-Credit: (Image: Kevin Mazur)
We’re just a few songs into an epic two-hour set at Co-op Live arena when Justin Timberlake begins instructing the crowd.

Using only his hands – and a mischievous grin that he wears almost constantly throughout the night – the singer-turned-conductor starts a Mexican wave of cheers from one side of the cavernous venue to the other. Only switching it up slightly to check his loyal fans are paying attention.

Not that that was really ever in doubt. From the moment he arose through a trapdoor on the stage and the first bars of No Angels rang around the room, the Tennessee-born singer had the audience in the palm of his hand.

Currently on the UK leg of his The Forget Tomorrow World Tour, and drawing from his sixth studio album, Everything I Thought It Was, the pop sensation behind some of the biggest tracks of the last twenty five years including early noughties hits Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body and more recent earworms such as Can’t Stop The Feeling, the 43-year-old is on fine form.

Justin Timberlake performing as part of the The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Birmingham -Credit:Kevin Mazur
And despite recent news headlines relating to his arrest in New York for running a stop sign and failing to stay on the right side of the road resulting in a charge for driving while intoxicated, the showman let his music do the majority of the talking at his show in Manchester. Moreover, it seems the controversy surrounding the star has done little to deter his legion of fans from coming out, with sell-out crowds and rave reviews here and across the pond.

Serving up his poptastic crowd-pleasers, flawlessly arranged choreography and set design and visuals of cinematic proportions, the performance is near pitch perfect. Thursday night felt more like Friday, as fans had a chance to soak up new material seamlessly interwoven with some of his biggest hits in what was a two-hour, musical feast spanning pop, disco, blues, funk and soul.

Justin Timberlake performing as part of the The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Birmingham -Credit:Kevin Mazur
Supported by a trio of backing singers, a dazzling ensemble of dancers and a big band with its own brass section, Timberlake and his crew, affectionately referred to as his ‘Tennessee Kids’ dazzled the crowd as they took them on a whistle-stop tour of old and new.

He’s on the charm offensive too – “Manchester Y’all look good tonight” he coos, before stopping to lead the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday for one fan and chatting to a pair of eight-year-old twins decked out in the JT merch, presumably passed on from their parents who beam at the spotlight falls on them.

A super tight trio of LoveStoned, Like I Love You and My Love set the tone, before Timberlake promises to take it up to ten, switching it up with blues-heavy Sanctified, disco-infused Infinity S**, a dramatic rendition of Cry Me a River reverberating around the arena.

Justin Timberlake performing as part of the The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Birmingham -Credit:Kevin Mazur
While all eyes are on him, it’s hard not to be distracted by the set behind the star. We’re talking big screen visuals here, with psychedelic desert landscapes unfolding before us, as we pass buzzing nightclubs, parking lots and trailer parks. Not forgetting the show piece, a monolithic-style screen separated from the rest of the set, which tilts, spins, and comes into its own during the encore.

If the main stage is all about the block-buster visuals and back-catalogue of big hitters, stage B, a smaller stage towards the back of the arena, is all about stripping it back for a second. After a sumptuous nod to Suit & Tie, the guitar is out and the crowd mesmerised by Say Something, the high notes of Pusher Love Girl, and a series of more tender, slowed down tracks.

Justin Timberlake performing as part of the The Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Birmingham -Credit:Kevin Mazur
Before closing out the second stage with an acoustic rendition of Selfish, and What Goes Around…Comes Around, the latter interwoven with a few bars of Careless Whisper, Timberlake thanks them for coming along for the ride. “So many of us have grown up together, we’ve been together for 25 years and for those that it’s your first time, I hope you feel the love and this fellowship in the room, because it goes decades deep.”

Running back to the main stage, the final few songs bring the energy right back up. Those who took five to replenish their beverages during the slower portion of the set or are perched on their seats, rise instantly as Can’t Stop the Feeling booms throughout the room, the feel good hit leading us into the classics Rock Your Body and SexyBack, both performed with bucket loads of panache.

It is the encore that seals the deal though. A high wire, nail-biting finale sees the singer push his acrobatic skills to the limit as he soars above the aforementioned screen and his adoring fans below, belting out Mirrors, which is sung back to him with gusto. As endings go, it’s a pretty striking image to be left with, not so much freefall but a star rising again.