Man of the Woods

AlbumFeb 02 / 201816 songs, 1h 6m 3s
Contemporary R&B Pop
Popular

With hints of Americana and help from Chris Stapleton, the pop superstar enters a new chapter. Dually inspired by his Tennessee roots and growing family—Timberlake\'s son, Silas, was born in 2015—*Man of the Woods* imbues his signature R&B grooves with harmonica and fiddle. It’s a bold move, but he never drifts too far from home. \"The Hard Stuff” and Stapleton collaboration “Say Something” are pop-rock ballads with flickers of Nashville, while the Timbaland-assisted “Filthy” and The Neptunes-produced “Higher Higher” are natural continuations of his beat-minded classics (think: “SexyBack” and “Suit & Tie”). The standout? “Morning Light,” a neo-soul duet with Alicia Keys that’s so textured and expressive, it makes you wonder if there’s anything JT can’t do.

634

3.8 / 10

Justin Timberlake’s fifth album is a huge misstep for the pop star. It is warm, indulgent, inert, and vacuous.

D+

Historically, pop artists have launched new albums with a “statement single.” As Slate pointed out last year, these songs might introduce sonic U-turns (see Taylor Swift’s electroclash revenge fantasy “Look What You Made Me Do”) or underline trenchant points of view (Dixie Chicks’ self-explanatory, non-mea culpa “Not…

3 / 10

New releases, reviewed by our exports

Our take on pop icon Justin Timberlake's fifth album 'Man of the Woods,' which includes some of his most exploratory, genre-defiant music in more than a decade.

The 'Filthy' singer returns to what he knows, but perhaps it's not what you'd expect

Man of the Woods is almost as bemusing as its roll out.

After some time to truly digest Timberlake's woeful fifth album, we take a closer look at Man of the Woods.

5 / 10

Justin Timberlake doesn't need music. After successfully transitioning from boy-band heartthrob to adult pop star on Justified, FutureSex/Lo...

4 / 10

“Y’all can’t do better than this,” proclaims the opening line from ‘Midnight Summer Jam’, the second track on Justin

(RCA)

Timberlake is more comfortable with airbrushed blue-eyed soul than with anything involving a pedal steel.

3 / 10

3.0 / 10

Review of Justin Timberlake's new LP is an abject failure, a hilariously inept attempt at authenticity and reinvention. It's too boring to be enjoyably bad.

He’s melded the country and western and southern rock of his native Tennessee with latter-day R&B – and it’s hard not to be impressed

25 %

Quite possibly the worst statement by a major pop star this decade.

Album Reviews: Justin Timberlake - Man Of The Woods

2.0 / 5

Justin Timberlake - Man of the Woods review: I'm up in the woods - I'm all outta style

For his fifth studio album, Justin Timberlake has ditched the slick suits and replaced them with shaved head, scruffy beard, beanie hat and a range of baggy checked shirts.