There is so much hate surrounding Justin Timberlake’s SuperBowl Half Time performance and it’s a little bit ridiculous. The fact of the matter is that he absolutely killed it and delivered a set that focused on his strengths which are; his band, dancing, vocals and audience interaction. Yes, it may have not been a “spectacle” like Lady Gaga or Katy Perry but there’s no denying that he is an incredible performer. If we put the controversial performance aside he also released his fifth studio album “Man Of The Woods” and I wish I had as good things to say about it than I do about his Halftime performance. The album fails to successfully blend his rhythmic and full band sound with the country roots he’s trying to implement. It slightly feels too forced and polished where as he should’ve been a bit more natural with the delivery. The albums strongest moment comes from the stripped back collaboration with Chris Stapleton “Say Something” which impresses with it’s raw emotion. The monster lead single “Filthy” takes a little while to grow on you whilst tracks like “Sauce”, “Midnight Summer Jam” and “Higher Higher” will instantly have you taping your feet along. But the common issue surrounding this record is the confusion of genres. He has so many musical ideas happening that he just loses you. “Wave”, “Supplies”, “Flannel” and title track “Man Of The Woods” are painfully awful while the rest of the album is forgettable at best. I was waiting for a big “Mirrors” moment or a “My Love” styled singalong or even a “Can’t Stop This Feeling” cheese fest but it never came. It’s bold and ambitious that he constantly tries to reinvent himself and grow as an artist but sometimes you should just try to improve what you are already doing. I really wanted to love this record because I think he is such an incredible performer and artist but it’s just a little below average.
You can purchase Justin Timberlake’s new album “Man Of The Woods” now from Sanity! https://www.sanity.com.au/products/2363441/Man_Of_The_Woods