He famously sang about bringin’ sexy back – but for Justin Timberlake it’s now a case of bringing *NSYNC back in a desperate bid to ‘reinvigorate’ his career.

The singer, 44, has faced a barrage of abuse over his Forget Tomorrow World Tour which has been plagued with issues including last-minute cancellations and accusations of ‘lackluster’ performances in recent weeks.

The backlash has reportedly made him realize that if he is to carry on performing, it needs to be with *NSYNC and not solo.

‘Justin understands why fans were disappointed, but he decided on what his tour was going to be all about, and he stuck with it,’ an insider told the Daily Mail. ‘But it also made him realize what needs to be next, and that’s a return to *NSYNC.

‘The songs he did with them both for the Trolls soundtrack and his album – Everything I Thought It Was – were well received. He knows that the fans want them back, so after his tour is done, he is going to spend some time with family, maybe entertain doing a film and then hunker down and reunite with his boys and make the *NSYNC reunion finally happen.’

Timberlake is in need of a saving grace having gone viral for all the wrong reasons since hitting the road in April 2024 for his 121-date world tour which wraps tonight in Istanbul, Turkey.

Justin Timberlake is turning his attention to an *NSYNC reunion in a desperate bid to ‘reinvigorate’ his career, an insider has told the Daily Mail

Timberlake, 44, is in need of a saving grace having gone viral for all the wrong reasons since hitting the road in April 2024 for his 121-date world tour (pictured in 2000 with *NSYNC)

After he played in Romania, a fan who paid ‘a lot of money’ to see him called him ‘an absolute disappointment.’

The Cry Me a River singer, who is married to Jessica Biel, was late getting onstage, and then apparently only sang about five words of each song, according to concert-goers. He also wore glasses and a hat, so the audience couldn’t see him, leading many to walk out in anger.

‘You can’t be singing two songs and then taking a break,’ the content creator said, calling his behavior ‘rude’ and ‘disrespectful,’ before asking him to ‘rethink’ the concept behind his tour. The ‘lackluster’ performance was so embarrassing that multiple fans demanded a refund.

In Dublin, his performance was much the same, as showcased by videos of him placing the mic on the floor and simply walking around the stage lazily, without doing the dance moves he’s known for, and allowing the audience to sing instead.

Others also complained about his gigs in Lithuania (‘everyone hated his meh performance and overall stage performance’), Transylvania (‘he sucked’) and Norway (‘He was extremely disappointing. He looked like he couldn’t wait to get off the stage!’) with one concertgoer claiming he finished his set 40 minutes early.

Timberlake feared his tour would flop after his DWAI arrest in the Hamptons on June 18 last year.

The Sag Harbor Police determined he had been ‘operating his vehicle in an intoxicated condition’ having been observed failing to stop at a stop sign and to maintain his lane of travel in the early hours.

Timberlake told the officer: ‘This is going to ruin the tour.’

‘Justin understands why fans were disappointed… but it also made him realize what needs to be next, and that’s a return to *NSYNC,‘ the insider said

Timberlake feared his tour would flop after his DWAI arrest in the Hamptons on June 18 last year. He told the officer at the time: ‘This is going to ruin the tour’

He was certainly beset with issues in the following months.

Back in February, the Cry Me a River singer canceled the final show on his U.S. tour at Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena, claiming he was sick. The shock announcement came only four months after he canceled his October 23 concert at the same venue due to a bout of laryngitis and bronchitis.

He was also faced with venues having to slash tickets to embarrassingly low prices and has performed to half full venues.

But he’s not ready to give up and after months of *NSYNC reunion rumors he is finally ready to get back together with JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass.

‘He has a lot more in the tank and knows that will get him back on track and reinvigorate his career,’ the insider said, adding that they have all been encouraged by the Backstreet Boys and Destinys Child, who reunited at a recent Beyonce concert.

‘The guys have seen the mini Destiny’s Child reunion and Lance has seen the Backstreet Boys concert at the Sphere,’ the insider said. ‘Justin has also been monitoring the shows because there is a big decision to be made on whether *NSYNC should tour or have a residency.

‘They are constantly messaging one another. The next year could see more *NSYNC music and performances.’

Formed in 1995 the group were famed for hits including I Want You Back and released four albums before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2002.

Formed in 1995, *NSYNC were famed for hits including I Want You Back and released four albums before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2002

They made a couple of one-off performances and briefly reunited in 2023 to release the song Better Place for DreamWorks’ animated film Trolls Band Together. The following year they made a special appearance at Timberlake’s ONO concert in Los Angeles.

Fatone said he was hopeful that a reunion would happen when interviewed back in May. 

‘Of course, the big question is, is *NSYNC ever getting back together? The answer is, we haven’t had that conversation yet,’ he told PEOPLE.

‘The five of us need to get together, and that day has not happened yet. Everybody’s everywhere in the world, and I think it’s more important to get everybody in-person as opposed to just getting on a chat or on a phone call.

‘It’s one of those things that hopefully, *NSYNC does get back together.’