Heh. You WISH your favorite was "underperforming" like this. Some people wanted him to underperform and thought that by saying he was that they could manipulate others into believing that it was true.
Well I said it wasn't a smash and it still isn't, more like a big hit or something. I just listened to 'The 20/20 Experience', not disappointing really but it didn't surpass in quality pop peers like 'Unapologetic'. It should be a good seller with well-thought singles.
take such a long break, and you are easily forgotten in the pop world. also, it doesn't help that his sound is outdated. R&B is from the 00's. that is what a lot of R&B artists of the past have to understand. it's like trying to bring back disco. you have to modernize it in order to have impact. maybe if he mixed R&B with EDM, it would have worked. even No Doubt is doing dubstep to keep up with the times.
Lemme wait for the OP to come back and address this fail of a thread. 
at people explaining his underperformance!