Laura Snapes’ album of the week: Justin Timberlake’s Everything I Thought It Was review.

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It may be difficult not to feel sympathetic towards Justin Timberlake as he attempts to make a comeback, having been portrayed as the villain in two major pop controversies. Despite the backlash he faced after the infamous 2004 Super Bowl incident where he exposed Janet Jackson’s clothing, his career continued while she faced severe criticism. However, the cultural misogyny of the time has since become clear, as seen in the treatment of Britney Spears following their 2002 split. She was unfairly characterized as unfaithful and subjected to invasive scrutiny. In her 2023 memoir, she shared a different side of the story, revealing that Timberlake had cheated on her and pressured her to have an abortion. She also disclosed that she had to undergo a procedure at home to avoid being seen at a hospital, while Timberlake attempted to calm her with his guitar while she cried in pain on the bathroom floor. (In 2021, he publicly apologized to both women.) Combined with his underwhelming 2018 album, Man of the Woods, Timberlake has reached unprecedented levels of pop pariahdom. His latest release, Everything I Thought It Was, feels less like a simple comeback and more like a mission for survival.

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It seems as though Timberlake is aware that he is at a disadvantage in this situation. Evidently, he has not conducted any interviews, except for mild TV appearances, although he did briefly defend himself in February. Following Spears’ public apology for potentially hurting anyone she cares about in her memoir, and her praise for Timberlake’s emotionally charged comeback single, Selfish, he boldly stated to his audience: “I have no regrets and offer no apologies to anyone.” In a time when admitting fault and personal development are typical among pop stars, the concept of Timberlake taking on a villainous role is quite intriguing.

The opening track of Justin Timberlake’s sixth album hints at the fact that the record will tell his own story, told in his own way. Called “Memphis” after his hometown, it depicts his struggle to reach this point, facing loneliness, exhaustion, and pain, all for the sake of money, cars, and being the “chosen one” to make it out. The background music of bubbling synthesizers and a slow beat imply a sense of vulnerability, although your sympathies may falter when he reminisces about a time when he was solely focused on “too much kitten, ass, and titties.” It would be intriguing to see where Timberlake takes this story, and while not fully defending him, it’s important to note that 20 years ago, he was likely just as powerless as Britney Spears, following the advice of manipulative executives. However, this appears to be a mere facade, as the rest of “Everything I Thought It Was” is solely focused on universal themes of lust and love, with no shortage of references to kitten, ass, and titties.

“The decision is undoubtedly the right one. With little chance of gaining back control of the narrative, Timberlake’s only option is to produce undeniable hit songs. For about half of this overly long album, he succeeds. Collaborations with Calvin Harris on “Fucking Up the Disco” and “No Angels” add a luxurious touch to the disco sound that earned him his biggest hit in years, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from the movie Trolls. The explicit lyrics help us forget about King Peppy and Lady Glittersparkles. “Play,” co-produced by Ryan Tedder, follows suit with playful horns and a catchy chorus that feels like Timberlake is sliding down a golden banister. However, two other disco tracks, produced by Louis Bell and Cirkut, pale in comparison. “My Favorite Drug” is so fast-paced that one might assume the drug in question is speed, not, well, sex.”

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The seductive words are not as provocative as the darker “rose” and “violet” mentioned in Man of the Woods, but still absurd. A woman’s hips are captivating, as heard in the song “Infinity Sex” featuring Timbaland, with lyrics like “pray this hotel room is insured”, although the suggestive beat is enticing enough to make the song work. In “Technicolor”, another track with Timbaland, the lyrics fully explore the theme of a passionate physical connection, resulting in a mature and slow-paced jam that highlights Timberlake’s falsetto and carries a hint of melancholy, aware of the fleeting nature of those intense emotions. There are also simpler moments that are executed well, such as “Liar” featuring Afrobeats sensation Fireboy DML, which aims for the same international success as Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down”, showcasing their soft vocals that complement each other perfectly. The heart-wrenching ballad “Alone” solely features Timberlake’s bitter yet elegant vocals accompanied by sweeping strings.

If the album had only 10 tracks instead of 18, and if some of those tracks were shorter, Timberlake’s musical comeback would be more successful. However, there are still some dull moments, such as the strange choice of Selfish as a comeback single, and the blandness of Flame and Drown. What Lovers Do is a typical R&B track produced by Timbaland, with a particularly suggestive line about Timberlake being “ready to go all the time”. The closing song, Conditions, sounds like a tired attempt at optimism with Timberlake singing “you are love” to his wife Jessica Biel, presumably thanking her for sticking with him despite his flaws.

The worst song of all is without a doubt meant to be the next stage of Timberlake’s redemption journey. The overly sweet, acoustic ballad Paradise includes his former boyband ‘NSync, who recently reunited at one of Timberlake’s concerts and are set to release new music. The lyrics seem to be a conversation among the five men, reflecting on waiting for their moment and wondering if things will feel as they did when they were young and unafraid. It appears as though they are reclaiming their innocence: nostalgia is a protective shield, and Justin Timberlake will be alright.

siosisa’s lesson
Laura listened to siosisa’s lesson this week.

Myriam Gendron – Long Way Home
The Quebecois musician’s 2021 album Ma Délire: Songs of Love, Lost and Found inspired quietly cult-like devotion. From her new record, Long Way Home’s subtly crushing tale of desertion and disappointment brings to mind Nina Nastasia taking on a folk standard.

Source: theguardian.com