Justin Timberlake is finally addressing one of his most memorable music habits from the early 2000s, and even he seems to have some questions about it.
The 45-year-old singer recently had a hilarious response after a content creator poked fun at his beatboxing days, which were a big part of his performances during his *NSYNC years and early solo career.
On Oct. 5, content creator Hannah Young shared an Instagram video captioned, “We don’t talk about Justin Timberlake beatboxing enough.”
In the clip, Young jokingly questioned why Timberlake was constantly making drum sounds with his mouth when actual instruments were available.
“Nobody said, ‘Justin, you know, we have drums’? ‘This is a professional recording studio. There are instruments available to you,’” Young joked.
“But, no. Justin Timberlake wanted to make space noises with his mouth,” she added.
Well, Timberlake apparently came across the video and decided to join the conversation himself.
“I often look back on that time as well. I still haven’t come up with any answers,” he commented. “I don’t know how to apologize enough for whatever those ambitions were. Too many boots. Too many cats. I hope you can forgive me.”
But the “SexyBack” singer wasn’t quite ready to leave those days behind.
“Also, I can’t promise I won’t do it again. God help us all,” he added.
Fans Have a Field Day With Justin Timberlake’s Beatboxing Apology
Timberlake’s unexpected response quickly caught the attention of fans, many of whom seemed more than happy to forgive him for his beatboxing phase.
“That’s honestly the best/funniest response,” one person commented.
Another fan made it clear that Timberlake had nothing to apologize for, writing, “We listen and we don’t judge 🤣🫶🏼 I loved it then and I’ll still love it in the future.”
Others actually wanted him to bring the beatboxing back.
“Please do it again. It’s been way too long,” one person wrote.
Another supporter joked, “😂😂😂 and still….. here we are!! years and years after all those boots and all those cats!!”
For longtime *NSYNC fans, Timberlake’s beatboxing was a familiar part of the group’s performances. He regularly showed off the skill onstage, including during a segment called “Justin’s Beat Box” in the group’s 2000 concert film, “Live from Madison Square Garden.”
His beatboxing also appeared on *NSYNC’s 2001 song “Pop” and later made its way into his solo music, including “Cry Me a River,” which he worked on with producer Timbaland.
Justin Timberlake Previously Called His Beatboxing ‘Slightly Regrettable’
This actually isn’t the first time Timberlake has laughed about his old beatboxing performances.
During a September 2023 appearance on the YouTube series “Hot Ones,” Timberlake reunited with his *NSYNC bandmates JC Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick to eat spicy chicken wings and look back on their careers.
At one point, host Sean Evans brought up Timberlake’s old beatboxing battles with the group’s drummer.
Timberlake appeared embarrassed and described the performances as “slightly regrettable,” according to Exclaim!.
Bass, however, disagreed and defended his former bandmate, calling the beatboxing “iconic.”
Timberlake still wasn’t convinced.
“We can file that under ‘slightly regrettable,’” he joked.
Three years later, Timberlake is still laughing about that chapter of his career, although his latest Instagram response suggests fans shouldn’t completely rule out hearing those familiar sounds again.
“I can’t promise I won’t do it again,” he wrote. “God help us all.”
Comments
Justin Timberlake Issues Apology to Fans in a Playful Way