For all the 90’s babies who have been looking forward to new music from beloved pop superstar Justin Timberlake, don’t expect this album to bring you feelings of nostalgia. This new album won’t make you feel like you’re listening to “SexyBack” or “Rock Your Body” again. “Man of the Woods” has been said to be a huge misstep for J.T. The album as a whole is often generic and forgettable, unlike his early 2000’s hits and his previous album “The 20/20 Experience,” which received top ratings from almost all major music critics.
Don’t panic, it’s not all bad news. Some highlights from “Man of the Woods” include “Say Something” and the lead single “Filthy.” Although the mild country influences throughout this album seem like a possible identity crisis, the genre mixture on “Say Something,” which features country artist Chris Stapleton, hits the target. This song alone represents the theme J.T. intended for the album and has been described as Coldplay meets country.
“Filthy” has been a hit since its single release in January. The song not only serves as the opening track to the album, but it was also the opening to his Super Bowl LII Halftime Show Performance as well. This song is a reminder of the Justin we all know and love. The vocals channel “The 20/20 Experience,” and the lyrical content is classic 2000’s J.T.
J.T. is obviously moving in a new direction in terms of lyrical content and production. Although artists are free to grow and explore new things, this album was disappointing to both critics and fans.
