JUSTIN Timberlake has been urged by pals to take a career break amid fears he struggled to cope with a flop tour and record before his shock arrest.
In April, the 43-year-old kicked off his first tour in five years, but ticket sales have been underwhelming, with seats still available in all sections across nearly every city.
To make matters worse, the first single, Selfish, from his sixth album was released in January and peaked at just number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
On Tuesday, the former NSYNC singer was arrested for suspected drink-driving in The Hamptons, NY.
Police reported Timberlake ran a stop sign, swerved into another lane, smelled of alcohol and refused to do a breathalyser. He is due back in court on July 26.
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A source told The Sun: “Justin's friends want him to take another extended break from music to focus on his health and wellbeing.
“He has felt intense pressure to compete with touring juggernauts like Beyonce and Taylor Swift - and his tour has barely sold in comparison.”
The SexyBack singer recently had to cancel his June 8 concert in Columbia, South Carolina, without explanation.
Ticketmaster announced: "Unfortunately, the event organiser has had to cancel your event."
The new album, Everything I Thought It Was, is his first since 2018’s Man in the Woods.
It was released in March and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 but soon slipped down the charts.
Music critics gave the album mixed reviews, with one flaming it as a “rehash of past glories”.
One music industry insider says: “It hasn’t been the smash hit he’d been hoping for.
“It’s been difficult for an artist of his stature to realise he’s now past his prime - his glory days are behind him.”
A second source added: “It can’t be easy for him to deal with audience rejection and coming to terms with the fact that music tastes have moved on.”
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'Retired' by fans
Now, insiders are questioning whether the former squeaky-clean Disney star will call off the rest of his tour.
Music journalist Touré of TheGrio told NewsNation: “A six-year break from your mid-thirties to your early forties is a really long time (for an artist).
“Most of (Timberlake’s) fans have aged out of caring about him. It’s like the old saying goes, 'You don’t retire – the audience retires you.'"
Others believe his once-loyal fanbase has abandoned him following the bombshell allegations in Britney’s candid memoir, The Woman In Me.
The 42-year-old pop megastar accused him of several things, including cheating on her multiple times, pressuring her to get an abortion, and leveraging their breakup to boost his solo career.
