Justin Timberlake’s latest concert in St. Paul, Minnesota, left many fans disappointed, as the pop star leaned heavily on new material that failed to resonate with the crowd.
The 44-year-old singer, whose “Forget Tomorrow World Tour” has been marred by controversy, took the stage on Monday night, but instead of delivering a nostalgic set packed with his biggest hits, Justin Timberlake insisted on performing tracks from his latest album, “Everything I Thought It Was,” an album that has struggled commercially.
According to a critical review by the Minnesota Star Tribune, Timberlake performed as many as 11 songs from the underperforming album, with audience members visibly disengaged. At one point, the singer attempted to encourage the crowd to sing along to his latest single, only to be met with awkward silence as most fans did not know the lyrics.
Adding to the disappointment, a signature stage prop, a “monolith” that has been used in previous encore performances, was missing from the St. Paul show.
Fans also complained about the concert layout, particularly Timberlake’s decision to spend a significant portion of the performance on a secondary stage at the back of the arena.
“He spent quite a bit of time on a second stage at the back of the arena, and finished out the show back there, so lost a little luster for anyone toward the front,” one concertgoer noted on Facebook.
The St. Paul show was initially scheduled for Halloween 2023, but had to be postponed due to Timberlake suffering from bronchitis and laryngitis. While the Star Tribune did acknowledge the singer’s “natural showmanship, deft musicianship, and contagious energy,” the overall sentiment was that the concert fell flat.