Much
has changed in the musical landscape Justin Timberlake once dominated in 2006,
but that doesn’t stop him from trying to reclaim the top of the billboards with
his latest album The 20/20 Experience.
It’s hard to ignore the release of Timberlake’s third studio album with last
week’s appearance as guest host/musical guest of Saturday Night Live, his week
long occupancy of Jimmy Fallon, his Grammy performance, and his free streaming
album heavily advertised on iTunes. All of the media outlets have hyped up the
album to make it one of the largest album releases in recent years and it is
fair to say it has meet, if not exceeded, all expectations.
The hope in a future JT album seemed a far fetched idea
after a seven year solo hiatus, which many interpreted as an early retirement
from his fairly short running, but demanding career. A mysterious twitter
message appeared in January along with a countdown clock that surprisingly
released “Suit and Tie,” his first single released in years. What came to
follow was a ten song full-length album uniquely Timberlake. Attention spans
should not fear the five or even eight minute long songs, as they don’t feel
rushed, but instead employ a sense of ambition and creativity that let Justin
show everything he is vocally capable of. The first track “Suit and Tie” may
not be the club hit “Sexy Back” was, but it offers Timberlake’s sumptuous
falsetto and another crafted batch of lyrics by rap kingpin Jay-Z.
Frequent collaborator Timbaland, who provides his classic
beats and club ready pop production, orchestrated the second single, “Mirrors.” In contrast to “Suit and Tie,” this track is smooth, locked mainly in a mid
tempo and resembles Future Sex/Love
Sounds rather than the retro vibes permeating off the first track. The
lyrics offer solace to those experiencing turbulence in their relationship and
are quite a departure from the sex charged singles from the rest of the album.
One of the trailblazer’s of The 20/20 Experience is a song curiously titled “Strawberry
Bubblegum.” Like its title it is smooth, weightless, and pleasantly
irresistible, but unfortunately it only lasts eight minutes, which would make
it very disappointing if it were a piece of gum. Sexual innuendos riddle the
song in such instances as “I’ll love you ‘til I make you pop” and “After I
break you down, my fingers are so sweet.” If the length of the track can be
ignored, this song has a fairly strong chance at making rounds on the radio with
its sultry appeal.
With the majority of songs possessing a smooth application
of beats and vocals “Don’t Hold the Wall” works best at foraging a path away
from his traditional style. This song fuses an uncommon blend of Middle Eastern
cries, R&B soul and Justin’s dependable fluidity to create his best chance
at a club charting hit from his new album. “Let the Groove Get In” is an
additional illustration of Timberlake looking to other worldly influences to
impact his music and in this case it’s a fiery Latin rhythm. This song is
easily infectious through its constant repetition of catchy lyrics and
percussion beats. However The 20/20
Experience isn’t perfect and has flaws most evident in the song “Tunnel
Vision.” The song is relatively short for Justin’s album clocking in at almost
seven minutes, but it is easily one of the longest feeling. The whole concept
of the song doesn’t ever completely solidify and the lyrics make the song feel
dragged on.
It is a grueling task to make an album that tops the
charts and becomes Grammy nominated and it becomes especially difficult to follow
up such success after a long departure from the music scene. Justin
Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience is
a prime follow up to his previous album and will surely fulfill faithful, hyped
up fans eager for his long awaited return to music.
Grade: A-
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