Billboard Karen Bliss, after attending the Toronto's
Rogers Centre date, thought "there was no one-upmanship, just camaraderie, not competition, two guys that work well together". James Reed of
The Boston Globe, who attended the show at
Fenway Park, said, "At nearly two and a half hours, it was a tightly choreographed show, but there was no shortage of spectacle or unbridled joy."
Greg Kot of the
Chicago Tribune, who attended the show at
Soldier Field, said that "the contrast between the eager-to-please R&B entertainer and the imperious hip-hop godfather couldn't have been more stark". Alex Young and Michael Roffman of
Consequence reviewed the Soldier Field show, with Young stating that "the show was cohesive in the sense that the structure of the setlist never really made for an awkward transition", while Roffan said, "This was a damn worthy summer blockbuster". Nick Catucci of
Entertainment Weekly, who attended the show at
Yankee Stadium, said that "the cheery, elastic Timberlake is an excellently goofy foil to Jay's forbidding cool — if these two were superheroes instead of mere legends, Timberlake would be Robin to Jay Z's Batman". Michael Mann of
The Georgia Straight, who attended the show at
BC Place, said, "Thankfully, the pair didn't linger too long on their latest musical offerings, which, let's face it, blow. On the obligatory four-storey-high stage, which featured massive LED screens and 18 or so backup performers that you couldn't care less about, JT and J-Hova treated those in attendance to a two-hour-and-15-minute-long hit parade". Rebecca Ford of
The Hollywood Reporter, who attended the show at the
Rose Bowl, noted that although Timberlake and Jay-Z had differing performance styles, both were "larger-than-life performers even in that massive a venue". Stephanie Cary of the
Los Angeles Daily News, who also attended the show at the Rose Bowl, said, "Neither star deviated much from the music, only stopping a few times to address the audience, including Timberlake announcing it was the best crowd they've had so far on the tour. There were no hijinks, no backup dancers on stage or pyrotechnics. It was all about the music." The
Miami Herald, who attended the show at
Sun Life Stadium, said, "The Legends of the Summer show runs at a lengthy two and a half hours with nearly 40 songs (some full-length, others abbreviated). Friday night, the show felt exceptionally well-paced. The transitions were seamless between collaborations and solo efforts". Piet Levy of the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who attended the show at Soldier Field, said, "But legends Jay Z and Timberlake are not, nor could the show, be considered a legendary evening of entertainment". Jim Farber of the
New York Daily News, who attended the show at Yankee Stadium, noted that "clever mash-ups like this gave the night a thrilling fluidity, creating a one-on-one superstar match that clicked". Dan Warry-Smith of
Relix, who attended the show at Rogers Centre, noted that "the legends in question may be preaching to the converted, but their gospel is pretty hard to refute". Jeff Rosenthal from
Rolling Stone, who attended the show at Yankee Stadium, highlighted the great chemistry between both artists: "Watching Justin Timberlake and Jay Z interact onstage it feels like the two have forever been friends and collaborators". Anupa Mistry of
Spin, who attended the show at Rogers Centre, noted that it is "far more casual: a convivial, loosely orchestrated, two-and-a-half-hour stadium revue". Laura Pearson of
Time Out, who attended the show at Soldier Field, said it "doesn't make a ton of sense, but it entertains in its flashy ambition and moments of unintended comedy". Jane Stevenson of the
Toronto Sun, who attended the show at Rogers Centre, said, "Legendary? Not quite. Highly entertaining, most definitely". Celine Wong of
USA Today, who also attended the show at Rogers Centre, asked, "What happens when a singer with the best-selling album of this year and a rapper with the current No. 1 album join forces to co-headline a North American stadium tour?", and said the results are "legendary". Francois Marchand of the
Vancouver Sun, who attended the show at BC Place, noted that it "had all the flair of a self-congratulatory victory lap -- more "New York Yankees ego trip" than "Brooklyn Dodgers underdog feel-good story"". Luke Fox of
Vibe, who attended the show at Rogers Centre, noted that it "favors elegance over excess. The lighting and splashes of video—in keeping with the aesthetic of Magna Carta and 20/20—complement the songs, but there are no fireworks or roll calls of dead MCs or gratuitous video interludes. There are too many smash songs to be heard". == Set list ==