Tag: Justin Timberlake

audio review : Everything I Thought It Was ( album ) … Justin Timberlake

audio review : Everything I Thought It Was ( album ) ... Justin Timberlake

Is this “great new JT album” Everything I Thought It Was going to be? Basically yes. A decent; nowhere near great; soul croon set with perhaps a few good songs is what I’ve come to expect from Justin Timberlake and that’s exactly what this is. He’s still romancing the girls with declarations of Love; the conceptual crutch for his genre of choice; and calling up Timbaland to make beats. Listen for the producer’s inept vocal ad-libs.

The reason Justin Timberlake never reached; again nowhere near; the level of Michael Jackson; his most obvious comparison in regard to career trajectory; to my ears is that his songs just don’t pop. Never mind his lack of stylistic flair. All it would take to make this album good, maybe even “great”, are better melodies, specifically at the choruses where it matters. The best here in that regard include Conditions, No Angels and Selfish.

my rating : 3 of 5

2024

audio review : Man Of The Woods ( album ) … Justin Timberlake

audio review : Man Of The Woods ( album ) ... Justin Timberlake

Boomy beats and flashy synths conflict with the concept, which suggests a minimalist soundscape led by acoustic guitars, but this is the kind of music you’ve come to expect from Pop singer Justin Timberlake. Producers The Neptunes are back at the helm. Timbaland, who handled most of the previous “20/20” project, is reduced to just a few songs, the best of which begins the album with a Filthy funk groove.

Other standouts include Higher Higher, Montana and the album title track. Midnight Summer Jam might be just that, but winter comes quick on Flannel, which vibes like a Christmas hymn. The album could do (better) without pretentious interludes from wife Jessica Biel and real-life clips of the couple playing with their Young Man are more annoying than cute, but the set is decidely decent on the whole.

my rating : 3 of 5

2018