Illustration by Talia Mermin
The Super Bowl took a huge risk in having Justin Timberlake perform at the Super Bowl LII halftime show. Sure, he’s a talented performer, headlining concerts all over the globe, has over twenty years in the industry, and the ability to put out chart topping hits. While this should have provided security in having him perform, his lack of any new work created some worry. While he had confirmed the release of a new album, the lack of any hit singles made many unsure of what he could bring to the table. Adding even more anxiety to the situation was his announcement that it would take roots in folk music while maintaining R&B style. How could someone captivate the nation with the monstrous amalgamation of those two genres? With the release of Justin Timberlake’s latest album, Man of the Woods, Timberlake falls into obscurity as his search for new sounds creates only confusion and discomfort for listeners.
Justin Timberlake’s genre fusion, while obviously attempting to achieve a fresh new sound resulted in an odd pop Frankenstein album that lacks any cohesion. What’s truly tragic is that this new direction from his previous works was his way of branching out and trying new things to diversify his music and coming off The 20/20 Experience, it’s easy to see why. Timberlake has been rehashing the same sound since his boy-band days, and his last album only continued the trend. Speaking lightly, his songs range from outdated folk music to boring pop and everything in between creates the impression that an amateur DJ remixed it (despite Grammy winning producer and singer Pharrell Williams being one half of the production team!). The genre is intangible and while each song has a different style, they all still seem to mesh into one convoluted noise that someone labeled as music.
When Justin Timberlake gave some insight into the production, he described it as “modern Americana with 808’s.” While this might seem like a novel idea at first, it quickly runs its course over the exasperating 66-minute album. The opener “Filthy” overwhelms the senses with over the top synth noises that juxtapose later songs on the album, like “Midnight Summer Jam” which features an out of place harmonica solo. Do you see the problem here? The two genres are constantly competing with each other for dominance, confusing listeners and never constructing a fulfilling experience.
Lyrically, this album has nothing to offer. While Timberlake has never truly been known for his wordplay (he stagnated in his NSYNC days, continuously trapped in the same creative mindset as his eighteen-year-old self), his lyrics on this project fall shorter than usual. On the title track, “Man of the Woods,” his description of foreplay reaches new level of crass: “But then your hands talkin’, fingers walkin’/Down your legs, hey, there’s the faucet.” His egregious imagery conjures an image of teenager who hasn’t quite finished adolescence, not a man who has spent years honing his craft.
If you wish to avoid any unnecessary headaches, please, avoid this album. Justin Timberlake missed all possible marks, and this album reflects a his lack of understanding on current trends. Is it safe to label Justin Timberlake irrelevant in 2018 due to his lack of understanding of contemporary R&B? Is he simply another artist who had their time in the spotlight but now must retire the suit and tie? Not quite, for I believe he still has quality work in him. But for his sake and ours, we should pretend this album never happened.