Crítica «FutureSex/LoveShow»: Madison Square Garden , por NY Daily News

All grown up, & Justin time

Justin Timberlake slammed the final nail into the coffin of his teenybopper image at Madison Square Garden last night.

Greeted by an audience of grownups – well, twenty- and early-thirtysomethings anyway – Timberlake managed to follow up the most forward-looking pop CD of the last year with a show just as futuristic.

Performing in the round, Timberlake’s concert hinged on his ability to give studio-born, heavily tricked-up music the immediacy of a live spectacle. For the most recent CD, Timberlake called on profound help from avantproducer Timbaland.

At the Garden, the focus fell on the singer to use his fluid vocals, forceful persona and fine dancing to carry the day.

He brought off all three right from the beginning with early pieces such as «My Love.» It’s a dare of a number, with a staggered synthesizer line that drags the beat back while a brisk vocal pushes it forward.

Timberlake navigated both beats brilliantly, using his assured falsetto and his sharp dancing in equal measure. While the singer cut his teeth on corny moves back in the benighted days of ‘NSync, he has expanded that skill into something sensual and fleet.

Contrasting the fitful jerk and grind of old, Timberlake danced with a calm new grace last night. He also proved adept at playing chunky piano riffs on funk numbers like «Sexy Ladies» and fluid frills on ballads like «Until the End of Time.»

An overlong deejay set from Timbaland nearly killed the momentum. But otherwise, the concert smartly finessed a tricky line between unforgiving hip-hop beats and sweet pop tunemanship.

No wonder at one point Timberlake was even able to dig back and perform an old ‘N Sync song (Gone) without fear of backsliding.

He knew he had his new self nailed.