“Everything I Thought It Was” – Justin Timberlake

Album: Everything I Thought It Was

Artist: Justin Timberlake

Year: 2024

Genre: R&B, Pop

Grade: B

Justin Timberlake hasn’t released an album since Man in the Woods in 2018. In the meantime, the former *NSYNC pop star has kept busy with the Trolls franchise and a redemption performance at the Super Bowl LII halftime show. He’s not as ubiquitous as he once was, that’s for certain, and at the age of 43 he won’t be bringing sexy back anytime soon. Nevertheless, he returns in 2024 with Everything I Thought It Was, a finely produced yet overlong collection of danceable sex jams that is his best work since The 20/20 Experience.

Timberlake’s voice is as good as ever, the golden mean of white R&B, smoothly gliding over the synth-heavy backing tracks that come courtesy of Timbaland and a cavalcade of expensive cohorts. While the opener “Memphis” is lackluster (a poor Drake imitation about “putting on for your city”), things pick up with “Fuckin’ Up the Disco,” which is the exact type of superficial electronica where Timberlake excels.

But therein lies the problem with bloated pop albums: for every good song, there’s likely to be a lousy one. Buried somewhere within Everything I Thought It Was, there’s a solid 40-minute LP in need of an editor. To highlight the highs, I’d suggest focusing on the striking “Love & War,” a minimal synthpop ballad that would’ve made Prince proud. To trim the fat, I’d leave off “What Lovers Do,” a raunchy late-night number that would’ve been better suited to Justin Bieber. And I’d probably go with the Federico Fellini-inspired alternate album cover, just for purposes of artful aesthetics.

All in all, Timberlake has perhaps become underrated over the years as a musician. His ear for catchy melodies is undeniable, and his electro-disco tendencies are forever in vogue. The only thing holding him back at the moment is a loss of relevance and a lack of brevity (and perhaps two too many public controversies). But Everything I Thought It Was will certainly satisfy his fans, and I’m sure the ensuing world tour will rake in millions.

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