Justin Timberlake addresses his infamous beatboxing era with an apology

Justin Timberlake has poked fun at his early 2000s beatboxing after a viral video revisited the singer’s habit of adding vocal percussion during *NSYNC performances.

The 45 year old singer responded to an Instagram Reel shared by Hannah Young on October 5. In the video, Young highlighted how Timberlake would sometimes interrupt songs with repeated "boots and cats" beatboxing sounds, joking that nobody questioned why he was making drum noises despite professional instruments being available.

"I don’t know how to apologize enough for whatever those ambitions were," Timberlake wrote. He added that there had been "too many boots" and "too many cats", while joking that he could not promise he would never do it again.

The comment prompted fans to share their own reactions, with some laughing at Timberlake’s response and others defending his beatboxing abilities.

Timberlake’s beatboxing became particularly memorable during *NSYNC’s 2001 song "Pop", released on the group’s album Celebrity. He also incorporated beatboxing into live performances and battles during the tour that followed.

The singer has previously reflected on the period himself. During a 2023 appearance on Hot Ones alongside former *NSYNC members, Timberlake described his beatboxing as "slightly regrettable". Lance Bass offered a different assessment, calling the performance style "iconic".

The latest exchange gives Timberlake an opportunity to revisit the era with humour, while the viral clip has prompted fans to reconsider a performance habit that was once a familiar part of the group’s live shows.