Every once in a while we’re confronted by an impeccable collaborative work between artistes who’s pairing or grouping just works. It’s something about when the combined’s creative juices coagulate that just brings magic about.
One of my favourite pairings is a producer/singer combination of Timbaland and Justin Timberlake, whenever the two come together there’s just an unmistaken ounce of energy that pounces creating a sense of nostalgia that takes us back to old hits such as Let me talk to you, My Love, Sexy Back, (a lot of Futuresex Lovesounds), Carry out, the list goes on.
Now Justin Timberlake brings us Everything I thought it was, his sixth studio album, and let me just say, Justin that’s a lengthy album title taking into account the pace of the Pop, RnB record from the moment we depart JT’s unpleasant attempt at a rap verse in Memphis.
The album on overall is off on a somber start, with the “Memphis” record. Apart from the aforementioned cringe rap verse and autotune, it is a song that seems to shadow child star experiences of having people set high expectations of you, as you become THE breadwinner and how lines easily so blurred “You gon’ be a star, they said. They said, You gon’ take us far, they said”…Yeah I know, sounds a little bit sad and melancholic, probably not a great start to the album Justin.
The second part of the first verse , is reminiscent or at least reminds me of Nickelbeck’s 2009’s hit “Rockstar”:
“Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars
And live in hilltop houses driving fifteen cars
The girls come easy and the drugs come cheap
We’ll all stay skinny ’cause we just won’t eat
And we’ll hang out in the coolest bars
In the VIP with the movie stars… –
Every good gold digger’s gonna wind up there
Every Playboy bunny with her bleach blond hair”
Justin’s goes
They said, “Everywhere you go, they gon’ know your name. Who cares if you get lonely long as you’re famous?”
“Don’t you want money and the cars?”, they said. “Expensive liquor and cigars?”, they said.
“I mean, what’s better than havin’ everything that you dreamed of?”
So ultimately “Memphis” covers some pretty dark themes that are too real and sort of draw you closer to the ground when all you want is to lose yourself in a pop album. This track is misplaced and not the start this album deserved to have, but then again, I think the album title is also wrong, less is more, perhaps he should have been a bit more…frugal. Justin, I’m lacking cohesion here. If only Memphis sounded like Nickelbeck’s “Rockstar”, then maybe, just maybe, the start wouldn’t be as bad’. But it doesn’t.
However, ultimately, Justin with this album knowingly injects a sense of nostalgia in his new music with more than just a little tinge of reminiscence of different eras of his career, with tracks nostalgic of 2000s pop, that Futuresex lovesounds 2007-2009 sound, and of course a little sprinkle of that 20/20 experience sound.
Justin Timberlake is credited as the executive producer of the record, and he assembled a team of producers that enlisted Andrew DeRoberts, Angel López, Calvin Harris, Cirkut, Danja, Federico Vindver, Louis Bell, Rob Knox, Ryan Tedder & Timbaland. This is the team responsible for how the album sounds sonically, special mention to the production on tracks like “Fuckin up the disco”, “No angels” and “Infinity Sex”, which sounds contradictory, an oxymoron of a sort because these records sound just as futuristic as they a blast of the past.
These feel good, dance-disco-esque tracks can lift up any frown and inject some sunshine on any cloudy day, it’s everything you think it is, pun intended.
“Technicolor” produced by Timbaland, sounds like an ode to his 2020 experience as it’s got the same DNA as tracks on that project, songs that get so comfortable and aren’t in a rush to leave, (a.k.a 7-9 minute long tracks). However despite its length, it’s a beautiful track, Part I is a rhythm and blues record that low-key, sounds like a H.E.R. song “every day, every night, only you…” , then it transcends into Part II, the title track part of the song with a little bit more synth and less instrumentation, it’s a full length song nonetheless.
This project is marked by yet another cringe moment that arguably takes the cup, the song Liar featuring Nigerian Afro-beats artist Fireboy DML. This song should have never been on the album.
It’s important to understand that some trends and eras can surpass you without your interruption or engagement and that’s okay. It is perfectly fine to observe from the side-lines and applause or hackle whatever it may be, because sometimes if a sound is alien to you and you blatantly attempt to wear it like an accent, it comes off as rude, and nobody likes a rude boy. Even Tobe can’t save you from that, but that Sanctified track, bops!
