Justin Timberlake brought his monumental, career-defining tour to Cleveland Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, turning the concert venue into a place where adults could live out their teenage fantasies all over again.
It’s been five years since the former NSYNC singer went on tour, but the Prince of Pop delivered an astounding 2-hour performance with back-to-back timeless hits and new songs from his latest sixth studio album Everything I Thought It Was. Kicking off the show with his first song from the latest album, “Memphis,” Timberlake pulled the crowd in with an immersive experience as colors of red, orange and yellow plastered the crowd, and an LED screen of what looks like a deserted road leading the crowd to an unknown destination into the sunset.
Along with his band, The Tennessee Kids, Timberlake bussed out his smooth dance moves with an assortment of fan-favorites and his newest hits as he performed 29 songs across two stages including some fan-favorites like “My Love,” “Cry Me a River,” “Suit & Tie,” “Rock Your Body,” “SexyBack,” and some new songs like “Technicolor,” “Imagination,” “Drown,” “F****n’ Up the Disco,” and more.
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The show concluded with a surprise performance of Timberlake’s 2013 hit “Mirrors,” where he floated over the audience on the floor levels on an LED screen of a shattered mirror, tilting in different angles and directions where Timberlake’s body could lean towards the crowd.
Timberlake didn’t just give the audience a performance — he gave the audience an unforgettable, nostalgic experience that will not be emulated for future generations, which reminded the crowd why he’s one of the most influential pop stars of our time.
“I have loved Justin Timberlake since I was eight years old,” one concertgoer says, as she explained why she chose to attend Justin’s Cleveland show. “He was my favorite musician growing up and I actually went to [The 20/20 Experience World Tour] almost exactly 10 years ago.”
Timberlake treated the crowd as if each individual person was more of a childhood friend, letting us know that he recognized a few faces from previous concerts over the past three decades and that he and the audience have grown together over that time.
“You guys keep shining your light on me,” Timberlake says. “I will never forget each and every one of you.”
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