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EXAMPLE THE FIRST: Lance Bass (the faintly boss-eyed *NSYNC-er) has secured the rights to an age-old song by Marilyn Monroe - the Britney Spears of the 1950s - and wants to rework it using a modern day singer. And the modern day singer he has in mind is Britney Spears - the Britney Spears of now.

A slightly garbled snitch told the Star that Lance is really keen to get a ghostly duet of a song called 'Down Boy', which is unreleased and ripe for a musical re-heel: "Lance wants Britney to sing with Marilyn on the track, like Natalie Cole did on 'Unforgettable' with her dad Nat King Cole."

Yes, Britney's next musical career move could actually be as ASTONISHINGLY MOVING and CLEVER as this is. Maybe EVEN BETTER (well, we can but dream...).

And, brilliantly, news reports also suggest that a video is being planned in which Britney will dress up as Marilyn, including a blonde wig. Which seems a bit tactless given the public head-shave thing and all that...

Meanwhile EXAMPLE THE SECOND sees Justin Timberlake working on new songs with Marilyn's '80s doppleganger (and proud owner of the witchiest hands in the world) Madonna. This raises the fascinating possibility that there may be a song in the pipeline called 'Like A Virgin (Don't Mind If I Do, Actually)', but also the faintly unsettling idea that there might be a love duet on the way between JT and Madge. If so, can we just say now that any other sentiment than the strong affection between a mother and her sexually-over-indulgent son will be treating with strong scorn, and possibly bleach.

Justin told Soundgenerator: "We ended up with five or six really good (songs) - some unfinished, some finished and we're gonna go back in July and work on some more stuff. Her ethic is kinda infectious in the studio. I was like, 'I'm too slow, I'm too slow...'"

Which, while a pleasing refrain, is possibly not going to score either one of them a massive hit. Spose it depends on the melody and delivery...

Anyway, he went on: "She's a workhorse and I'm just a fan...who tricked Madonna."

Which just goes to show that it's amazing what some workhorses will do on the promise of a sugarlump or two, isnit?

Anyway, just in case you think that things are all crisps and Vimto for everyone who used to be involved in the *NSYNC machine, well, stop it at once. Their former manager Lou Pearlman is currently on the run from the FBI, due to some rather dodgy financial schemes he was involved with.

As yet, JC Chasez has yet to suggest that Lou hand himself in to the proper authorities, and then record a duet with Christina Aguilera, but it's surely only a matter of time...