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Taylor Swift is being used as punishment for Universal Studios guests looking for late-night scares past business hours -- as heard in this hilarious closing-time message from the park.

Check out this seemingly pre-recorded message that was blasted over the intercom during Sunday night's Halloween Horror Nights ... where folks traverse the massive theme park to hit haunted mazes and rides into the wee hours of the morning.

HHN officially shuts down at 2 AM, and based on this YouTube streamer's video ... it sounds like stragglers were hit with a warning for sticking around -- namely, loud Swiftie tunes!

Here's what a man could be heard saying, "The rides are closed, mazes are closed there is no reason to stay here any longer. You don’t have to go home but you can't stay here we only have 7 hours to get the park ready for tomorrow. Hit the bricks, take a hike gather your belongings and your drunk friends and go or we start playing Taylor Swift at full volume."

He delivers it in a humorous way, so this is obviously a gag. The interesting part is that this really sounds like a recording, and not just an employee riffing off the cuff. If true, even funnier.

*NSYNC's JC Chasez and Lance Bass are teasing the potential for fans to see more of the group ... and it sounds like we shouldn't rule out anything just yet!

We got JC at LAX, where he told us how fun it was to get back in the studio to record "Better Place," the song featured in the upcoming film, "Trolls Band Together" ... especially coming 2 decades after their last studio effort.

Now, sources have told us the track would be a one-off for the fellas -- but we couldn't pass up the chance to ask JC his feelings about *NSYNC doing more ... especially because their reunion's drawn so much attention.

He played it coy ... telling us he's just focused on the single for now, but he didn't completely crush the hopes of fans, and even said, "anything is possible."

Lance was also at LAX, separate from JC, and when we asked him the same thing, he had an interesting response -- putting the focus on the ongoing writers' and actors' strike.

He said if people wanna see the group reunite again -- for a tour or a full album -- they better start supporting the strike.

Now, this could be one of 2 things -- he could just be using his platform to shine a light on the thousands of union workers out of jobs. Or ... it's possible the gang is already in talks for another fun reunion, but the strikes might be throwing a wrench in whatever they want to do next.

Just some food for thought. 🤔

As you know, the band's iconic reunion at the MTV VMAs had people in shock, including Taylor Swift, who accepted an award from them early in the night.

Seeing them in the studio is a great sign, too ... and, at the very least, JC and Lance are saying there's a chance for them to do more.

Maren Morris is divorcing herself from the music genre she got famous in -- saying modern-day country music is unrecognizable to her ... and has morphed into pure political posturing.

The singer -- who cut her teeth in country and, for a long time was considered a Nashville darling -- has gone scorched earth on her peers ... this after dropping two new tracks this week that speak to her anger and disillusionment over where things stand in the biz.

In one of the music videos for her new songs, Maren can be seen walking away from a burning town ... and she hit that point home in a follow-up interview with the LA Times.

She says, "I thought I'd like to burn it to the ground and start over. But it's burning itself down without my help." She goes on to say that she feels very distanced from a lot of the stories that mainstream country artists are telling today ... adding she's tried avoiding that.

Maren goes on to say that she's done trying to fit her musical style within the traditional country paradigm -- noting that she finds the entire genre stale and out of touch lately.

She goes for the jugular by saying this ... "After the Trump years, people’s biases were on full display. It just revealed who people really were and that they were proud to be misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic."

Maren finishes with this final thought -- "All these things were being celebrated, and it was weirdly dovetailing with this hyper-masculine branch of country music. I call it butt rock."

Taylor Swift may be hooking up with Travis Kelce -- at least there is smoke pointing to that -- but Saturday was girl's night out.

Taylor and her bud, Blake Lively, hit up Zero Bond in NYC ... it's the second time the 2 broke bread in a week. Last Monday, T.S. hit up Emilio's Ballato restaurant with Blake and her hubby Ryan Reynolds along with Channing Tatum, Zoë Kravitz, and Gigi Hadid.

Taylor had a busy weekend ... chowing down Friday with Selena Gomez at a restaurant near Taylor's Rhode Island estate.

Gomez and Taylor have been friends for years, and Selena underscored their friendship with words of loyalty.

Selena wrote, "Thas my best frien -she a real bad," referencing lyrics from Saweetie's track, "Best Friend."

Lance Bass might be looking to make some big business moves on the heels of the massive *NSYNC reunion ... by using one of the boy band's most famous phrases.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Lance wants to trademark the phrase "Dirty Pop" and slap it on a bunch of junk food ... like candy, chocolate and flavored popcorn.

Of course, the phrase is the opening line in *NSYNC's smash hit from way back in the day, "Pop"

The boy band reunited Tuesday for the first time in a decade, presenting an award at the MTV VMAs ... and fans have been going nuts ever since, so it seems like a perfect time for Lance and the guys to cash in.

The docs show Lance is also looking to trademark "Boy Band Wars" ... indicating he may want to use it for a potential TV series!!!

The guys are already capitalizing on all the *NSYNC buzz now that they are once again front and center in Hollywood ... rolling out a new single for Justin Timberlake's upcoming 'Trolls' movie.

In addition, Lance's company filed docs to secure the rights to "Frosted Tips" ... for a potential new podcast!!!

Karol G was drippin' in diamonds at the VMAs ... all the bling combined was worth north of $2 mil ... according to the jeweler who gave her the goods for her big night.

Celebrity jeweler Eric Mavani tells TMZ ... he was hired to provide Karol with all the bling she needed for Tuesday night's event, which turned out to be A LOT.

Eric The Jeweler says her chain was 90 carats strong -- 30 pink pear-shaped diamonds, and 60 white oval-shaped diamonds. That accessory would set ya back a mil.

But, that's not all ... she also wore a 10-carat pink heart ring worth $900k and 40-carat bracelets costing $250k each. She had on some blue, white, and pink flower drop earrings that are 10 carats and worth $75k.

Were told the grand total was around $2.5M  ... and all those carats must've been a good-luck charm, because she took home the award for Best Collab with Shakira.

*NSYNC fans are finally getting a taste of the group's brand new song that has all 5 guys joining forces in the studio to lay down a track for the new 'Trolls' flick.

The group's song is called "Better Place," and it's teased near the end of the latest trailer for "Trolls Band Together." It dropped Wednesday night, giving folks a glimpse of what's likely to become a new hit ... especially because they last recorded a song in 2002.

The movie, led by Justin Timberlake's character, is all about getting his former boy band back together, so *NSYNC obviously was a perfect choice. Their 1997 song, "I Want You Back," can also be heard in the new trailer.

Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick, all hinted at their song earlier in the day -- lip-syncing to a "Friends" scene about a big secret they can't spill.

Remember, TMZ confirmed rumors the group was jumping back in the studio to record a track for the new movie ... but we were told they don't have any plans to come out with a whole album or go on tour.

You'll recall, *NSYNC whipped fans into a frenzy Tuesday night at the MTV VMAs, where they appeared onstage to present the Best Pop Video award -- which went to Taylor Swift, who was fangirling to the max over the gang's reunion.

Folks wanting to hear the full track will have to wait until September 29, but portions of it are popping up on TikTok ... that's gonna have to satisfy the die-hards, for now!!!

Do you think *NSYNC should release a new album? Let us know by voting in our game below.

Beyoncé is still in the middle of her hugely successful "Renaissance" tour, but that didn't stop her from taking a little break to get some serious privacy to celebrate her birthday.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ the singer rented out a spot called Mermaid Bay -- a string of 11 villas located within The Brando, a private island resort for the ultra-rich in French Polynesia.

Our sources say Beyoncé and crew arrived at the property September 5, and stayed at least through Friday the 8th ... with adults and kids all in tow.

As for her accommodations, we're told Beyoncé and Jay-Z stayed in the Bay's main residence -- a 4-bedroom villa that goes for around $20K per night -- and the rest of their group stayed among the 10 other villas ... which have 1, 2 and 3 bedroom options.

Of course, Beyoncé's actual birthday was September 4, and she celebrated it with Diana Ross and about 70,000 fans -- so the private island retreat looks like the perfect destination to unwind before taking on her 42nd year.

*NSYNC fans are already itching for a worldwide tour or new album from the group after their reunion at the VMAs ... but it just ain't gonna happen, TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... despite the group's iconic reunion Tuesday night, they have no plans to tour, do a residency, album, or any other pop-up reunions.

After the VMAs, we're told bandmates Justin Timberlake, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez, Lance Bass, and Chris Kirkpatrick -- along with their management team and close friends -- all went to dinner at Ambra in NYC ... which was a group close to 50 people.

Our sources say they all had some amazing conversations and laughs during the dinner, which had a menu with the band's name on it. We're told everyone was glad to be back under the same roof all these years later.

BTW, we've confirmed the rumors the group is featured on a song for the upcoming movie, "Trolls Band Together" ... which focuses on Justin Timberlake's character reuniting with his 4 brothers who were all part of a boy band in the past -- pretty meta.

So there might not be an album, but at least a new song is coming soon!

Tuesday night's appearance was the first time they've all been at the VMAs together since 2013. As we reported, a source connected to the group told us they wouldn't be performing but would only be presenting an award ... which ended up going to Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift didn't just take home some VMAs hardware, she also won the internet thanks to several viral moments during the night -- from feelin' the groove to destroying expensive bling.

The "Anti-Hero" singer's face was all over social media Tuesday as the ceremony went down in New Jersey ... with her dance moves as one of the leading highlights.

Taylor was on her feet during Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's "Bongos" performance -- at one point blocking Ice Spice's view of the show, but Taylor was feelin' it. She was also moving her body to Lil Wayne's "A Milli" ... even rapping along!

TS had a funny moment pick up steam, too -- showing her appear to struggle to get a drink out of her seat's cupholder. Unclear if the problem was her, the booze, or the holder itself.

Taylor Swift made sure to provide a little heartbreak too though, apparently breaking a $12k ring she wore to the show.

As you know, Taylor took home 9 awards at the VMAs, including Show of the Summer, Video of the Year, and Artist of the Year.

If there was a Viral Artist of the Night category, she totally would've dominated that one, too.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

The real fun at the MTV VMAs started when the show was over ... as celebs like Cardi B, Taylor Swift, and many more hit up after-parties to keep the big night going.

It was poppin' at several post-VMA bashes Tuesday night -- a couple big ones in NYC, while the main ceremony went down in New Jersey.

Looks like the stars were divided in the Big Apple -- folks like Taylor, Selena Gomez, Cara Delevingne, Diddy and Ice Spice hit up the MTV party at The Ned NoMad Hotel, while other big names like Lil Nas X, Tiffany Haddish, and French Montana went to Cardi B's party at Somewhere Nowhere.

Of course, Cardi and Offset showed up together to their shindig -- the couple walked inside hand in hand looking like the king and queen of the prom.

Both spots were swarming with celebs ... other artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Saweetie, GloRilla, and Swae Lee were spotted having a blast, too.

The artists had plenty to celebrate after some big VMA wins -- Ice Spice took home the award for Best New Artist, the show's emcee, Nicki Minaj, won Best Hip-Hop for "Super Freaky Girl," Stray Kids secured a W for Best K-Pop, and SZA got a Moonperson statuette for Best R&B.

Taylor Swift certainly came out of the event victorious ... collecting 9 wins overall, including Video of the Year, Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Show of the Summer.

In other words, a great year for Swifties.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

Selena Gomez is getting the internet meme treatment after her disapproving reaction to Chris Brown at the VMAs, but she quickly clapped back once the award show was over.

In case ya missed it, Selena was on camera Tuesday night while the nominees for Best R&B were read out, and the now-viral moment went down as Chris' name was announced.

Check it out ... she scrunches her face and stops clapping as his collab with Chloe Bailey, "How Does It Feel," was announced. Her smile returned and her clapping continued after they moved on to the next nom, however.

The singer jumped on Instagram after the festivities -- and more importantly, after the clip made the rounds ... vowing to "never be a meme again," adding she'd rather have no reaction at all than show off her genuine feelings.

As you know, Chris infamously assaulted his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna, back in 2009, and has been accused repeatedly of assaulting women over the years ... so that's more than likely why she made that face in the audience.

What's interesting is ... Selena's not denying her reaction, but it's more about her being pissed about the whole meme thing -- which btw, also included shots of her just looking bored during the award show.

Selena also made the rounds last night for covering her ears during Olivia Rodrigo's performance at the VMAs, but that seemed to be a reaction to the staged act gone wrong ... as onstage explosions drowned out Olivia's vocals.

Don't forget, Selena and Rema took home the Best Afrobeats award at the ceremony for "Calm Down" ... and she thanked her collaborator for believing in her and letting her be a part of the track.

Fittingly, that song title is basically Selena's reaction to all the memes.

Do you think Selena Gomez's viral reaction was actually shade? Vote below.

In a moment sure to thrill 90's kids everywhere, Justin Timberlake, Chris Kirkpatrick, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and JC Chasez reunited on the VMAs stage for the first time in a decade ... much to Taylor Swift's delight.

Fans went nuts as the 5 members of *NSYNC all got together Tuesday to present the award for best pop video. Nicki Minaj introduced them as they walked out to "Bye Bye Bye," the song behind their first VMA win back in the day.

Taylor was going full fangirl as the fellas took the stage, and then she ended up winning for her hit song, "Anti-Hero."

Lance even gave Taylor a friendship bracelet as she hugged every band member on stage ... and she used part of her acceptance speech to gush over *NSYNC.

It's the first time the guys have been together at the MTV VMAs since way back in 2013 ... and the first time they've all been together for a public appearance since a stop on Ellen a few years back.

Of course, the timing makes a lot of sense, as the guys are rolling out a single for the upcoming 'Trolls' movie ... talk about some good promotion.

Unfortunately, no performance from the guys ... but you gotta imagine the warm reception makes the thought of a reunion tour that much more enticing.

Yes, even for JT.

With all of the big stars -- Taylor, Nicki, Selena and more -- do you think the MTV VMAs have gained credibility again? Vote below.

The 2023 VMAs were all about Taylor Swift, her famous Swifties and, of course, *NSYNC ... and they showed out behind the scenes.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ was the center of the music world Tuesday night, with Taylor and a boy band reunion leading the way for MTV's signature award ceremony.

Taylor went nuts for Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, JC Chasez and Chris Kirkpatrick ... and she hung out with Ice Spice and Billy Porter too.

While Taylor was busy taking home awards for her amazing music videos, there was plenty of eye candy off camera ... with Cardi B, Selena Gomez, Bebe Rexha, Emily Ratajkowski and Sexyy Redd all commanding eyes.

Lil Nas X screamed out for attention too ... and there were even some hot celeb couples, like Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes.

Steven Tyler's vocal cord injury was even worse than first thought -- he can barely speak -- but we're told recovery is certain and he will come back as strong as ever.

Sources close to Tyler tell TMZ ... after blowing out his vocal cords last weekend at his Long Island concert, to the point they bled, Steven flew to Boston to see his ENT doctor, and the X-rays showed the vocal cords were "mangled."

We're told the injury occurred early on during Aerosmith's concert, but he powered through his entire set, including "Dream On," where Steven hit his famous, glass-shattering note in the song's climax. The audience had no idea he was severely impaired.

Our sources say Steven can't even speak now ... he "squeaks" when he tries to talk.

Steven can't sing for 30 days because of the damage, putting the band's tour on pause.

Nevertheless, we're told Steven's not going to let his injury stop him from doing future shows ... and he's still planning on hitting those risky high notes and he will go 100% once his voice returns. As one source put it ... "Steven's an animal. There's no stopping him."

In the meantime, Aerosmith postponed shows in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Raleigh, Washington, D.C. and Toronto ... pushing them back to January and February 2024.

Some of the biggest names in music have started to trickle in for this year's MTV VMAs, and we've got all the arrivals from the pink carpet.

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ looks more like Hollywood -- with massive stars pulling up like Megan Thee Stallion, who's set to take the stage with Cardi B later in the night to perform their brand-new hit, "Bongos."

Saweetie was lookin' pretty in pink while stepping into the stadium, and MTV's iconic Moon-person mascot even pulled up to the shindig with a snazzy bowtie! Demi Lovato also hit the carpet looking sleek in black.

As you know, artists like Miley Cyrus, Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift, and Sam Smith are all dukin' it out tonight for a coveted Moonperson statue ... with many of them covering multiple categories.

It's been a female-dominated year for the VMAs -- Artist of the Year nominations went to ladies only, like Beyoncé and Shakira, while Ed Sheeran is the only guy gunning for Best Pop ... going up against singers like Pink and Dua Lipa.

BTW, there are 16 tracks up for the Song of Summer category this year, with 3 of them being from the "Barbie" movie -- go figure.

As we reported, *NSYNC is gettin' the boy band back together for a reunion at tonight's award show -- 3 members have been spotted in NYC over the last couple of days, and JC Chasez was pictured riding in a private jet.

A source connected to the group told us they'll be presenting only, and not singing one of their hits ... but it's gonna be an epic reunion nonetheless.

Speaking of performances, the ceiling will likely be blown off tonight with folks like Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj -- also the emcee for this year's event -- and Måneskin ... not to mention loads more musical acts as the night goes on.

There's also slated to be a big medley honoring 50 years of hip-hop -- similar to the huge performance at The Grammys -- featuring D.M.C., Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, LL Cool J, and more.