Justin Timberlake fans come back for seconds
Justin Timberlake is ready to “Take Back the Night” with his new album, “The 20/20 Experience: Part 2.”
After a seven-year hiatus from music, Timberlake surprised fans by announcing his return to music, saying he would release two more albums in 2013.
The first album, “The 20/20 Experience,” was released March 19th of this year. This wildly successful album was named the highest-selling album of 2013.
It produced catchy hits like “Suit and Tie” and “Mirrors” that make fans want to sing along.
This album also received huge amounts of praise from critics, some even calling it one of the greatest albums of the decade.
So “The 20/20 Experience: Part 2” had a lot of hype to live up to. And trust me, this album does not disappoint.
“Part 2” has an upbeat, retro sound that fans are sure to love. While Part One focused on slower, emotional songs, Part 2 comes in with dancey, almost hip-hop style beats that appeal to a wider audience.
The album was produced by none other than hip hop legend Jay Z, Timberlake’s friend and collaborator on songs like “Holy Grail” and “Suit and Tie”.
Jay-Z brought a strong hip-hop influence to this album and pushed Timberlake out of his usual Pop/R&B style.
Jay-Z encouraged Timberlake to incorporate other styles of music into his work, such as hip-hop and retro.
The album opens with “Gimme What I Don’t Know (I Want),” a jungle-themed song with tribal influences and a great beat.
One of the album’s strongest songs is “True Blood,” which is almost reminiscent of “SexyBack.” This song has a nightclub beat and synthesizers.
The only low point on this album is “Cabaret”, which is repetitive, completely lackluster and includes a completely pointless rap verse from Drake.
One of my personal favorites on the album is “TKO”, which features heavy drums and strong bass. This sing is one of the many that shows Jay-Z’s influence, with its heavy hip/hop influence.
“Take Back The Night” has a disco feel and is sure to be one of the most popular songs off the album for its catchy vibe. This sing is basically a throwback to the 70’s.
Jay Z’s rap verse on “Murder” is unforgettably good. This song is one of the darker songs on the album, and it provides a great contrast to the cheery songs on “Part One”.
“Not A Bad Thing” has a pop sound that is ver old school.
With cheesy pop lyrics, this is the type of song that appeals to everyone.
“Drink You Away” is so emotion filled and showcases
With acoustic guitar and organ sounds, this song is easily one of Timberlake’s most powerful works.
“Only When I Walk Away” is exactly what you would expect from Timberlake. With heavy autotune and a Michael Jackson influence, this song is good but nothing special.
“Amnesia” is one of the sadder songs on the album, with lots of strings and a slow beat. It’s nice to hear a slower, sadder song on this upbeat album.
“Only When I walk Away” has a strong beat and features heavy bass, and meshes well with the other songs on the album.
“Part 2” is strongly influenced by Timberlake’s earlier music career. Timberlake got his start in the 1990’s as the lead singer of hit pop band ‘NSYNC.
After saying “Bye Bye Bye” to his boy-band days, Timberlake began a highly successful solo career, winning numerous awards, including six grammys.
His first solo album, “Justified,” was influenced by R&B and funk music, distancing himself from the pop style he sung while in ‘NSYNC.
Critics praised his sound on this album, including hits such as “Cry Me a River” and “Rock Your Body.”
Timberlake followed “Justified” with a second chart-topping album, “FutureSex/Lovesounds.”
This second album featured songs with more of a dancey, upbeat sound such as “SexyBack” and “Lovestoned/I Think She Knows.”
Timberlake also recorded many collaborations with other artists, including Madonna (“4 Minutes”), T.I. (“Dead and Gone”), and Beyonce (“Until the End of Time”).
After releasing his second album, Timberlake took a break from music to focus on his acting, starring in films like “The Social Network,” “Bad Teacher,” and “Friends With Benefits.”
Finally, after seven years of acting, Justin returned to the music industry to write, record and co-produce both halves of “The 20/20 Experience.”
His endeavors were a huge success, as Timberlake was named one of the most successful artists of the decade.
Overall, I would give this album 4/4 grizzly paws. This album has not only lived up to expectations but exceeded them, and is sure to be Timberlake’s most successful album yet.