Justin Timberlake begs fans to forgive his beatboxing era

Justin Timberlake has asked fans to forgive him for his beatboxing days after a viral Instagram video poked fun at the habit. 

The 45-year-old singer replied in the comments with a tongue-in-cheek apology, writing, "I don't know how to apologise enough for whatever those ambitions were. Too many boots. Too many cats. I hope you can forgive me."

The post that set it off came from social media creator Hannah Young, who posts as @uhhuhhannah, and was shared on Sunday. 

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She argued that Timberlake's beatboxing doesn't get discussed nearly enough, recalling how he would drop into the middle of a song and start making drum sounds with his mouth, the famous "boots and cats" routine. 

Nobody, she joked, ever pointed out that a professional recording studio is full of instruments. 

She said it happened at awards shows and in live performances, and that audiences loved it, which is the part she wanted everyone to sit with.

Timberlake clearly saw the funny side. 

He said he often thinks back on that period too and still has no answers, but he also left the door open to a comeback. 

"Also, I can't promise I won't do it again. God help us all," he added.

It isn't the first time he has addressed the habit. 

During a 2023 appearance on Hot Ones with his *NSYNC bandmates Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez and Joey Fatone, host Sean Evans brought up the "beatbox battle interlude" from the group's stadium tour. 

Timberlake said it belonged in the "slightly regrettable" file, while Bass called the moment iconic.

The singer has had plenty of other viral moments over the years. 

In April, he shared a throwback video of himself chatting with a young Justin Bieber after Bieber gave him a shout-out during his headline Coachella set. 

Timberlake's Instagram post also included a clip of Bieber performing a cover of his 2002 hit Cry Me a River, which Bieber recorded and uploaded to YouTube before he was famous. 

On stage, Bieber said he grew up listening to Timberlake and remembered the cover as if it were yesterday.

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