He’s one of the most successful former boy band members, the star of some of “Saturday Night Live’s” most viral moments and ubiquitous on social media on a yearly basis as April comes to an end.
At 43, Justin Timberlake has had a remarkable career. He competed on the TV talent show “Star Search” in 1993, then starred in Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club” around the same time — along with Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Ryan Gosling. But it was his time with the boy band ‘N Sync that launched his music career, with his solo era beginning with 2002′s “Justified.” Since then, he’s sold nearly 90 million records worldwide.
His latest album, “Everything I Thought It Was,” was released on March 15, and the tour to promote that album, “The Forget Tomorrow World Tour,” brings him to Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on June 10.
The album’s reviews and chart performance have been a bit disappointing. It debuted at No. 4, but dropped from the Billboard 200 album chart completely after just four weeks. It is, by far, his worst-performing solo album. Reviews have been mixed, too, with many echoing the sentiments of Pitchfork, which called it “a comfortable rehash.”
Despite all of that, he’s still a major concert draw. Tour reviews have been mostly stellar. Following the first date in Vancouver, B.C., on April 29, the Vancouver Sun called it “the best show the singer has ever played in Vancouver.” He’s playing multiple dates in many cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York and Atlanta. Those Atlanta dates are separated by five months. The Tennessee native will return to State Farm Arena on Nov. 16.
The tour’s set list draws from his entire solo catalog, but don’t expect any ‘N Sync tracks, including the one that’s made him the social media darling of springtime, “It’s Gonna Be Me.” If you’re not familiar with that May-themed meme, it’s a goof on the way Timberlake pronounces the word “me” in the title phrase.
This year, Timberlake himself acknowledged the yearly reappearance of his odd pronunciation around the turn of the decade with a social media post of his own. In the post, a TikToker asks this question: “What’s a word you pronounced incorrectly one time and it still haunts you to this day?”
Timberlake’s answer: “Um … me.”
IF YOU GO
Justin Timberlake
7:30 p.m. June 10 and Nov. 16. Tickets start at $65. State Farm Arena, 1 State Farm Drive, Atlanta. statefarmarena.com
