Ladies and gentlemen, he’s back. Seven years have passed since Justin Timberlake was last spotted on the music scene. Now, The 20/20 Experience marks his return, rekindling his love affair with music. The talented musician turned-actor-turned-entrepreneur steps back into the spotlight with his newest creation. His latest work comes as one 2013’s most anticipated albums, creating high expectations for Timberlake. With the album now released worldwide, many listeners and fans alike are happy to report that it was worth the a long wait. The 20/20 Experience may pass the eye test, but does it get a perfect score when it comes to sound?
Justin Timberlake has experienced an incredible amount of success in his still young career. First experiencing success with the boy band ‘N Sync in the late 1990’s, Timberlake has gone on to record with artists such as Madonna, Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, and produced with Timbaland, who had a big hand in creating the 20/20 Experience. He also has his less-than-stellar acting career, starring in movies such as Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, and last year’s Trouble with the Curve. He is, however, a favorite on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and has hosted the popular sketch comedy show several times.
Last summer, Timberlake began working on the 20/20 Experience, yet didn’t make it public until January this year when he released the album’s first single, “Suit and Tie”, featuring rapper Jay-Z. He made his first big performance for the new album at the 55th Grammy Awards in February, performing both “Suit and Tie” and “Pusher Love Girl” from The 20/20 Experience. He would unveil another song, “Mirrors”, during his musical performance on Saturday Night Live in March.
So far, the album has been met with mostly positive reviews. Some praise the album for its well-produced sounds, thanks in large part to Timbaland, while others point out the album sounds too familiar and doesn’t take enough risks.
People on both sides of the argument are right. The album does sound much like the classic Timberlake sound many have grown fond of. Many songs are produced very well, yet the album doesn’t take enough risks. Lyrics are downright cheesy and sometimes just stupid. Drug and sex references litter the album, probably in the hopes of widening Timberlake’s appeal to a younger, more hip audience.
The 20/20 Experience still, however, provides a good experience for any fan of either Timberlake or of pop music. Timberlake’s natural and smooth voice couples well with the small array of sounds present within the album. The sounds are sharp and concise, and the mix of soul and R&B fit, more the most part, fairly well. Some songs glow, while others provide a nice and simple mellow tune.
The album includes a few standout hits, such as “Suit and Tie”, “Let the Groove Get In”, and “Mirrors”, which has proven to be many listeners favorite track. Most of the remaining songs are slower, more electronically mixed songs that blend with Timberlake’s more organic voice.
The 20/20 Experience, however, isn’t a perfect album, or, for that matter, even a great one. One of the biggest downfalls of the album in is the length of nearly every song. The album seems to take itself too seriously, with the average song clocking in at seven to eight minutes. Songs have both a long intro and outro, with repetitive choruses in between. Due to this problem, radio stations are going to find it hard to play anything off the album, even with the shortest song still almost five minutes long.
The bottom line is this: if you are a fan of Timberlake or of pop, R&B, or soul music, the album doesn’t disappoint, but neither will it surprise or wow you. Listening to a song all the way through is tough and hearing the chorus and specific parts of the song over and over again is a drag. The 20/20 Experience is a tough album to recommend. Is it worth almost fifteen dollars of your money? For some people no. For others, it a small price to pay for a long awaited, highly anticipated album. I would say at least check out a few singles off the album and then decide for yourself if the full album is for you.
If you are still skeptical, Timberlake has mentioned that The 20/20 Experience is really only the first half of his newest venture, with the second half coming sometime later in the year. Now, perhaps, is the best time to jump on the Timberlake train and ride it until later this Fall when we can experience the rest of The 20/20 Experience.
