Justin Timberlake ?felt under intense pressure? as his records flopped and tours struggled to sell before his arrest

American singer, Justin Timberlake struggled with his low tour numbers and failed to record numbers before his shock arrest.

In April, the 43-year-old kicked off his first tour in five years, but ticket sales have been underwhelming, according to reports with seats still available in all sections across nearly every city.

Also, the first single, Selfish, from his sixth album was released in January and peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard Hot 100, a far cry from his chart-topping days 10-20 years ago.

On Tuesday, June 18, the former NSYNC singer was arrested for suspected drunk 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.

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 singer recently had to cancel his June 8 concert in Columbia, South Carolina, without explanation.

His new album, Everything I Thought It Was, is his first since Man in the Woods released in 2018.

It was released in March and debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 but soon slipped down the charts.

According to Sun UK, a 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.”