Justin Timberlake ‘retired’ by fans after album, tour flop
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Justin Timberlake performs onstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 50th Annual Induction And Awards Dinner at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 13, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
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(NewsNation) — Pity poor Justin Timberlake.
He started the year on a sour note, being slammed by Britney Spears fans after she revealed in her memoir “The Woman in Me” that during the couple’s 1999-2002 relationship, Timberlake cheated on her multiple times, urged her to get an abortion and used their break up to launch his solo career. Britney later apologized, but later recanted the apology after Timberlake told a New York City audience he wanted to “apologize to absolutely [expletive] nobody.”
Timberlake, 43, seemed especially annoyed as he needed attention – not for his previous behavior – but for his upcoming movie, “Trolls 3” and his new album.
The singer teased an *NSYNC reunion at the Video Music Awards – and in February kept that rumor going… all to get press for his first album in six years, “Everything I Thought it Was,” which debuted March 15.
But while fans seemed to be interested in an *NSYNC reunion … they aren’t much interested in Timberlake.
NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 07: Singers Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in the audience at the 2000 MTV Music Video Awards in New York, in the United States of America on the 7th of September 2000.(Photo by Dave Hogan/Getty Images) 
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 08: Justin Timberlake performs during the 2022 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala at the Barker Hangar on October 08, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles) 
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 1854 — Pictured: Musical guest Justin Timberlake performs “Selfish” on Saturday, January 27, 2024 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images) 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 13: Justin Timberlake performs onstage during the Songwriters Hall Of Fame 50th Annual Induction And Awards Dinner at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 13, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Songwriters Hall Of Fame)
His album debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 but dropped off the Billboard Hot 200 completely after just four weeks.
Meanwhile, Timberlake’s “The Forget Tomorrow” tour is far from selling out. Tickets in all sections are available in almost every city and the highest price for the best seats can be found for under $900.
On Friday, Timberlake announced he was canceling his June concert in Columbia, South Carolina. While no reason was given, insiders point to slow ticket sales. Jennifer Lopez also faces the same reckoning earlier this year when tickets for her “This Is Me… Now” tour were so sluggish in selling, she had to cancel seven cities and rename her tour “This Is Me… Live”.
“A six-year break from your mid-thirties to your early forties is a really long time (for an artist),” famed music journalist Touré of TheGrio told me. “Most of (Timberlake’s) fans have aged out of caring about him. It’s like the old saying goes, ‘You don’t retire – the audience retires you.’”
A rep for Timberlake didn’t return emails.
