Justin Timberlake had some of his fans disbelieving their own eyes after he gave a seemingly gravity-defying performance on Monday night.
The 43-year-old singer kicked off his Forget Tomorrow World Tour with the first stop in Vancouver, British Columbia, and he wowed the Canadian audience with portions of his show in which he sang atop a giant floating platform suspended by wires.
But what some fans at Rogers Arena found most shocking was how the NSYNC singer didn’t appear to be governed by the law of gravity when he sang on the moving platform.
Photos and fan video from the event show the massive slab being tilted at a significant angle while he sang on the edge, yet he was able to remain upright without plunging off the stage and into the crowd.
However, photos from the concert make it clear that Timberlake — who performed at the iHeartRadio Music Awards at the start of the month — doesn’t have superpowers, and instead was wearing a harness that kept him safely attached to the hover platform.
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Justin Timberlake, 43, astounded fans when he performed on a floating platform and remained standing even as the platform tilted during Monday’s show in Vancouver
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The 43-year-old was kicking off his Forget Tomorrow World Tour in Canada at Rogers Arena
The use of the stage design is an interesting choice, as it may have been inspired by one of Kanye West’s most iconic live setups.
During his 2016 Life Of Pablo tour, the rapper eschewed the maximalism of other artists and performed his entire show atop a moving platform suspended in the air.
Like Timberlake’s set, West’s also tilted, as well as moving around the arena, though his platform was thinner and less showy.
Although the Yeezus rapper’s platform tilted as well, he didn’t make as big of a deal about trying to defy gravity as Timberlake did, and the platform remained floating for the vast majority of the concerts, until it returned to the ground with West on board.
During Monday’s performance, Timberlake showed his command over gravity when he walked backward on the platform as it began to lock into an upright position, according to TMZ.
The pop star used the platform multiple times throughout the performance, in addition to more traditional sections of his stage show in which he sang on the main stage while surrounded by his backing band.
The platform featured video displays on multiple sides, and Timberlake was projected on it when it stood upright.
On X (formerly Twitter), several of the performer’s fans shared their excitement and amazement over his new stage setup.
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Timberlake’s stage design appeared to be inspired by a hovering platform Kanye West used during his 2016 Life Of Pablo Tour (pictured)
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Timberlake had on a harness that kept him from falling and allowed him to stay upright, but the platform also returned to the ground and served as a video screen
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The hitmaker also performed on stage with his backing band in more reserved sections
‘Seeing Justin Timberlake do this float thing was actually pretty insane,’ added another fan.
Another fan marveled that ‘justin timberlake [is] once again proving he’s a performer. idk what to tell yall who hate him.’
Still, Timberlake’s critics weren’t completely mollified, even if they had to concede that his stage design was impressive.
‘imagine how cool this would be with anyone other than Justin Timberlake,’ wrote one detractor.
The singer and songwriter is touring to support his latest album, Everything I Thought I Was, which he released in March.
The LP received only mixed reviews, and it peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 albums charts, his lowest position to date.
His previous four solo studio albums all topped the chart, while his debut Justified reached number two.
Later on Tuesday, Justin’s wife Jessica Biel shared some sweet photos from the tour featuring her husband and their two children, Silas, nine, and Phineas, three.
‘It’s a family affair y’all,’ the actress captioned her photos.
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On X (formerly Twitter), several of the performer’s fans shared their excitement and amazement over his new stage setup
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They called the stage design ‘amazing’ and ‘pretty insane’
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Another fan marveled that ‘justin timberlake [is] once again proving he’s a performer. idk what to tell yall who hate him’
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Still, Timberlake’s critics weren’t completely mollified, even if they had to concede that his stage design was impressive
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Later on Tuesday, Justin’s wife Jessica Biel shared some sweet photos from the tour featuring her husband and their two children, Silas, nine, and Phineas, three. She and Justin embraced backstage in one image
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‘It’s a family affair y’all,’ the actress captioned her photos
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Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel at Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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One snap showed her backstage in the arena as she gazed into Justin’s eyes while he sweetly wrapped an arm around her.
Two other pictures featured her and boys.
She beamed for the camera in a chic gray suit while holding out a light-up wand and wearing a baseball cap.
Silas turned his back to the camera to reveal that he was wearing a tour jacket to support his father, while Phineas, who was also seen from behind, rocked a gray Timberlake T-shirt and wore a backward baseball cap with his dad’s first name stitched in block letters.