It’s almost become a competitive sport on social media this past half-decade to shame Justin Timberlake for his perceived crimes against… well, anyone and everyone. Be it Janet Jackson and her infamous nipple-ring exposure at the Super Bowl, or his ex’s various tales of woe, Timberlake has faced the ever-increasing wrath of social media mobs.
So the release of his first new album in six years amidst such hostility was always going to be a battle for Timberlake. Justin called the album his “greatest work” – a bold claim from the artist himself.
So what of the actual music? Predictably, most reviews of the record from the usual big-name publications have focused almost exclusively on his personal life or his perceived fall-from-grace with little attention paid to the quality of the songs on offer. It’s reminiscent of reading the critical reception of a Michael Jackson album circa-1995-2001 – and feels at times like the review was written before the writers had heard a single note of the album.
As someone who has admittedly struggled to connect much to Justin’s past work, I was pleasantly surprised in what I heard on Everything I Thought It Was.
There feels like genuine artistic and personal growth on display amongst this elaborate 18-song set. Opening track, the Prince-esque “Memphis”, finds Timberlake in a self-reflective mood, lamenting the weight of the industry expectations placed upon him as a youth. It feels genuine and grown, avoiding the tropes of self-pity such a song could easily fall into.
“Selfish” with its air of melancholy has proven to be a slow-burner and one of his best single releases in years. Repeated listens reward with its follow-up, “Drown”, a typically-hook-laden mid-tempo which should please the JT faithful. This leads into the album highlight “Alone” – beginning with a lone cello, followed by some delicate piano chords and a gorgeous falsetto performance from Timberlake, it’s a far cry from “Rock Your Body” and a genuinely thought-provoking moment on the album.
My overall takeaway from “Everything I Thought It Was” is that the album feels far more than the sum of its parts and should be experienced in its totality to really appreciate. Is it his “best work”? Possibly. It certainly feels like his most mature and heartfelt offering to date and humanizes the oft-vilified singer for those open enough to give it a fair chance. A solid album.
8/10
