3 ways Timberlake went wrong, and why it might not matter
All Justin Timberlake’s life, it was as if he could do no wrong, from ‘N Sync to “SexyBack,” “Saturday Night Live” to “The Social Network.”
But this year, it’s been as if he couldn’t do anything right.
Once a widely celebrated superstar, Timberlake has become one of the biggest targets of our “canceled” culture, savagely roasted on social media and ripped to shreds by critics.
“We are now approaching the 12th year of the national delusion that Justin Timberlake remains an essential pop star,” The New York Times’ Jon Caramanica wrote in a scathing review of Timberlake’s latest album, “Man of the Woods.”
Where did all the Timberlake love go? Or, is it really gone?
Ahead of Timberlake’s Fiserv Forum show in Milwaukee Friday, here’s a look back at three of his recent missteps — and three reasons all the backlash may be overblown.
Where Timberlake went wrong
1. That Super Bowl show brought back bad memories.
The biggest controversy surrounding Timberlake (until recently) was the “wardrobe malfunction” at the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004. Except it didn’t actually affect Timberlake, who went on to become an even bigger superstar while his stage partner, Janet Jackson, reportedly was blacklisted by TV networks and radio stations.
Addressing the controversy with Beats 1’s Zane Lowe, Timberlake said he “made peace” with Jackson — but his comments were criticized as flippant. A guest appearance by Jackson during the 2018 halftime show could have brought closure; instead, Timberlake inspired further ire by performing “Rock Your Body,” the song he sang when he ripped Jackson’s top.
And Timberlake had another angry fan base to deal with when he paid tribute to Prince — with whom he’d had a fraught relationship. With the game in Minneapolis, a tribute to the late music (and hometown) legend was expected, but rumors of a Prince hologram, a technology the Purple One once called “demonic,” angered fans. No hologram was used, but Prince fans were still irked.
2. His wokeness is weak.
During the Trump era, artists who have been politically outspoken have been celebrated, while those who have continued to avoid hot topics have been criticized. Timberlake is one of the latter. He dropped a music video for “Supplies,” with forced visual allusions to the #MeToo movement and the Muslim travel ban that came across like a self-serving relevancy grab. And while he supported the Time’s Up movement in an Instagram post at the Golden Globes in January, Timberlake also appeared last December in “Wonder Wheel” from Woody Allen, who’s been under increased scrutiny after his daughter Dylan Farrow said he molested her as a child.
3. “Woods” is a creative low point.
None of these issues would really stick if Timberlake had released a smash album. But “Man of the Woods” is his low point, with high notes like the Chris Stapleton collaboration “Say Something” buried in a messy, hourlong ordeal. There’s an embarrassing interlude with wife Jessica Biel where she talks about how wearing Timberlake’s shirt “feels like his skin over mine.” And the wealthy and privileged pop star struggles to sell the backbreaking labor and credit-card debt at the center of “Livin’ Off the Land.” It didn’t help that the album’s release was preceded by a heavily mocked trailer that positioned Timberlake as an earthy artist in touch with nature, or that the star who once brought sexy back wore a deer-and-mountainrange shirt at the Super Bowl that was compared to a Mac OS Sierra screensaver.
Yet for all his fumbles, Timberlake is still a superstar.
Why Timberlake is here to stay
1. Ignorance won’t trigger enough outrage.
Despite the mounting evidence of Timberlake’s tone-deafness — and an understandable call to action to use his power to promote social change — Timberlake’s not required to do any of that. If Timberlake was explicitly found to say or do something clearly offensive or hurtful, the circumstances would change, but based on the “charges” so far, Timberlake can continue to skate by on ignorance, largely because …
2. He still sells.
“Man of the Woods” still debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 charts. And for the first half of 2018, his tour was the third-highest grosser in North America, and the seventh top-grossing tour in the world, according to Pollstar, earning nearly $84 million. With good humor and slick dance moves — and loads of older hits — Timberlake is still a massive live draw, especially because his tours are infrequent. His Milwaukee appearance Friday will be his first in the city in 15 years. And besides …
3. Teardowns, and comebacks, are common.
Rare is the artist who doesn’t have a “low point” in his or her career. Also rare is a superstar artist who doesn’t bounce back to some degree. Lady Gaga seemingly became toxic around the time of her “Artpop” album; now, she’s a contender for an Oscar nomination for “A Star Is Born.” Kanye West triggered outrage for his controversial comments this year — but he’s the musical guest on the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” Saturday.