Justin Timberlake's season is upon us.
While performing at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee on January 19, the pop star gave fans what they've been waiting for: the debut of his new single “Selfish,” said to be from his anticipated sixth studio album, as well as a snippet of another song from the project.
Immediately after the concert, he posted a trailer for the same album, titled “Everything I Thought It Was,” featuring narration by actor Benicio del Toro.
Just an hour before the doors opened at the Orpheum, Timberlake uploaded a 30-second snippet of “Selfish” to TikTok and Instagram, suggesting the song's arrival could be imminent. And in the middle of his first-ever performance at the venue, he joined his band Tennessee Kids to begin the song in its entirety: “If you're jealous, I can't help it / I want every part of you, I guess I'm selfish.” ', he sings.
Attendees got a little glimpse of another album track where he sings, “All I need is my moment” over a disco-themed instrumental, a noticeable shift in vibe from the more relaxed feel of “Selfish.”
What a wild ride it's been for Timberlake fans lately. After fans have speculated over the past few weeks that he's gearing up for a new era (i.e. Instagram cleared and profile photos updated), the pop star announced last week that he'll be performing “One Night Only.” It was difficult to get tickets for this event. Timberlake's team reached out to TikTok users who recently posted about wanting to attend the party, while a lottery allowed others to get some.
In the lead-up to the concert, the rumor mill was in full swing. About a week into 2024, the NFL aired a television commercial featuring a snippet of Timberlake's song “Sacred,” which some assume was part of the singer's promotional deal with ESPN and the NFL. Then, a day before his hometown show, he was announced as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on January 25. This was limited to the day of the Orpheum show, and he was revealed as the musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 25. 27 episodes.
Although Timberlake's sixth album could arrive at any moment, he hasn't been completely absent from music lately. He reunited with his bros *NSYNC for the single “Better Place” from the “Trolls Band Together” soundtrack late last year, and he closed out 2023 with a performance at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas opening in mid-December.
Attendees at the Orpheum were treated to a Timberlake ensemble that wasn't all that different from the one he lined up in Vegas. The standard inclusions were there — “SexyBack” as an opening intro, “My Love,” and “Suit & Tie” on its chorus of the Jay-Z duet, “Holy Grail” — but he mixed it up a bit with some unexpected cuts. He brought “Pusher Love Girl” onto the set, and paid tribute to his Memphis roots with a cover of Al Green's “Let's Stay Together,” which he last performed live during the Grammy Awards in 2009.
During the performance, he also tipped his hat to his NSYNC roots, shouting out fellow member Chris Kirkpatrick, who was in attendance with his wife. As Timberlake got off the stage and slipped through the crowd, the DJ played a medley of songs from *NSYNC's work, such as “Gone” with Tayla's “Water” and “Girlfriend” with Jay-Z's “I Just Wanna Love You.” (Give it 2 to me.)” He also slid a cover of Bill Withers' “Beautiful Day” into “Can't Stop the Feeling,” and of course led the audience into a rendition of “Happy Birthday” to his mother, who was in attendance and whose birthday was the next day.
As for the album? Who knows when it will come. But his frequent collaborator Timbaland said so diverse Last year, the album was completed, with a more upbeat vibe than his last album, “Man of the Woods.” “that it Hazar “Justin – It's like 'FutureSex /LoveSounds' but not so heavy, just gives you what you expect from us: no overthinking, the lyrics aren't too deep, it's pop, dance to it.” He said. “Music is a young sport, and you have to keep it fun – fun and young. We've both seen a lot of life, but you can't overthink it because of that, you have to bring out the 13-year-old and the 18-year-old again, you know? So If not, you can enter the Misty Ancient Stage TRUE fast. (He laughed) This is the world we live in.”
