NSYNC? **URL:** \ **Category:** Style\ **Tags:** unicode, artist-credit, artist, musicbrainz, style\ **Created:** [May 16, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266 "2022-05-16T03:18:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/ultimateriff/32/47799_2.png) [@UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/UltimateRiff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/1 "2022-05-16T03:18:08Z")
good evening~ I’ve come this close to just entering this edit, but after the [discussion about The Jacksons](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/should-the-jackson-5-and-the-jacksons-remain-two-separate-entries/582910), I figured I’d ask here first. (using parentheses around the artist name, because the asterisk and apostrophe blend too much with quotation marks) [https://musicbrainz.org/artist/603ba565-3967-4be1-931e-9cb945394e86](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/603ba565-3967-4be1-931e-9cb945394e86) all of NSYNC’s official releases after their debut album (save for one or two special cases) feature a star in front of their name (as in ★NSYNC). in fact, (\*NSYNC) hasn’t been on any\* release cover, since in the first logo it looks more like an apostrophe (’NSYNC). ![image](https://community.metabrainz.org/uploads/default/original/3X/3/e/3e1a0366bd9511ee24a108da01bdc4f322228bc9.jpeg) (the second release cover seems to be a reissued single with the original release date, not the reissue release date, to answer your next question. [edit](https://musicbrainz.org/edit/89681415) has already been entered) * * * the question is, should the artist name be changed to (★NSYNC)? that seems to be the name they’ve used on most all physical releases. the counter-argument I can think of offhand is they use (\*NSYNC) on streaming services, like [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Ff53KvcvAj5U7Z1vojB5o) and [Deezer](https://www.deezer.com/en/artist/520). (speculation) that could be due to lack of Unicode character support early on (we’re talking late 90’s), and they just kept the asterisk for consistency (/speculation). \*that and an official single release they did with Gloria Estefan in 1999 clearly has an asterisk, not a star (which could be an outlier, since it’s a soundtrack release): [https://coverartarchive.org/release-group/24ddf18d-287e-31e9-8b6c-6be1c07c2518/front](https://coverartarchive.org/release-group/24ddf18d-287e-31e9-8b6c-6be1c07c2518/front) thoughts?~ ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Skree](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/silver_skree/32/28390_2.png) [@Silver\_Skree](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Silver_Skree)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 3:29am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/2 "2022-05-16T03:29:42Z")
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but here’s my take: Use the ★, but use \*NYSNC as a “credited as” string anywhere they’re stylized like that, and of course, add aliases to the artist. However they stylize most consistently is probably for the best. Their homepage even stylizes it like that. Now I’m wondering if you can make random unicode characters superscript and start the name off that way though 😆 ---
**Author:** ![yindesu](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/y/b77776/32.png) [@yindesu](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/yindesu)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 4:18am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/3 "2022-05-16T04:18:30Z")
I’d say no. In general, the symbol is always positioned at the top and shrunken… like an apostrophe or an asterisk. [Universal Music Group](https://www.universalmusic.com/universal-music-groups-bravado-acquires-merchandise-branding-company-epic-rights/) currently runs a website for \*NSYNC, and at the bottom they’ve linked to official websites/profiles on other platforms, and all use an asterisk: > **[NSYNC Official Store](https://nsync.com/)** > > Shop exclusive merch and apparel from the NSYNC Official Store. Hoodies, tee shirts, accessories, and more. > **[Log into Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/nsync)** > > Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. [https://twitter.com/nsync](https://twitter.com/nsync) > **[Login • Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nsync/)** > > Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world. > **[\*NSYNC](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjkyfFH-MWZhasolgds05EA)** > > Share your videos with friends, family, and the world > **[\*NSYNC on Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/nsync/398120)** > > Listen to music by \*NSYNC on Apple Music. Find top songs and albums by \*NSYNC including Bye Bye Bye, It's Gonna Be Me and more. > **[\*NSYNC](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6Ff53KvcvAj5U7Z1vojB5o)** > > Artist · 6.2M monthly listeners. Against such consistency, I feel like you’d need a direct statement from the artist that they intend a star to be in their name rather than an asterisk. ---
**Author:** ![mfmeulenbelt](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/mfmeulenbelt/32/449_2.png) [@mfmeulenbelt](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/mfmeulenbelt)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 6:37am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/4 "2022-05-16T06:37:58Z")
I did a quick count, and it looks like an asterisk (smaller and higher up than the other characters) on 20 covers and like a ★ on 8 (not counting duplicates). ---
**Author:** ![Freso](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/freso/32/25_2.png) [@Freso](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Freso)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/5 "2022-05-16T13:18:31Z")
> [@UltimateRiff](#): > > (speculation) that could be due to lack of Unicode character support early on (we’re talking late 90’s), and they just kept the asterisk for consistency (/speculation). I think more likely than Unicode character support is just how “\*” is easily accessible in most keyboard layouts and “★” isn’t. Heck, even with [compose key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compose_key) I’m not sure how I’d go about making “★” without finding it somewhere and copy/pasting it. ---
**Author:** ![sammyrayy](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/sammyrayy/32/48747_2.png) [@sammyrayy](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/sammyrayy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/6 "2022-05-16T17:50:40Z")
i don’t really have much of an opinion on this! i just wanted to note that if this does get changed to the star, i think [4\*TOWN](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c5375deb-a41f-4444-9811-807188214d6a/) should be changed, too. ---
**Author:** ![UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/ultimateriff/32/47799_2.png) [@UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/UltimateRiff)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 6:53pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/7 "2022-05-16T18:53:54Z")
> [@mfmeulenbelt](#): > > did a quick count, and it looks like an asterisk (smaller and higher up than the other characters) on 20 covers and like a ★ on 8 (not counting duplicates). yes, but I all those cases (save for the Gloria Estefan single) it’s definitely a star shape, not an asterisk shape. I believe in most cases like this, the shape of the special character is more important than the placement. > [@yindesu](#): > > [Universal Music Group](https://www.universalmusic.com/universal-music-groups-bravado-acquires-merchandise-branding-company-epic-rights/) currently runs a website for \*NSYNC, and at the bottom they’ve linked to official websites/profiles on other platforms, and all use an asterisk: …and they also use an asterisk inside the booklet for the release I’ve got, I can share scans once the MusicBrainz servers are back up. also, not all of their releases have the star “always positioned at the top and shrunken”, just look at _No Strings Attached_ and _Celebrity_, (along with some of their singles around that time). in fact, I think _The Essential ★NSYNC_ actually uses the star character on the cover, since that doesn’t look like any of their logos (this one might not have as much weight, since it’s a compilation from after they broke up). > [@Freso](#): > > I think more likely than Unicode character support is just how “\*” is easily accessible in most keyboard layouts and “★” isn’t. …yeah, that’s probably more likely. ---
**Author:** ![chaban](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/chaban/32/111349_2.png) [@chaban](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/chaban)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2022, 7:05pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/8 "2022-05-16T19:05:15Z")
That symbol resembling “★” looks like graphic design to me. Compare with: > [@Artist '2Cellos' styled differently as '2CELLOS' and '2Cellos' making them 2 entities in Android Media Library Database](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/artist-2cellos-styled-differently-as-2cellos-and-2cellos-making-them-2-entities-in-android-media-library-database/417954/13): > > I think this artist’s logo just uses a stylized version of U+0045 : LATIN CAPITAL LETTER E rather than U+039E : GREEK CAPITAL LETTER XI. This is backed up by how their name is written in plain text (for example, on their [Twitter page](https://twitter.com/2cellos)). > [@AC/DC vs ACϟDC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/ac-dc-vs-ac-dc/549823/3): > > The “ϟ” in “ACϟDC” is the Greek letter [koppa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koppa_(letter)#Typography), which only looks like a lighting bolt in certain sans-serif fonts. I don’t think that Unicode letters should be used as substitutes for symbols in logos. Also, given that this particular artist serves as an [example in the style guide](https://wiki.musicbrainz.org/Style/Artist/Sort_Name#Guideline_4._De-stylize) I think the bar for changing its name should be higher than simply counting the number of occurrences. ---
**Author:** ![Freso](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/freso/32/25_2.png) [@Freso](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/Freso)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2022, 10:52am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/9 "2022-05-17T10:52:40Z")
> [@UltimateRiff](#): > > yes, but I all those cases (save for the Gloria Estefan single) it’s definitely a star shape, not an asterisk shape. I believe in most cases like this, the shape of the special character is more important than the placement. If its placement denotes that it’s an asterisk, then the shape is likely just a stylisation of this. We don’t format artist names with specific fonts either, even if artists consistently use a specific font for their brand/name. Considering how they’re consistently using asterisks everywhere (website, social media, etc.), I see no reason to second-guess that. ---
**Author:** ![DerekFerric](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/derekferric/32/46840_2.png) [@DerekFerric](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/DerekFerric)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2022, 10:52pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/10 "2022-05-19T22:52:28Z")
Right, but will that turn up in search results? If somebody types in \*NSYNC to their library filter will ★NSYNC still be left or would they just have to search for NSYNC? I happened to see this earlier today, the hassle this musta given people when Prince changed his name to a symbol, but this was now thirty years ago which made me feel old. > **[The Prince Floppy : Prince : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet...](https://archive.org/details/prince_floppy)** > > 3.5 floppy given to press when Prince changed his name. The downloads are the exact and only items on the disk, two TIFFs (more info here from Anil Dash,... > ---
**Author:** ![UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/user_avatar/community.metabrainz.org/ultimateriff/32/47799_2.png) [@UltimateRiff](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/UltimateRiff)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:09am UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/11 "2022-05-20T02:09:35Z")
I believe symbols are for the most part ignored by MusicBrainz search, but even so, both names are [aliases](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/603ba565-3967-4be1-931e-9cb945394e86/aliases) already, so even if they aren’t ignored, (\*/★)NSYNC would still show up on a MusicBrainz search~ ---
**Author:** ![animaldaydream](https://community.metabrainz.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@animaldaydream](https://community.metabrainz.org/u/animaldaydream)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.metabrainz.org/t/nsync-or-nsync/585266/12 "2022-07-17T20:09:18Z")
> [@DerekFerric](#): > > Right, but will that turn up in search results? If somebody types in \*NSYNC to their library filter will ★NSYNC still be left or would they just have to search for NSYNC? You’d use an alias. You can add any number of aliases in the artist entry in MB and set them to either an official spelling, for a specific language or region, or just as a search hint, and it will appear in the search results no matter which one they type. EDIT: I misread this comment. Well, if your music player supports it, you could search using the artistsort tag, which should use only latin characters, and which is added to the file metadata by default on Picard. Otherwise, no, it won’t turn up.