This past week, Justin Timberlake released Part 2 (Of 2) of The 20/20 Experience, which might be the year's divisive album of the year. Some people have embraced JT's ambitious effort and his having no qualms with letting songs go upwards of 8 minutes, while others are left cold by the extended running times and beats that lack the punch of those on Future Sex/Love Sounds. But whether you like it or not, you have to admit that for a guy who could very easily rest on his laurels, Timberlake is pretty ambitious.

Before you get the wrong idea, I'm not here to discuss his movie career. I'm sure the dude is a fine actor and all, but I'm more interested in his musical efforts. When thinking of the two discs and 21 tracks that make up The 20/20 Experience, I can't help but wonder what the reaction had been if all of it had been released at once (remember, it was all from the same session). Part of me thinks the reviews would have skewed more positive because we would have been so overwhelmed by Timberlake's massive undertaking that the presence of a few filler tracks wouldn't have bothered us. The other side of me says that we would have seen the filler tracks even more unnecessary. 2.5 hours of music would have been pretty hard to take all at once (think of how people balked at Guns 'N Roses releasing Use Your Illusion I and II simultaneously back in 1991).

But regardless of how we got there, we have a total of 21 new JT tracks, and we'll likely be debating them for years to come. I see The 20/20 Experience being a bit like the musical equivalent of Cloud Atlas, one 2012's most divisive films. Some will praise it for its massive ambition,  others will critique it for failing to reach all of its considerable goals.

In the long run, I the album being viewed in a mostly positive light. We have a few stone cold classics  ("Mirrors," "Pusher Love Girl," "Suit & Tie," "Take Back the Night"), and a few more than will likely be growers ("Don't Hold The Wall" "Give Me What I Don't Know (I Want)"). Sure, there are a few inevitable stinkers ("True Blood" is pretty cheesy, despite catchy chorus), but the overall result is more good than bad, and when it's all said and done, I am really happy to have JT making music again.

Even if you hated The 20/20 Experience, I think we should be grateful Timberlake is back in the game. He could have easily give us an album full of easily digestible songes (and next time, maybe he will), but instead he made the album he wanted to, and while it does have its share of flaws, in the end, he came out with a winner. The 20/20 Experience (both parts) is the one of the strangest pop albums I've ever heard, and I can't wait to see what JT ends up doing next.