Timberlake to release new album on Feb. 2

Pharrell declares lead single will be a ‘smash’

The last year in music came to be defined by rap. For the first time in a long time, pop music was shoved down to the bottom shelf. With artists like Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato losing their grip on the charts, it’s clear we’ve needed a return to when pop was best, when ’90s legends Britney, Christina and, obviously, Justin Timberlake were at their peak.

On Tuesday, the superior Justin finally announced the release of his new album, Man of the Woods, set for Feb. 2.

While the announcement he’s finally making a new album is cause to celebrate, there are reasons to be concerned.

The album is unfortunately titled Man of the Woods, and in the teaser video released alongside his announcement, Timberlake can be seen fraternizing with the wilderness, sauntering through not only a wooded area, but by a blazing fire, through a cornfield, snow, water and even horses! You can just about smell the musk and sandalwood.

Sporting everything from a wool coat to a wet buttondown to a multi-coloured oversized quilt of some kind, one wonders just how much inspiration he took from Brad Pitt’s May 2017 GQ Style cover.

Is this Timberlake’s On the Road? God, let’s hope not.

In the video’s voiceover, Timberlake declares, “This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any other album I’ve ever written, where I’m from — it’s personal.”

One major sign that there may not be reason to fret: longtime Timberlake collaborator, Pharrell, produced the album and says in the video that the lead single is a “smash.”

The album release is well timed, with Timberlake set to perform at the Super Bowl halftime show just two days later.

Justin Timberlake