Tearin’ up your heart

JC Chasez demands you be *NSYNC with the rhythm

JC Chasez would rather not be compared to Simon Cowell just because he’s the stern judge on MTV’s wildly popular competitive dance show, “America’s Best Dance Crew.”

“Everyone says that, but I’ve never once said anything mean,” explains the 32-year-old who, like Cowell, incites boos from the crowd for his harsh critiques, even to seemingly perfect routines. Chasez is a stickler for “details.”

“I’ve never said like, ‘I’d rather stab myself in the eye than watch you guys dance,’” he says indignantly. “I give critiques ... because I want it to be the best it can possibly be.”

If Chasez sounds like a relentless stage mom, it’s because of all those years he spent in the spotlight with *NSYNC, selling 56 million records worldwide.

Now, the singer/songwriter from Maryland gets to share this knowledge when he reprises his judging duties on the second season of “America’s Best Dance Crew,” premiering next Thursday. The show, a brainchild of Randy Jackson, capitalizes on the country’s current obsession with dance. Each week, hip-hop crews battle it out to see who can krump, pop lock, and flip the best. The response to the first season was so overwhelming (7.9 million regular viewers and more than 38 million voted during the finale) that MTV couldn’t wait to bring it back.

When viewers aren’t on the couch watching the show, they’re online ripping Chasez and fellow judge Lil Mama apart for their credentials.

“I’ve been performing since I was 12,” says Chasez. “I spent eight years in a band that traveled the world. I actually lived in the group dynamic from the onstage point of view.”

Speaking of that band, Chasez is working on an album (Justin Timberlake is producing) that he aims to release this fall and is starring in a movie. “Once you become part of something you want it to be the best it can possibly be,” he says.