Review: In Tampa, Justin Timberlake gets sexy for the 40-somethings, and showcases timeless hits

There were a few young Justin Timberlake fans at his sold-out Tampa show last Friday night. One was eight-years old (Paige, to whom Timberlake apologized for “all the bad words I said”), and another wasn’t even born yet.

“We have a gender reveal,” the 43-year-old told a sold-out Amalie Arena as he looked out into the crowd, reading signs after the show’s first climax (“My Love”). “You kind of have to do those, right?”

There was a drumroll, and the parent-to-be in an old-school Nsync shirt found out, along with the rest of the arena, that a boy was on the way. That kid will inevitably grow up listening to songs from the blue-eyed crooner’s catalog, and getting older was definitely on Timberlake’s mind. After a harmony-drenched, Ginuwine-B-side-flavored, run through “Until the End of Time,” the man of the hour—90 minutes into the 19th show of his “Forget Tomorrow World Tour” —told fans that now more than ever, people are walking up to him and telling him they grew up with his music.

“I never ask their age because I’m afraid of what they’re going to say,” he joked before offering up a more heartfelt, thankful, sentiment. “But actually, I grew up with you.”

And grown, the crowd definitely was. Everyone’s age was on full display well before Timberlake even hit the stage. Some parents had their kids, sure, but the opener, DJ and producer Andrew Hypes (who played a set at nearby Alter Ego on Thursday night) pieced together an hour-long set flush with hits of the early-’90s (Bell Biv DeVoe, the “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song), early-aughts bangers (DMX, Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Nelly, Spice Girls), and even Kanye West. It was the golden age of “Total Request Live” all over again, and the only thing the Richmond, Virginia native didn’t play for all the hollaback girls and boys was Nas’ “Oochie Wally.”

And as the more than 16,000 fans bopped furiously to the playlist as if it was last call at the neighborhood Applebee’s , it was hard not to imagine all the groans, hurt backs and ice packs that’ll be out before brunch on Saturday morning.

Timberlake, for his part, showed little to no signs of wear-and-tear after a literal lifetime in showbiz that included singing country and gospel as a kid before an appearance on “Star Search” at the tender age of 11 , a stint on “The All-New Mickey Mouse Club,” and his storied run with the late Lou Pearlman’s greatest boy band (sorry, not-sorry, Boys).

He twirled the mic effortlessly after set-opener “No Angels,” hit those four-time Grammy-winning high notes with ease during the lounge intro to “My Love,” and held rank with his immensely-talented backup vocalists on the smoldering intro of “Technicolor” from his new album, Everything I Thought I Was .

As his stage unfolded dramatically during “Infinity Sex” and “Future Sex/LoveSound,” it was not only clear that Timberlake’s dancing has held up, but that he is one of those artists endlessly obsessed with the magical choreography which icons like Michael Jackson brought to millions of music fans in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

He moved with supreme confidence on the Miami Sound Machine-channeling “Let The Groove Get In” as he displayed that same innocence and love of performance from that 1992 “Star Search” tape. To watch Timberlake onstage is to see someone express their joy.

And while Timberlake and his eight-piece band, The Tennessee Kids, masterfully transitioned between songs, rich arrangements and numerous tempo changes (“Drown”), there were moments in the 28-song set where—in spite of the frontman’s vitality—the songs themselves seemed a step behind in 2024's ever-evolving pop music landscape.

“My Favorite Drug”—one of 11 cuts from Everything I Thought I Was that made it into the 118-minute show—felt like an anemic mix of recycled disco and tired fellas-ladies callbacks while “F**cking Up The Disco” just couldn’t keep up with the innovative production, which included a floating stage that Timberlake climbed onto for anthemic, cathartic, set-closer “Mirrors.” Even “Señorita” from his Grammy-winning 2002 solo debut, felt a bit dated, while “FutureSex” wore a kind of sonic pilling reminiscent of the fuzz on the sleeves of a beloved sweater that’s gotten someone through three too many winters.

Still, there was more good than bad, even on new stuff. “Imagination” somehow managed to update the old school spirit and rhythm of classic bands like Earth Wind & Fire and blend them into a more vibrant, poppier, strain of smooth jazz. The big drums (kudos, Mike Reid) and wash of synth on “Summer Love” hit with as much force as it did when it landed on the radio 16 years ago.

And Timberlake really flexed during a six-song set on a B-stage on the opposite side of Amalie Arena. The thick bass and rich horns on “Suit & Tie” dutifully revived the vibe of classic Ohio R&B band Sly Slick & Wicked, and “Say Something” help up as a staple singalong while “What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” got new life with Timberlake handling acoustic by himself.

The set highlight, however, arrived as Timberlake broke into a two-step ahead of a mesmerizing performance of “Pusher Love Girl” from The 20/20 Experience . He and the band didn’t stretch the song into the eight-minute revelation it is on the 2013 album, but still crammed the very best parts of the Justin Timberlake aesthetic—elastic grooves, along with the songwriter’s unrivaled tenor—into a song that wears all the soulful influence of his hometown (Memphis) while simultaneously forging a new, modern sound altogether.

Timberlake is no longer a young man, but he’s nowhere near becoming a legacy act. Yes, his set in Tampa undoubtedly had a few duds in it, but more than that, the performance proved that just halfway through his career, the Tennessee kid can already say that his talent is already, and inarguably, timeless.

Setlist
No Angels
LoveStoned
Like I Love You
My Love
Technicolor
Sanctified
Infinity Sex
Future Sex/LoveSound
Imagination
Drown
Cry Me A River
Let the Groove In
My Favorite Drug
Senorita
Summer Love
F**king Up the Disco
—
Play
Suit & Tie
Flame
Say Something
Pusher Love Girl
Until the End Of Time
Selfish
What Goes Around…/…Comes Around
—
Can't Stop the Feeling
Rock Your Body
Sexy Back
—
Mirrors

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