Justin Timberlake Debuts New Single ‘Selfish’ During Homecoming Show in Memphis

Attendees got just a small taste of another album cut where he sings, “All I need is my moment” atop a disco-inflected instrumental, a notable vibe shift from the more laidback feel of “Selfish.”

What a wild ride it’s been for Timberlake devotees lately. After fans speculated over the past few weeks that he was gearing up for a new era (i.e. Instagram wiped, profile pics updated), the pop star announced last week that he’d be performing for “One Night Only” in his native Memphis, Tenn. Tickets for the event were hard to come by. Timberlake’s team reached out to TikTok users who had recently posted about wanting to attend the gig, while a lottery allowed for others to snatch some up.

And in the lead-up to the concert, the rumor mill kicked into full gear. About a week into 2024, the NFL aired a TV spot that featured a snippet of a Timberlake song titled “Sanctified,” which some presumed to be part of the singer’s curation deal with ESPN and the NFL. Then, a day before his hometown show, he was announced as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Jan. 25. Cut to the day of the Orpheum performance, and he was revealed as the musical guest on the Jan. 27 episode.

Though Timberlake’s sixth album could very well soon be upon us, he hasn’t been entirely absent from music as of late. He reunited with his *NSYNC brethren for the single “Better Place” off the soundtrack for “Trolls Band Together” late last year, and polished off 2023 with a performance at the opening of the Fontainebleau Las Vegas in mid-December.

Those in attendance at the Orpheum got a Timberlake set that wasn’t entirely dissimilar to the one he lined up for Vegas. The standard inclusions were there—”SexyBack” as an opener, “My Love,” “Suit & Tie” into his chorus from his Jay-Z duet, “Holy Grail”—but he mixed it up a bit with some choice cuts. He snuck in “Pusher Love Girl” into the set, and paid homage to his Memphis roots with a cover of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” which he likely last performed live during the Grammy Awards in 2009.

During the performance, he also tipped his hat to his *NSYNC roots, shouting out fellow member Chris Kirkpatrick, who was in attendance with his wife. The DJ on hand played mashups of songs from the *NSYNC oeuvre, like “Gone” with Tyla’s “Water” and “Girlfriend” with Jay-Z’s “I Just Wanna Love You (Give It 2 Me).” He also slipped in a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lovely Day” into “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” and of course led the crowd to a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for his mother.

As for the album? More to come, it seems, as “Selfish” clearly on its way to a streamer near you.