It’s been 12 years since 98 Degrees released an album, but now they’re back — and they’re better than ever. The famous boy band, made up of Jeff Timmons, Nick Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Drew Lachey, just dropped Full Circle, a brand-new album filled with both fresh tracks and re-recorded fan favorites. And yes, they say the Mulan soundtrack literally saved their career.
During a fun Zoom call with PEOPLE (each guy called in from a different place), the group shared what it was like to make music together again after more than a decade.
Their lead single “Got You” was actually written by Nick Lachey a few years ago for a solo project. But he quickly realized it felt more like a 98 Degrees song.
“It never felt like a solo song,” Nick, 51, explained. “It instantly reminded me of the band and of our sound. So I pitched it to these guys… and they liked it!”
The group agreed it was the perfect way to kick off the album. “It just sounded like a throwback 98 Degrees record,” Nick said.
And there’s more where that came from. The album includes five new songs in total. One of them, “Mona Lisa,” takes inspiration from the famous painting.
“The mystery of Mona Lisa is kind of the appeal,” said Drew, 48. “Is she happy? Is she not? What’s the vibe?”
That feeling of mystery is exactly what the song captures — and why they were drawn to it.
Not only is Full Circle about new beginnings — it’s also about honoring the past. The guys went back and re-recorded some of their most popular songs, including “The Hardest Thing,” “I Do,” and “Cherish You.”
Sounds easy, right? Not exactly.
“We’ve been singing these songs for so long, we thought it would be a piece of cake,” said Justin Jeffre, 52. “But we really had to go back and study the old records.”
Over the years, they’ve changed the way they sing some songs during live shows. So getting the timing, the sound, and even the feeling just right was more challenging than expected.
Nick agreed.
“It was a lot harder than I expected to recreate that sound again,” he said.
Still, they had fun with it. Jeff Timmons, 52, said it brought back a ton of memories.
“What’s cool is that these songs immediately bring back nostalgia,” he said. “It takes you to that place — when we recorded them, who was there. All of it.”
One of the most surprising stories the band shared? That Disney’s Mulan basically saved their career.
Back in the late ’90s, things weren’t going great. The president of their record label (Motown) had left, and the band wasn’t sure what would happen next.
“We were at a crossroads,” Nick said.
Then a new president stepped in — and introduced them to Disney and the legendary Stevie Wonder. The band got the chance to record “True to Your Heart” with Wonder for Mulan. And that moment changed everything.
“It saved our career and kept us relevant,” Nick shared. “It allowed us the opportunity to come back and do 98 Degrees and Rising, which is the album that really blew up.”
Looking back, the group sees that song as a turning point.
“Aside from working with one of our idols, Stevie Wonder, and doing it with Disney — it kept us out there,” Nick said. “It really, in a lot of ways, saved us.”
From working with legends to creating new memories, 98 Degrees is proving that boy bands never go out of style. And Full Circle shows how much they’ve grown — while still staying true to their classic sound.
Ready to sing along? Full Circle is out now — and it’s bringing all the nostalgia (plus some fresh tunes!) you didn’t know you were missing.
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