What can you say about Justin Timberlake? There is quite possibly no one in the history of pop music who makes that style of music as interesting as he does except for Michael Jackson (but Timberlake himself would probably not want to be put in the same ballpark as MJ) or Kanye West (who’d probably put himself above MJ, even if no one else would…).
Many used to write Justin Timberlake off as pop drivel mostly due to his stint in ‘NSync. While we’re on that subject, let’s all collectively hope those guys don’t let the reunion bug that has hit the music industry bite them. Reuniting with them would just be a waste of time for everyone given what we know Timberlake is capable of. Sure, his first solo album, 2002’s Justified had its merits, but mostly it was a bridge between the sound of ‘NSync and what he ultimately ended up exploring later down the line. Then came his 2006 album FutureSex/LoveSounds. It took his several appearances on Saturday Night Live to get many to finally say, “Okay, maybe there’s something to this guy.” Speaking personally, that second album was so odd, yet catchy that it is when I fully converted to accepting this guy’s talent. He makes pop music interesting, period.
So here we are in 2013, over six years has passed since that last album and his much-anticipated new one, The 20/20 Experience, is every bit as good. It’s catchy yet experimental and on almost every song shows Timberlake’s ability to prove that there’s something more to him than the next pop act. Given this album’s depth and lengthy songs, it’s easy to see why it took him six years to produce it. The shortest track, “That Girl”, clocks in at 4:48 and it’s no wonder why they had to do a radio edit of the single “Mirrors”, whose actual length is 8:05. By the way, “Mirrors” is probably the catchiest and most accessible of all the songs on the album. It’s probably pays the most homage to Justified.
Lyrically, there are many moments on The 20/20 Experience where, as a listener, you’re left wondering, “What the hell is he talking about?” For example, we might be hearing the term, “Space lover cocoon” everywhere here in the next several months. Also, try not to get too weirded out with certain sound effects on that same song, “Spaceship Coupe”.
Every piece on this album is unique enough that it would be easy to sit here and analyze each one (pay close attention to “Pusher Love Girl” from the 4:58 mark on). For now, let’s focus on the closing track, “Blue Ocean Floor”. What a haunting and beautiful sounding song this is. It really stands out amongst the others and was a great way to end this collection. As with many other tracks on this record, it is easy to tell that, lyrically, he is focused on his longtime partner (and recent spouse) Jessica Biel. It has a vibe about it that would make it perfect for some dreamy sequence in a Focus Features film à la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
Complaints are few with The 20/20 Experience. It truly gets better with every listen. There might be a part of you that secretly longs for Justin to just rock out with some phat up-tempo beat for at least one song (it’s Timbaland he works with, for crying out loud), but if you’re satisfied with nothing but sexiness then you’re bound to swoon over this album. For our sake, hopefully Justin doesn’t realize how long lasting these songs are and let this album ride for another six years. Actually, it was recently reported by Rolling Stone that this collection of songs is just the first half of what is intended by Timberlake to be a double album (the second half will come in November), so we have that to look forward to. Until then, commence getting your freak on.
Justin Timberlake – Pusher Love Girl
