Justin Timberlake shared the “Man Of The Woods” tracklist, and he’s collaborating with two of our favorite artists
It’s hard to believe it’s been four years since Justin Timberlake released his last full-length album, The 20/20 Experience. In those four years, he hasn’t exactly kept a low profile. He’s acted in the animated film Trolls and Woody Allen’s Wonder Wheel. He released the ubiquitous 2016 song, “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” Plus, he’s been on what feels like a constant tour with his band, The Tennessee Kids. And of course, he’s frequently in the news for being cute with wife Jessica Biel, BFF Jimmy Fallon, or both.
But apparently, all that time away has given JT the time to do some soul-searching in the wilderness, if the title of his upcoming album is any indication. Justin Timberlake will release Man Of The Woods on February 2nd. Wondering what’s in store? He just shared the Man of the Woods tracklist on Instagram. And, he revealed that two of our favorite artists make appearances on the album: Chris Stapleton and Alicia Keys.
Timberlake announced the new album on Tuesday, January 2nd, with a trailer that features him wearing blankets and roaming around sweeping, deserted vistas with snow and horses and campfires. Then, he released his new song “Filthy” on Friday, January 5th. (Maybe he’ll perform it at this year’s Super Bowl halftime show?) Timberlake says the album is about “where he’s from,” which could mean his birthplace of Memphis, Tennessee.
The Man Of The Woods tracklist seems to point to a rootsy, country-inspired album.
The album’s 16 tracks read a little bit like a parody of an album made by someone whose favorite book is Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. You’ve got a song called “Flannel.” And another one titled simply, “Montana.” Follow that with “Breeze Off The Pond.” And our favorite: “Livin’ Off The Land.” Justin, you’re rich ok?
That said, JT’s first single is anything but soft campfire country lite.
“Filthy,” is, well, a little dirty. It’s clearly a reference to his most memorable hit, “SexyBack.” And it features a lot of futuristic, vaguely techno influences. Oh, and the music video has robots.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA-NDZb29I4?feature=oembed
In conclusion, who knows what this album is going to sound like? With appearances from Stapleton and Keys, maybe it’ll be a cross-genre mashup the likes of which maybe only Justin Timberlake has the potential to pull off. We can’t wait to hear it!
