The 20/20 Experience World Tour


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The 20/20 Experience World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was launched in support of his third and fourth studio albums, The 20/20 Experience (2013) and The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 (2013).[1] The tour began on November 6, 2013, in New York City, and concluded on January 2, 2015, in Las Vegas. The 20/20 Experience World Tour grossed $231.6 million from 128 shows becoming the second highest-grossing tour of 2014, behind One Direction's Where We Are Tour.[2] This made Timberlake the highest-grossing solo touring artist of the year.[3] It is also Timberlake's most successful tour to date.

The 20/20 Experience World Tour
Tour by Justin Timberlake
Location
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • North America
  • Oceania
Associated album
Start dateNovember 6, 2013
End dateJanuary 2, 2015
Legs6
No. of shows128
Supporting acts
Attendance1.9 million
Box office$231.6 million
Justin Timberlake concert chronology

Directed by Jonathan Demme, the concert film—titled Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids—premiered on September 13 at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. It showcases the final date of the 20/20 tour at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.[4][5] The streaming service Netflix announced its acquisition ahead of the film's debut at film festival and released it on October 12, 2016.[6] It was the final film to be directed by Demme before his death in April 2017.

 
Timberlake performing in February 2014.

Since its debut, The 20/20 Experience World Tour has received widespread critical acclaim.[7] Writing for the New York Daily News, Jim Farber reviewed the opening show at Barclays Center. Farber described the concert as a "study in suave ease. Starting with 'Pusher Love Girl,' Timberlake exuded a sweatless charm."[8] Hillary Rea for The Philadelphia Inquirer, who attended the tour at the Wells Fargo Center, noted that Timberlake's performance "kept the audience not just alert, but hypnotized and hooked throughout a 30-song spectacle that ended just before midnight."[9] Fionnuala Bourke in a review for Birmingham Mail opined that Justin "managed to completely keep his cool amid all the screams" and he "proved his position as the President of Pop."[10] The Hollywood Reporter's Emily Zemler, described him as a performer who is "genuinely having fun", adding he "knows he's got the looks, but he is also skilled at delivering something that isn't all surface", about the concert at The Forum, Los Angeles. She added: "Onstage, the pop star and actor moves with the sort of confidence that comes only from this knowledge, where it manifests not as ego but as absolute self-assurance.[11]

Jon Pareles of The New York Times also gave a positive review noting that he "reveals something darker" and "something more fiery and intense" while performing post-breakup revenge songs such as "Cry Me a River" and "What Goes Around... Comes Around."[12]

"Justin has great personal style and knows what he wants which makes designing for him an absolute pleasure..."

—Tom Ford

Timberlake worked with Tom Ford for the tour's costumes.[13] During their collaboration they have created more than 600 costumes for Timberlake and his team.[14] Most of Timberlake's costumes are black and white colored suits.

Broadcast and recordings

edit

 
Netflix promotional poster for Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids

The concert film Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids premiered on Netflix on October 12, 2016. Prior to premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival, Timberlake dedicated the film to Prince. "His influence is all over everyone's music and there's so much that I feel like I've maybe consciously and unconsciously borrowed from him that it felt right", he told E! "It just feels right to dedicate the film to him."[15] The concert film showcases the final date of the 20/20 tour at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Demme and Timberlake first met when the director wanted to work with him after watching his work in The Social Network (2010); in the meeting they discussed Talking Heads' concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Demme and an influence for the singer in his live performances.[16] For Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids, Demme used 14 operated cameras that Declan Quinn, the director of photography, and he deployed over many pre-filming engagements, two other free-floating cameras in the audience and one cameraman onstage with Timberlake.[17] Reviewing the concert film, critic David Rooney from Billboard wrote:

It's noteworthy that after two years and 134 dates on the 20/20 Experience World Tour, the act is drilled to perfection but never robotic. All six dancers combine precision with a personal signature, as do the musicians and singers who frequently step out from behind their 1940s big band-style JT music stands to cut loose. Timberlake is a magnetic performer who moves with twitchy sensuality in his Tom Ford tux. But I could just as easily have watched bespectacled vocalist Jack E. King III get his groove on all night, since there's nothing quite so ecstatically graceful as a heavy-set dude with funk in his bones.[18]

 
The concert film was the final project directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme (pictured).

Nigel M. Smith from The Guardian noted "his falsetto is on-point throughout, as are his smooth moves – like a blend of Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Prince, to whom the film is dedicated. There's a sexy swagger to Timberlake's onstage personae that never reads as cocksure, largely because of the lavish attention he pays to his band and dancers... They all look like there's no place they’d rather be, despite it being the end of a grueling two year tour. In an era when machines are largely responsible for the beats that drive pop music, the reverence Timberlake shows for actual instruments is worth endearing. Still, there's no mistaking Timberlake as ring leader."[19] Brian Tallerico of the Roger Ebert website gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, and wrote "Demme opens his fantastically entertaining [concert film] by introducing us to the backup players and musicians who have supported the pop star on this two-year tour, but make no mistake, this movie is about the entertainer at its center. While Demme's camera never forgets to allow the other partners in pop to share time, he always comes back to Timberlake, one of the most purely enjoyable musicians around which one could center a concert film. His energy is infectious and his joy about what he's been blessed to do for a living is contagious".[20] On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 100%, based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10.[21] On Metacritic, the film has a score 81 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[22]

  1. "Pusher Love Girl"
  2. "Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want)"/"Rock Your Body"
  3. "Don't Hold the Wall"/"FutureSex/LoveSound"
  4. "Like I Love You"
  5. "My Love"
  6. "LoveStoned"
  7. "Until the End of Time"
  8. "Holy Grail"
  9. "Only When I Walk Away"
  10. "Drink You Away"
  11. "Let the Groove Get In"
  12. "Human Nature"
  13. "What Goes Around... Comes Around"
  14. "Poison"
  15. "Suit & Tie"
  16. "SexyBack"
  17. "Mirrors"

The following set list is representative of the show on November 6, 2013. It is not representative of all concerts for the duration of the tour.[8]

  1. "Pusher Love Girl"
  2. "Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want)" / "Rock Your Body"
  3. "Don't Hold the Wall"
  4. "FutureSex/LoveSound"
  5. "Like I Love You" / "Let Me Talk to You (Prelude)"
  6. "My Love"
  7. "TKO"
  8. "Strawberry Bubblegum"
  9. "Summer Love"
  10. "LoveStoned / I Think She Knows (Interlude)"
  11. "Until the End of Time" / Spaceship Coupe
  12. "Holy Grail" / "Cry Me a River"
  13. "Only When I Walk Away"
  14. "True Blood"
  15. "Drink You Away"
  16. "Tunnel Vision"
  17. "Señorita"
  18. "Let the Groove Get In"
  19. "Heartbreak Hotel"
  20. "Not a Bad Thing"
  21. "Human Nature"
  22. "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around (Interlude)"
  23. "Cabaret"
  24. "Take Back the Night"
  25. "Jungle Boogie" / "Murder" / "Poison"
  26. "Suit & Tie"
  27. "SexyBack"
Encore
  2. "Mirrors"

Credits and personnel are taken from the Justin Timberlake's official website.[37]

Lead Singer

  • Justin Timberlake

Dancers

  • Dana Wilson
  • Ivan Koumaev
  • Lyle Beniga
  • Lindsay Richardson
  • Natalie Gilmore
  • Matt Aylward
  • Nick Bass

Backup Singers

  • Zenya Bashford
  • Aaron Camper
  • Erin Stevenson
  • Jack E. King
  • Nicole Hurst

Band

  • Adam Blackstone (music director, Bass)[citation needed]
  • Elliott Ives (Guitar)
  • Mike Scott (Guitar)
  • Eric Smith (Bass)
  • Charlie Orias (Bass/Backup)
  • Dontae Winslow (Trumpet)
  • Sean Erick (Trumpet, The Regiment Horns)[38]
  • Justin Gilbert (Keyboard Player)
  • Brian Frasier-Moore (Drums)
  • Daniel Jones (Keyboard)
  • Kevin Williams (Trombone, flute, tuba, The Regiment Horns)
  • Terry Santiel (Percussionist)
  • Leon Silva (Saxophonist, The Regiment Horns)

Production Crew

  • Robert “Bongo” Longo (Justin Personal Tech : Guitar/Piano/Rhodes)

Engineers

  • Danny Cheung (Pro Tools)
  1. ^ The February 21, 2014 concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City was originally scheduled to take place on February 19, but was rescheduled for health reasons.[26]
  2. ^ a b c d The score data is combined from the shows held at the O2 Arena on April 1, 2014, April 2, 2014 and June 10, 2014, respectively.
  3. ^ a b c d The score data is combined from the shows held at the O2 World on May 24, 2014 and June 6, 2014 respectively.
  4. ^ The May 30, 2014 concert was part of the Mawazine festival.[28]
  5. ^ The June 1, 2014 concert at Bela Vista Park in Lisbon, Portugal was part of Rock in Rio.[citation needed]
  6. ^ The July 9, 2014 concert at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo was originally scheduled to take place on February 22, 2014, but was postponed as a consequence of the postponement of the Manhattan concert.[31]
  7. ^ The July 19, 2014 concert at the TD Garden in Boston was originally scheduled to take place on November 4, 2013, but was rescheduled to allow more time for rehearsals.[32]
  8. ^ The July 25, 2014 concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal was originally scheduled to take place on October 31, 2013, but was rescheduled to allow more time for rehearsals.[32]
  9. ^ The July 26, 2014 concert at the Bell Centre in Montreal was originally scheduled to take place on November 1, 2013, but was rescheduled to allow more time for rehearsals.[32]
  10. ^ The August 16, 2014 concert at Hylands Park in Chelmsford was part of the V Festival.[34]
  11. ^ The August 17, 2014 concert at Weston Park in Staffordshire was part of the V Festival.[34]
  1. ^ "Justin Timberlake Announces '20/20' World Tour". Billboard. May 6, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  2. ^ Waddell, Ray (December 12, 2014). "Live Music's $20 Billion Year: Rolling Stones, One Direction, Live Nation Top Boxscore's Year-End". Billboard. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  3. ^ Bob, Allen (October 4, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Tour Earned $232 Million in Ticket Sales". Billboard. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  4. ^ "TIFF Lineup: 5 Reasons to Get Excited About the 2016 Program". Indie Wire. July 26, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  5. ^ "The 2016 Toronto Film Festival Schedule Has Justin Timberlake, Oscar Contenders, And A Lot Of Amy Adams". Uproxx. July 26, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  6. ^ Romano, Nick (September 9, 2016). "Justin Timberlake 20/20 concert movie dropping on Netflix". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  7. ^ "Justin Timberlake To Film Final '20/20 Experience World Tour' Shows". Vibe. October 23, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Farber, Jim (2013-11-07). "Concert review: Justin Timberlake kicks off '20/20 Experience' tour with flirty gig at Barclays Center". New York Daily. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  9. ^ Rea, Hillary (2013-11-13). "Timberlake showcases all his moves". The Inquirer. Retrieved 2013-11-23.
  10. ^ Bourke, Fionnuala (2014-04-11). "Review: Justin Timberlake at LG Arena". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  11. ^ Zemler, Emily (January 21, 2014). "Justin Timberlake Touts Suits, Ties and Tequila at Newly Renovated Forum: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  12. ^ Pareles, Jon (2013-11-07). "Song and Dance, With Groove, Justin Timberlake Begins His Solo Tour in Brooklyn". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 2014-12-15.
  13. ^ Franklin, Oliver. "Still on that suit and tie s***: Tom Ford dresses Justin Timberlake's 20/20 Tour". GQ. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  14. ^ Mccall, Tyler. "Tom Ford Designed 600 Pieces Exclusively for Justin Timberlake". GQ. Retrieved November 6, 2013.
  15. ^ Havens, Lyndsey (October 11, 2016). "Justin Timberlake Says 'Tennessee Kids' Concert Film Debut Made Him As Nervous As He's Ever Been". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  16. ^ Sullivan, Kevin P. (October 11, 2016). "How Justin Timberlake and Jonathan Demme kept the concert film fresh". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  17. ^ Bliss, Karen (October 12, 2016). "Jonathan Demme Shares Stories Behind Justin Timberlake, Talking Heads & Neil Young Concert Documentaries". Billboard. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  18. ^ Rooney, David (September 14, 2016). "Justin Timberlake Shares the Stage With His Tennessee Kids in Dynamic Tour Documentary: Review". Billboard. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  19. ^ Smith, Nigel M. (September 15, 2016). "Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids review – Jonathan Demme's no-frills doc". The Guardian. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  20. ^ Tallerico, Brian (October 11, 2016). "Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids". Roger Ebert. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  21. ^ "Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
  22. ^ "Justin Timberlake + the Tennessee Kids". Metacritic. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
  23. ^ Stecker, Erin (December 15, 2014). "Beyonce & Taylor Swift Dance Together at Justin Timberlake Show". Billboard. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  24. ^ Grossman, Samantha (December 22, 2014). "Watch Garth Brooks Crash Justin Timberlake's Concert for a Surprise Duet of 'Friends in Low Places'". Time. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  25. ^ First North American leg:
  26. ^ "Justin Timberlake's Wednesday Madison Square Garden Show Rescheduled". Billboard. Associated Press. February 19, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  27. ^ "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. June 18, 2014. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  28. ^ Vivarelli, Nick (February 19, 2014). "Justin Timberlake To Open Morocco's Mawazine Music Fest". Variety. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  29. ^ Lawrence, Jesse (June 30, 2014). "On Fifth Leg of Tour, Justin Timberlake Tickets Still Most Expensive of the Summer". Forbes. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  30. ^ a b c "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. October 8, 2014. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2014.
  31. ^ "Buffalo Show Fen 22nd Postponed To July 9th". justintimberlake.com. February 20, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  32. ^ a b c Kelly, Bredan (October 11, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Bell Centre shows have been postponed until late July". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  33. ^ Le Gall, Pauline (June 13, 2014). "Surprise! Justin Timberlake s'invite à l'Olympia cet été". lefigaro.fr. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
  34. ^ a b "JT To Headline V Festival In August". justintimberlake.com. March 3, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  35. ^ "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. October 29, 2014. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  36. ^ Box score:
  37. ^ "Tennessee Kids". Archived from the original on 14 November 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  38. ^ Tamashiro, Tim (April 15, 2013). "The Jazz Evangelist: Justin Timberlake brings back the horn section". CBC music. Retrieved March 2, 2016.