Justin Timberlake has forever been a favorite artist of mine. I have been listening from Justified, to Future Sex Lovesounds and now presently, Man of the Woods. I have been constantly playing the 20/20 Experience to death waiting for new music, and it’s finally here.
When new music is put out from your favorite artist there is always that fear factor that comes with it. You spend so much time replaying their old songs that you are almost scared that the new ones won’t measure up.
When Justin Timberlake released the first single off Man of the Woods, “Filthy,” I experienced that same feeling. The vibe of the song was one that I was not expecting, especially after the video he released detailing the upcoming sound of the album. I’ll be honest, I am not huge into country music and that was rumored to be a component of Justin’s album. With that in mind, “Filthy” was completely opposite of that sentiment. It was fast paced, extremely repetitive and even the music video was futuristic. The more I listened to it, the more I began to warm up to it, still it left me longing for more.
Now I have listened to a good majority of the album, and some of the songs I play non-stop, and others, ehhhh, sadly.
Since the complete album is here, I understand the country roots attached to these songs. Another layer that is different from his past albums is the family aspect. He sings a lot about his wife and his son which is beautiful. “Young Man,” is all about his wants for his son and how much his parents love him. It even features Silas’s voice on it which is rare since Justin and Jessica are private about their son. There is an interlude on the album called “Hers,” that features his wife Jessica Biel recounting in a poem how she feels wearing her husband’s t-shirt. I absolutely loved it.
One of my favorites off the album is called “Supplies.” The morning it was released, I woke up and immediately watched the accompanying music video, and I LOVED IT. It got me more pumped for the album since after hearing “Filthy.” This song resembles more of 20/20 Justin Timberlake and that possibly is why I love it so much. Another track I have been playing to death is “Living off the Land.”
When you listen to all the songs, you just hear the love Timberlake has for his family. They tell a story, and it makes you hope that someday you will have the love for your children and spouse the way he recounts it.
I’m going to be honest. Out of all of Justin Timberlake’s albums this is my least favorite. There are some I surly love, but with anything you have to listen to the songs enough to fine tune your favorites, but he can’t compete with his former self. Also like I mentioned earlier, I’m not the biggest country fan, and some of these songs have a huge country vibe to it.
However, I will forever be a fan of anything Justin Timberlake releases.
Happy listening!
HCXOXO,
Imani Taylor
Photo Sources:
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