To lump Justin Timberlake’s music into the “pop” genre is a serious oversight of his talent. The degree of quality, finesse and utter class of his music is unparalleled in the industry at the moment, especially with the likes of Miley Cyrus, 5SOS and Pitbull flooding the radio.
It’s been seven years since JT toured in Australia and judging from the squeals of joy and the roaring applauses that stunned even the singer himself, we’ve been eagerly awaiting his return.
From the moment the dashing singer stepped onto the stage, everyone was in a state of constant awe and bewilderment throughout the 150-minute show. Everything from the songs, the band, the dancing and stage that moved over our heads in the mosh pit, literally left fans with their mouths agape in admiration.
The setlist included a perfect mix of hits from The 20/20 Experience and his older music which induced a welcome wave of nostalgia. Interestingly, it was the hits from his album Justified that received the loudest reaction, proving his fan-base remained loyal in his long absence.
Image: Juliana Mare
With an aura of 1920’s class and glamour, the Tennessee Kids looked incredibly dapper on stage and provided an entertaining element of theatricality. Having never seen anyone play a trombone, trumpet or tuba live, the 15 Tennessee Kids had that cool jazz vibe that I envision the musicians of the clubs in New Orleans to have.
JT’s dancing is a sublime hybrid of modern Hip Hop popping and locking, Michael Jackson-esque moves and a dash of the swinging classics of the early 20th century. It’s a completely unique style that was equally as impressive as the music.
Even though the dance moves were quick and intricate and his music requires a mix of falsetto, some fast verses and a smooth tenor, JT makes it look easy, never missing a beat. As if all that wasn’t impressive enough, he also played a stunning white grand piano during Until The End of Time.
I don’t think the word excellent is good enough to describe JT’s 20/20 World Tour. Usually after surviving a mosh pit, I find my throat is sore and my voice is scratchy the following day – the result of my screaming in admiration. The morning after the Justin Timberlake concert, not only did my voice creak and rasp, my cheek muscles felt tired and worn which I can only assume is a result of having a constant, gigantic smile plastered on my face for over two hours. Make of that what you will.
