Music

No skirting it after this

Justin Timberlake shows he's The Man, with his miniskirted minions swooning.

By SEAN DALY
Published February 23, 2007

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Brian Cassella] Justin Timberlake is a man, and the women couldn't help but love him Thursday night at the St. Pete Times Forum.

TAMPA - Wow, this guy is good.

We all knew that Justin Timberlake could bring sexy back. But who knew the former boy-bander-turned-pop-prince could singlehandedly summon the return of so many miniskirts to Tampa Bay.

It was springtime for Justin at the St. Pete Times Forum Thursday, as a female-strong crowd of 18,399 welcomed the 26-year-old star for a 2 1/2 hour lovefest.

On an elaborate stage in the middle of the venue (complete with four different ramps and a red-carpeted VIP section), Timberlake bumped and grinded through his two multiplatinum solo albums, 2002's Justified and 2006's FutureSex/LoveSounds. He all but ignored his teeny-boppin' days with 'N Sync. That was kids' stuff, don't you know. J.T. is a man now.

And didn't the miniskirted crowd treat him as such? Screaming from the moment he appeared in the middle of the madness, dressed to ladykill in a sharp gray suit.

Backed by a sprawling ensemble (including two drummers and a smattering of dancers), an incredibly fit J.T. danced and crooned simultaneously, thrusting out such club bangers as Like I love You, My Love, and the Michael Jackson homage Rock Your Body.

Timberlake is a fine singer with a cool falsetto and a deep groan, both of which he showed off during a frisky Senorita. But there was definitely a "Beatles effect" going on - that is, his fans were often so loud you could hardly hear the Memphis hunk.

Oh well. You got the feeling his fans would rather look at him than hear him anyway. And boy did he give them an eyeful, slinking and shimmying, popping and locking all over the joint. Heck, that dude is even sexy playing the piano, which he did for current hit balled What Goes Around ... As he was singing a pair of panties landed onstage. Eat your heart out, Tom Jones. Timberlake is a tabloid magnet, whether it's for who he's dating or what he's putting in a box on Saturday Night Live. But he's also a heck of a showman. If he keeps his pretty little head on straight, the future of pop (and miniskirt sales) should be just fine.

[Last modified February 23, 2007, 06:04:41]