On a chilly autumn evening (let’s dispense with the charade that we’re actually having a summer) one of the biggest pop stars in the world is performing in the round at the RDS. Unfortunately, JT is a little slow out of the traps tonight, opening with a succession of dreary ballads, with only the occasional moment (such as when he interpolates snippets of ‘Beautiful Day’ into ‘What Goes Around’) really capturing the attention.
To make things worse, there follows a dull 20-minute filler, during which two DJs perform a set interspersed with such hoary clichés as “Dublin make some noise!”, “Say ‘Yeah!’” and the inevitable “Y’all ready to party?”. Having long since established that we are, in fact, ready to party, Justin makes a welcome return and, accompanied by a dance ensemble, kicks into a rip-roaring ‘Rock Your Body’, one of the finest singles of the noughties.
There is a marked improvement in the show from this point on, with the singer showing impressive flair and versatility. Sharply attired in waistcoat, tie and black trousers (although, oddly enough, his outfit is completed by white trainers), Timberlake is as comfortable sitting on a stool crooning an acoustic ballad as he is larking around with scantily clad dancers. He concludes the main part of the set with a towering ‘Cry Me A River’, prompting a mass singalong in the process.
Returning for the encore, Timberlake stations himself behind a keyboard for ‘Lovestoned’ before his band kicks into the brilliant ‘SexyBack’, which sends the place crazy. It’s worth mentioning that ‘SexyBack’ is probably one of the strangest sounding records ever to become a global mega-hit, being as it is a claustrophobic techno track more suited to a packed nightclub than daytime radio.
The singer dons a jumper and scarf (“not because it’s really cool,” he explains, “but because it’s really cold”) and seats himself at a piano for the final number, ‘(Another Song) All Over Again’, which, at Timberlake’s request, sees the crowd illuminate the stadium with their lighters and mobile phones.
Christina doesn’t have the tunes and Britney doesn’t have the poise, the hair or the underpants – all of which means that JT is now officially the Mickey Mouse Club alumnus with the mostest.