Now that the dust has settled from the return of JustinTimberlake to the music scene, it’s easier to look at the second part of his ‘20/20
Experience’ with a little more objectivity.
Is this a return to form, or simply the dregs left over from part one?
Certainly, part two is more of a companion piece than a full
second album. The songs simply aren’t as
strong, with Timberlake and producer Timbaland falling into the same pitfalls
as before. Yet this is by no means a bad
album.
Pitfall number one is the length of the songs. This may have been much maligned in part one,
but at least many of the tracks were effectively two songs in one: theme and
variation. Here, the songs feel too
dragged out with endless repeats of the same themes and they mostly lack the inventive
outros. Anyone who faulted part one for
being self-indulgent will have switched off long before the end – an error in
this reviewer’s opinion.
Pitfall number two is the sleazy lyrics. Whilst not as obviously promiscuous as with
part one overall, Cabaret features
lines like “if sex is a contest then you’re coming first” and later “I got you
saying Jesus so much it’s like we’re laying in a manger”. Timberlake’s not alone however, with Timbaland spouting "she killed me with that coo-coochie-coochie coo" on TKO (with Timberlake later singing "this rematch sex is amazing / but nobody wins"), whilst Jay-Z
describes Yoko Ono as the “pussy [that] broke up The Beatles” on Murder. ‘The 20/20 Experience’ remains, in both
parts, lyrically shallow.
The overall feel of part two, though, is certainly distinct
from part one. The production is
recognisably Timbaland’s, with a darker, grittier sound that includes only one
ballad – final track Not A Bad Thing that
swings from sweetness to vomit-inducing in the second half. From opening track Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want), it’s obvious that the pair are
trying to recapture the magic of ‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’ – gone are the funk
orchestrations of part one in favour of metallic synths and heavy beats. The vampiric True Blood matches the production to its subject matter (“it’s that
demon in me that’s got me screaming / Make me wanna build a coffin for two”),
even including a Thriller-esque
speech half way through. And current
single TKO is pure Timbaland, with
its hip-hop sound.
That’s not to say this is one dimensional, with many tracks
breaking new ground in Timberlake’s musical oeuvre. Lead single Take Back The Night marks a suitable bridge between the two parts
with its Luther Vandross production and, whilst its disco sound might appear to
be following current trends set by the likes of Get Lucky and Blurred Lines,
it’s important to note that Timberlake recorded this album way back in May 2012
– who’s the real pioneer? Drink You Away, meanwhile, takes him into
brand new territory with a bluesy-country track with a modern twist, allowing
for a gritty vocal performance that's just as sexy as his smoother dance
hits. Then there’s Only When I Walk Away, that sees Timberlake singing through a
distortion filter for a rocky edge. Just
as with part one, this second album is full of creativity and surprises.
The main issue with part two is its lack of a big pop single
to bring it all together – a Mirrors equivalent. Amnesia
comes close and slots neatly into the usual Timberlake mould, but feels a
little forgettable by comparison to his best work. That said, what part two does reveal is that
even when he releases a not-quite-as-good album, it’s still a leap above most
pop music in the charts. This simply
proves that he is a superstar – there's no doubting that, as a whole, ‘The 20/20 Experience’ has been one
of the major musical events of the year.
4/5
Gizzle's Choice:
* True Blood
* Drink You Away
* Amnesia
Listen: 'The 20/20 Experience' is available now, in both separate and complete form.
Watch: Timberlake will be touring the UK next year.