Justin Timberlake’s New Era Is Everything You Hoped It Was
Justin Timberlake at his 2019 "Man of the Woods" Tour. Photo from Peter Hutchins via Flickr
Justin Timberlake released his sixth studio album, “Everything I Thought It Was,” on March 15. Six years have passed since the artist’s last release — Man of the Woods, his rustic, exploratory 2018 project — and his return ceased all expectations.
Timberlake’s new era commenced with the release of this record’s lead single, “Selfish,” a catchy love song consistent with his history of lyrical themes. A series of one-night-only shows in cities worldwide — including New York, Los Angeles and Memphis — built up heavy anticipation for the approaching album. “EITIW” soared to the top of the iTunes album chart immediately upon release, debuting at #4 on the Billboard 200.
A mesh of the R&B and dance sounds from “FutureSex/LoveSounds” and the pop visions from “The 20/20 Experience,” this record employs production from longtime collaborators Timbaland, Calvin Harris and more. Some of the album’s highlights include the funky “F**kin’ Up The Disco,” the reflective, solemn “Alone,” and the smash hit “Sanctified (feat. Tobe Nwigwe),” where speakers in the intro accurately crown Timberlake the “mighty, mighty JT.”
The record also features *NSYNC on its seventeenth track, “Paradise.” The popular 90s boy band in which Timberlake got his musical break released their first song in two decades for the 2023 movie “Trolls Band Together.” After the group’s reunion appearance on the 2023 VMAs, fans ran to speculate that the band had more to share. Timberlake brought the group on stage for a surprise performance during his Los Angeles one-night-only show a few days before the “EITIW” release, where they sang a series of their hit songs, as well as “Paradise.”
“It’s kind of crazy, like, there’s so much that just picks up right where it left off as far as the chemistry,” Timberlake shared with USA Today about the reunion. Fans have been begging for a reunion tour, and the band’s popularity is skyrocketing as if they never left. “There's five guys — some of us are married, some have kids, some may not want to do it. We have to have that conversation and talk about what we do now that the song is out there,” said bandmate Joey Fatone.
While fans heavily anticipate future moves from *NSYNC, Timberlake will be headlining an arena world tour kicking off in late April. With many shows already sold out and more dates being added, the iconic artist has proven that he is limitless.