Before I listened to Man of the Woods, I thought it would be another revolutionary game-changer in the music industry. However, I wasn’t completely right. Justin Timberlake’s latest attempt at a country-pop-jazz hybrid album was not quite my style. Even with features from Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton, there were only a few songs I could really listen to. Even so, all hope was lost because they were repetitive tracks. When Timberlake released his teaser for the new album, Filthy, in January, I thought it was an acquired taste. Timberlake is known for his electronic funk music, so I had much hope for the song and the new album. The album, however, was a very weird compilation and the country-esque hints in each song just brought the quality of the whole album down. Even though Timberlake clapped back at critics that it was not a country album, I couldn’t help but notice hints of country, which I am not a fan of.
“Say Something”
This song in my opinion was average, but after already landing number 17 on the Hot 100, it seems that this single will be popular. This country-pop hybrid featuring Chris Stapletonhas a country vibe with a gentle guitar throughout. Timberlake said the song was supposed to be about the feeling you have when you say something without actually saying it, but people understand exactly what you mean. Aside from the repetitive “say something” over and over, I did surprisingly enjoy Chris Stapleton’s feature in the hook and the song got a little better in the middle.
“Wave”
Justin Timberlake’s real style came through in this song. I enjoyed this one so much and I will definitely be adding it to my playlist. With a jazzy funk vibe, “Wace”completely embodies the title and has a very island feel to it. The song is a typical island love song about Timberlake going on a tropical getaway with his love. The song describes love as waves and seeing the world through rose colored glasses. The jazzy and uplifting song is perfect for a long day on the beach leading up to the sunset and spending time with the ones you love the most.
“Supplies”
“Supplies” is probably the worst track in the new album. The attempt at a hip-hop vibe song was very forced and had no flow whatsoever. Timberlake missed the mark and I personally think this single was created for the sole purpose of conforming to modern style, since the hip-hop and rap genre is so popular right now. He also tried to add an R&B element into the song but I did not like that either, even though his other R&B hints from past albums were flawless and flowy.
This album could have had potential with a few of the songs but some just came to nothing and made Timberlake look bad. He is now getting negative feedback from critics and hopefully this won’t affect his current tour, which is coming to Orlando, Florida on May 14, 2018.
