Justin Timberlake: 'Man of the Woods' Review

After the 20/20 Experience release that Justin Timberlake made, Man of the Woods had mixed reviews and was claimed "average at best." Justin wanted to tie back to his Tennessee roots with this new album and incorporate new and old styles of his earlier albums. With features from Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton, JT adds a little bit of everything to his new album. I sat down and listened to every second of every song and broke it down for you all. I rated each song out of a scale of one to five. Here are my thoughts on Justin Timberlake’s new album, Man of the Woods.

1. "Filthy"

Four out of five: First song on the album and the first single released off the album, JT hits the ground running with this funky jam.

2. "Midnight Summer Jam"

Two out of five: If this song sounds familiar, it is because it has the same tones and beats as a previous Chance the Rapper song "Juke Jam." The flows of the song match up quite similarly.

3. "Sauce"

Three out of five: Compared to JT’s other music, this song seems thrown together and I was not a huge fan of it.

4. "Man of the Woods"

Five out of five: This is one of my favorite songs off the album because it isn’t like any other music out there right now. A little bit of country twang in the guitar and Justin’s soulful sound make the perfect combo.

5. "Higher Higher"

Three out of five: Music wise, I was not too impressed by this song. However, it was still meaningful lyrics and tells a story about wanting to impress someone you just met and trying to set yourself apart from those who have entered their life before.

6. "Wave"

Two out of five: Not one of the best songs on the album; it has a familiar vibe other songs, but does not bring anything new to the table like some of the other songs on this album.

7. "Supplies"

Four out of five: This song is way out of the spectrum of what is usually a JT song, but that’s what makes it so awesome.

8. "Morning Light" (feat. Alicia Keys)

Five out of five: We do not hear much of Alicia Keys these days and this song is a banger that represents the hardest part of a relationship and that is having to say goodbye. This song embodies not wanting to leave the side of the one you love.

9. "Say Something" (feat. Chris Stapleton)

Four out of five: JT collaborated with Chris Stapleton for a rendition of "Drink You Away" and "Tennessee Whiskey" at the CMAs in 2015. They came back together to create this piece of music. Digging into their soul of country songs and rhythms, JT and Chris hit it off with this song.

10. "Hers (Interlude)"

The interlude is a just a little break to section off the rest of the album. Reminds me of Blink-182’s self-titled album with their interlude.

11. "Flannel"

Five out of five: "Flannel" is a song that will have your head bopping to the beat the whole way through. I fell in love with the simplicity of this song.

12. "Montana"

Three out of five: Another song on the album that didn’t really stand out but was still catchy towards the end.

13. "Breeze Off the Pond"

Three out of five: This song brings out the old and new styles of JT with the smooth style of R&B in his voices and the beats and rhythms.

14. "Livin’ Off the Land"

Three out of five: In this song, Justin sings about living a hard life that can get you down sometimes and not always having a super successful outcome. To just keep grinding and taking on what life gives you along the way. Even though it can be difficult, there will be something about life that makes it all worth it.

15. "The Hard Stuff"

Five of five: This song represents the choices we make while in a relationship. This song hits close to home which is why I enjoyed it. Making decisions in a relationship can be difficult, and JT sings about the choice of going through life with that special someone through the good and the bad times.

16. "Young Man"

Five out of five: JT welcomed a baby boy into the world and wrote this song in the point of view of a father raising a son. This song is touching and heartwarming and ends the album in a perfect way.

All in all, JT’s album Man of the Woods is one of its own. Most of society doesn’t like change, and I will admit, going into listening to this album I was not a fan, but after sitting down and fully listening to it, my view has changed. JT found his sound with this album, incorporating new and old music into a well-rounded album. There is a flow from more pop at the beginning of the album then towards the end you see more of the old JT styles.

If you have any other suggestions for me, let me know! Hope you enjoyed some or all these songs. Make sure to support your local music scene ALWAYS and let the world know your favorite music. Let me know what music you want me to review next!

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