My full review of Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience (Part 1??)

After an almost 7 year hiatus from music, tomorrow March 19th, Justin Timberlake will release is third album The 20/20 Experience, his highly anticipated follow up to Future Sex Lovesounds. 

Below is my 'First Impressions' of The 20/20 Experience.

It's been a week since I did this video and rather than do another video, I wanted to go through his album again, but this time from the perspective of, #1 a fan of music and #2 someone who wants to give an honest assessment of each song now that I've listened to it, literally, all week. 

It's no secret that Justin is my favorite. Not just as an artist, my favorite everything. He's definitely my #1 on the "I'd leave my husband for him" list. (Don't worry, my husband is fully aware and unless JT gets a divorce and decides that he wants a mid-thirties photographer mom, I think he's safe.) I've endured the crappy movies, (i.e., Bad Teacher, In Time and Trouble With the Curve), watched every video, bought all, (now) 3 albums and made my husband watch SNL all five times that he's hosted. Yes, to say I'm dedicated is a bit of an understatement…

However, just like in the video, I have to be completely honest when it comes to this album, as I'm sure he would appreciate it. Having 10 million people kiss your ass all the time about how good you are and how wonderful EVERYTHING you do gets to be a little, well, annoying. So here it is Justin (and all you JT fans, haters, and whatnots out there), my track by track analysis of The 20/20 Experience… 

But first… The History of Rap (Part 4)

See why I love this man?

First, I have to say that this album is the first album since marrying Jessica Biel in October, and it's mostly about love, not like he's ever really sang about anything else but it's pretty ooey gooey love… Women, you'll love it, guys might be turned off by it, unless you a guy are newly in love or just sensitive like that. 

Second, like I said in the video, the tracks are really long, sometimes they tend to wear on you a little bit, but hang in there. Timbaland who produced a majority, if not all the tracks, likes to do this on a lot of his songs. I'll agree that on damn near every single song, it gets a little old, but on some of them, I don't mind.

Okay, here we go…

Track 1: Pusher Love Girl 8:02

I honestly can say, I truly love this song. The intro with the violins that suddenly breaks into a groove that can only be described as Justin's sexy seductive lure. On the chorus he hits that falsetto pitch that just makes most of us swoon. This song bangs… hard. I think the lyrical content is edgy and honest (my nicotine/my blue dream/my hydroponic/candy jelly bean/can't you fix me up/I'm your number one fiend/be my little pill and just creep into my bloodstream). It's about love, bottom line. How love is addicting, like a drug, how it completely takes over everything in your world. This is from a newly wed, so of course he's in that 'she can do no wrong' stage. We'll see if he does an album in the next couple of years. It might turn in 'I love you, but the game's on'. We've all been there. 

I'm just a junk junk junk junk junkie for your love…. 

Track 2: Suit & Tie 5:26

First song released from the album. I have to admit, when he first released this, I wasn't a fan at all. I thought he looked and sounded a lot of Robin Thicke. Although I like Robin, I'm not a fan and for JT to take on that persona, I wasn't thrilled. But after listening to the song multiple times, I've learned to appreciate it. I love the chorus especially. The horns buried in the background play with the whole black and white, Tom Ford tuxedos theme and reminds me of a hip Frank Sinatra swag. But then it completely changes in the middle of the song when Jay-Z comes in. It's a nice change, albeit, I can't tell you how disappointed I am in Hov's rap. It's lackluster, at best, but the man has made so many hits, he doesn't need to be stellar on a cameo in a JT song. Overall, Suit & Tie is a solid song, it's catchy and was a good decision to release it first. 

Track 3: Don't Hold The Wall 7:10

One of the many faces of Timbaland, to go from Suit & Tie to this song takes some talent, which I don't think anyone will ever say that Timbaland doesn't have. This song isn't one of my favorites. It's ok, but it doesn't make me want to dance or sing to. It's just kinda there. I'm sure in the club when mixed with some other song by the DJ, it'll probably be a pretty decent dance tune. It's got a slow Bollywood feel to it, which, again, Timbaland will pull out every once and awhile. But I'm not really feeling the song at the moment. Definitely still think this is a filler song. 

Track 4: Strawberry Bubblegum 7:59

In the video, I completely land based this song and said that I hated it, worse song on the album, so on and so forth. Although, I've not grown to love it, I think that it's not as bad as I thought at first. I think the problem I have with it, the title. The song grooves until the chorus. I can feel the lyrics and what JT's talking about, then all of the sudden he says, "poppin' that strawberry bubblegum" then I lose all respect for whomever this girl is. It's an adult track right up to that very line, then it turns into a high school boy/girl scene and it loses something for me. The track is decent but is pretty hollow, like it's unfinished. The part that I really like is the 2nd part where the song should end but continues on. The tempo changes a bit and it becomes more tolerable. With the exception of the line 'strawberry bubblegum, can I be your blueberry lollipop…' Um, yeah, thanks for that visual Justin, but you referring to yourself as a blueberry lollipop doesn't make this song cute, kinda makes it lame. Sorry….

Track 5: Tunnel Vision 6:46

This song is genuine Timbaland. This track is drumbeat heavy and has all these little hidden sounds that you really have to hear in headphones to appreciate. Towards the end, again, typical Timbaland, it breaks out into violins and human beatbox where urban and symphonic sounds have sex and the baby produced is Tunnel Vision. It really doesn't matter what Justin is talking about in this song because it's all about Timbaland here. But JT's lyrics are strong and it's overall really likable. I truly see Aaliyah singing something to this song if she were still here. It's the kind of track she would of been all over. I'm glad it's on this album, it's a great song. I would of liked to hear more of this than some of the others. Just sayin'.

Track 6: Spaceship Coupe 7:17

Not a fan of this song either. It's got a very 90's feel to it, which isn't a bad thing but again, it's hollow, there's not a lot to it. I'm really not feeling what he's talking about either. I know that on Justified he had a song called Nuthin' Else where he says you're out of this world/except you're not green, I think he takes that song a step further. I mean, he's really talking about outer space in the song, almost to a point where you're going "what?". The end really breaks into a 90's ballad, which I dig, I just wish he was talking about sex in a completely different way. Again, another filler, not feeling this one much. 

Track 7: That Girl 4:48

Only song under 5 minutes and actually one that I could of taken for longer. Great song, love the guitar riff and the harmonies that fill the background. It opens like he's on stage, and I can totally see this being a really good concert song. It's got some fast tempo singing and then completely stops. I dig that. It's a full love song that is full of lyrics that is typical Justin Timberlake. Always talking about it doesn't matter what you look like, where you're from, I love you, no matter what. It's what makes ladies fall in love with him. 

Track 8: Let The Groove Get In 7:11

Like I said in the video, this is something completely different for Justin. It's got African drums, a samba beat and is catchy as hell. It's a great club track for sure, not really sure how it would do on stage. You can't really have a lot of dancers on stage dancing for this song, which JT typically does, but with a good musical director, it could happen. I think the beat is off the hook, but he doesn't really sing much other than the chant Are you comfortable/right there, right there/let the groove get in/there there, right there. Musically, it's a nice change. I can't say I hate it, I don't LOVE it, but it's cool. I won't skip it on my iPod, let's put it that way.

Track 9: Mirrors 8:04

I couldn't love this song anymore if I had to. This, for me, is the ultimate love song. I know it's dedicated to his new bride, but in my mind, it's for anyone in love. New love especially. I almost can't even describe this song and how powerful it is. The track is guitar and bass heavy in that classic Timbaland sound. Again, you have to listen to this in headphones to appreciate it. The lyrics, oh the lyrics. I can only say, beautiful.

The second part of this song is even more slow and soulful. The chant you are, you are the love of my life makes you bounce, in a great way. All I can really say is even if he doesn't truly mean these lyrics and just wrote them because he knew his female audience would eat it up (cause we ARE!), he's a genius. If he really does feel this way, flippin' Jessica Biel is a lucky bitch.

'Cause I don't wanna lose you nowI'm looking right at the other half of meThe vacancy that sat in my heartIs a space that now you holdShow me how to fight for nowAnd I'll tell you, baby, it was easyComing back into you once I figured it outYou were right here all alongIt's like you're my mirrorMy mirror staring back at meI couldn't get any biggerWith anyone else beside of meAnd now it's clear as this promiseThat we're making two reflections into one'Cause it's like you're my mirrorMy mirror staring back at me, staring back at me

Track 10: Blue Ocean Floor 7:19

Toooooooo sloooooooowww. Yes, it's too slow and lulls you out of the album and not in a good way, in a 'I'm gonna go to sleep' kind of way. I understand why he put it at the end, he did the same in Future Sex Lovesounds, but that song was a great ballad and held it's own. This one is far from Another Song (All Over Again). I don't like this song as a whole. Not feeling the lyrics at all and the track, as creative as it is, is very boring and about 3 minutes too long. The funny thing about this song is every blog that I've read about this album, loves it. I don't understand the connection or attraction, but to each his/her own. You guys love it, I'll continue to skip through it. 

So that's The 20/20 Experience. There are 2 bonus tracks on the CD at Target that I'll be picking up tomorrow. Overall, I don't dislike this album, but as I've stated, it's not great, it's good. 

Oh and to all those true blue JT fans out there, good news! This is only Part 1 of The 20/20 Experience! QuestLove spilled the news that Part 2 will be released November of 2013 making it a total of 20 tracks… Get it, The 20/20 Experience… Nice, huh. I just hope the 2nd part leave a little better impression than the first. Maybe this was all just a tease. Justin, and I say this for all your fans, please, tease away. 

Love…