98º

The American boy band 98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) was formed by Jeff Timmons who in 1996 decided to quit college to pursue a career in music. After meeting Nick Lachey the two decided to form a vocal group and drafted in Justin Jeffre and Jonathan Lippman to complete the line-up. Prior to the band signing their first deal Lippman decided the band conflicted with his religious beliefs and he quit, later forming the Christian faith band True Vibe. The band replaced Lippman with Lachey's brother Drew and shortly afterwards signed a deal with Motown Records. Their debut single "Invisible Man" went to number 12 in the Billboard Hot 100 eventually being certified gold. Their 1997 self-titled debut album was followed up by 98 Degrees and Rising in 1998 and an appearance by the band in the Disney movie Mulan boosted the album's sales. By 2002 the band had sold more than ten million records and pursued an extended hiatus so the individual members could explore other ambitions. It was a break that lasted almost a decade until in 2012 the band reformed and subsequently released the album 2.0 in 2013. They have continued to tour and perform with their second Christmas album Let It Snow, released in 2017. Back after the Covid-19 pandemic, the band collaborated on Brett Kissel's "Ain't the Same", before returning to the studio for their seventh full-length, Full Circle, issued in May 2025 with singles "Got U" and "I Do (Cherish You)".