Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience
Artist – Justin Timberlake
Album – The 20/20 Experience
Rating – 4/5
For too long, whenever we’ve typed the name ‘Justin’ into a search bar, some Canadian teenage turns up. This coming week though sees the return of the original Justin of pop has returned with The 20/20 Experience, but how does it measure up?
While Timberlake’s not given us a full album in more than half a decade, he’s more than kept his toes in the musical world, and it’s something that shows from the very start, as The 20/20 Experience shows he’s not missed a step.
The really interesting factor of The 20/20 Experience is that the album is filled with massive tracks, with not a single one out of the ten clocking in at under four and a half minutes. This amount of lengthy songs means that this is very much a concept album, with many a minute filled with mood setting instrumentals and tracks that alter form half way through.
While some will love the extended tracks, they do at sometimes feel too long. Mirrors could easily be cut by at least a minute and not lose any of its sparkle, as could both Spaceship Coupe and Tunnel Vision.
It makes the album very much feel like a cohesive whole, and entity that really should be consumed in one go, rather than a just collection of singles that can be turned off and on at whim. It alo gives the album’s songs a wonderfully airy nature, meaning they never feel rushed and fully able to spread their wings and fulfil their potential.
Don’t come into The 20/20 Experience expecting anything less than a happy Justin though, as his recently found matrimonial bliss can be seen throughout the album as clearly as the enduring influence of Timbaland and Jay-Z.
From Pusher Love Girl to Mirrors through That Girl, it’s clear to see who Timberlake’s inspiration for this record has been. Don’t confuse this for the album being sickly sweet though, as Hold The Wall is as dark, sexy and enticing as Timberlake has ever been.
It’s the album’s closing track though that really cements its quality though, as Blue Ocean Floor is a wonderfully quiet and humble finisher to an record that occasionally feels so confident that it positively struts along. It’s a fantastic way to close the album, and is perhaps the most touching and personal song that Timberlake has ever put to record.
The album feels both a throwback to the classic soul of the 1970s and a cutting edge example of how to integrate electronic elements and samples in a modern yet unique way. It may not have anything like the same impact as Frank Ocean’s stunning Channel Orange, it gives Timberlake’s album a clear identity that easily sets it apart from the crowd.
The trouble is that the record sometimes teeters on the edge of sample implosion, overusing them to the point where they at first seem obtrusive and artificial.
However, the core melodies and songs are more than strong enough to pull The 20/20 Experience through the stormy weather and combine into an album that proves that Justin still belongs at the top of the pop ladder.
Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience is out March 18th
Click here to buy Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience
Tagged in Justin Timberlake