Justin Timberlake is one of the greatest live performers of all time

Justin Timberlake, arguably the world’s best male pop star, should never have been that guy with a guitar at a party you avoid at all costs. Yet on his last album, Man Of The Woods, Justin Timberlake ventured as close to a folksy, guitar-wielding Henry David Thoreau impression that producer Timbaland’s beats and the singer’s own R&B-tilting vocals would allow.

Unlike Thoreau’s Walden, however, Justin Timberlake’s Man Of The Woods Tour, which made its way to London’s O2 Arena last night, doesn’t preach simple living, introspection or self-sufficiency. Sure, Timberlake has stuck to his album’s theme: dotted along the enormous S-shaped stage that covers the entire arena floor are fake trees, with the tip of the S dedicated entirely to long grass. There are also projections of forests throughout and at one point even a campfire sing-a-long (more on that later). But the Man Of The Woods Tour isn’t some trite Bon Iver tribute act; from the first few minutes it becomes apparent that Timberlake didn’t just come to play. He’s building a future for himself in these here woods.

The Man Of The Woods Tour, London, England +52 images

Opening the show with Man Of The Woods’ lead single, “Filthy”, Timberlake deconstructed the pulsating track, laying out the intricate production and building it to a smashing conclusion. Matching the futurism of that song were more lights than a UFO landing; precision lasers roamed the stage, circling around dancers and Timberlake himself as he marched down the snaking stage to the centre ring. Barely five minutes, flanked by dancers, a dance break followed, swiftly dispelling any accusations that Timberlake may be encroaching on awkward dad territory.

It’s here, too, that the first of the intricate stage projections began. Before launching into “Midnight Summer Jam”, fabric descended from the ceiling, with projections creating a 360-degree, almost holographic experience as wolves and wilderness engulfed the arena. Technologically speaking, there was nothing back-to-basics about the production of this musical spectacular that, at times, verged on sensory overload.

For the next almost two hours, Timberlake’s show continued at a propulsive pace, veering carelessly from massive hits to lesser known newer album tracks to deep cuts, all without a pause for breath. From “LoveStoned”, where a special camera somehow turned the star into a Windows Media Player visual equaliser, he moved into an electric rendition of “SexyBack”, then two new songs, “Man Of The Woods” and “Higher Higher”, before segueing into “Señorita”. He did it seamlessly and with so much energy that it left the crowd hysterical, shouting the call-and-response that closes out this Justin Timberlake classic.

From here, Timberlake entered into the string of his imperial hits: “Suit & Tie”, an excuse for the singer to soak up and draw in the audience’s frothing excitement and show his skills as a dancer thanks to more lasers and a mic stand; “My Love”, which he performed with a sampler, like a pseudo Jack Garratt; “Cry Me A River”, which, thanks to projections, saw the audience become the raindrops from the music video while the dancers and Timberlake tell a story of betrayal among lashings of dry ice; and “Mirrors”, the night’s highlight and one of the greatest songs of the last ten years. Projections helped tell the song’s story, images of Timberlake’s wife, actor Jessica Biel, appeared at the song’s intro before shifting to flashes of the singer himself for the chorus. As he said, it was like a mirror staring back at him. Amid a stampede of percussion, the song reached a dramatic climax as Timberlake threw himself on the ground.

It’s the sort of song and performance that would close out a regular arena show, but not this one. Instead, again barely taking a breather, the show mutated again, but not before Timberlake took the opportunity indulge in an “It’s coming home” reference, which kicked off an arena-sized rendition of “Three Lions”. Then, shifting the focus away from digital projections and synchronised light shows, there was an attempt at “rootsy” Americana, all acoustic guitars, bluesy vocal harmonies and Southern horns. For perhaps longer than it warranted, Timberlake marched through deep cuts as a setup for the campfire.

What is there to say about the campfire except that Timberlake has clearly never been to Glastonbury. Unlike the usual crusty, guitar-strumming sing-a-longs one usually expects — and, yes, there is an actual campfire on stage — the singer made his way through “Until The End Of Time” and then a number of covers, giving him a chance to showcase his backing singers. For a show that started at 100 miles-per-hour, it was a shock to the system, but gave the audience a chance to rest their feet. It dragged a bit during Man Of The Woods cut “Morning Light”, but Timberlake knew it and, like the snap of a branch, went back to crowd pleasing.

The wistful “What Goes Around…/…Comes Around” was played solo with that trusty acoustic guitar, now glued to the singer, giving the song a transient and ghostly slant. This etheric moment was cut short, however, when the clacking drums of “Say Something” kicked in. Despite this song’s oblique socio-political commentary (whether it is good or bad to say something is never quite clear), “Say Something”, from his fifth solo album, now joins the list of Timberlake’s defining songs. Whether it’s the rousing chord progression, the power of the vocal harmonies or the song’s horn section, at the O2 it became a “moment”. So much so, in fact, that it was a shame not to end the set here and have the singer lope off before an encore.

Instead, Timberlake crammed as much content into the two-hour show as possible, perhaps to his detriment. The not-so-classic “Montana” was a steep comedown from the euphoria of “Say Something” and “Summer Love”, a deep cut from FutureSex/LoveSounds was superfluous. And because of this overstuffing, hits such as “Rock Your Body” and “Like I Love You”, complete with their original choreography, weren’t given their moment in the sun (or by the campfire). They’re even broken up by “Supplies”, the worst offender from Timberlake’s Man Of The Woods.

After the display of cutting-edge production, sexy AF choreography and swelling of sheer musicality, it was an anomaly to end the show with JT’s naffest single, “Can’t Fight The Feeling”. The singer himself was disinterested in actually singing during the finale, instead letting the audience, already so hyped they could pop, sing the song’s saccharine lyrics. To his credit, Timberlake held onto the crowd until the closing seconds, with the usual suspects dancing through rather than sloping off to the Tube to miss the rush.

And that’s what Justin Timberlake and the Man Of The Woods Tour has as its secret weapon: captivation. With more than two decades of experience in the entertainment industry, he knows how to maintain an audience’s attention, how to mould them so they’re pumped at his signals and (mostly) when to take his foot off the accelerator. It allows for a smattering of lesser-known and crucially maligned material; even when the songs aren’t as strong, Timberlake’s performance was still powerfully magnetic as he burst from one song into another.

Similarly, unlike a legacy artist, his show is still exciting, carefully crafted to bring fans the best in audio-visual technology while ensuring that, musically, things line up too. Timberlake’s band, The Tennessee Kids, are some of the greatest live musicians in the business, clearly, and as the star, he lets them shine just as bright. Not that he’s ever eclipsed; Timberlake’s talent is awe-inducing as he deftly serves the vocals and choreography of someone with something still to prove. It’s a reminder that, sure, Man Of The Woods might not have been an instant classic or universally loved, but that Timberlake is one of music’s greatest entertainers and will be remembered as such. It’s a title that, after last night’s spectacle, feels well deserved.

Justin Timberlake’s set-list:

“Filthy”
“Midnight Summer Jam”
“LoveStoned”
“Sexy Back”
“Man of the Woods”
“Higher Higher”
“Señorita”
“Suit & Tie”
“SoulMate (Playback)”
“My Love”
“Cry Me A River”
“Mirrors”
“Drink You Away”
“Flannel”
“Until the End of Time”
“Dreams (Fleetwood Mac cover)”
“Ex-Factor (Lauryn Hill cover)”
“Come Together (The Beatles cover)”
“Thank God I’m a Country Boy (John Denver cover)”
“Morning Light”
“What Goes Around…/…Comes Around”
“Say Something”
“Montana”
“Summer Love”
“Rock Your Body”
“Supplies”
“Like I Love You”
“Can’t Stop the Feeling!”

GQ