In the immediate decade following his boy band peak with
*NSYNC
,
Justin Timberlake
was on top of the pop world with the post-Y2K classic
Justified
and the globe-conquering
FutureSex/LoveSounds
. The 2010s was a period of diminishing returns, capped by the confusing pivot to rustic themes on
Man of the Woods
. His big 2024 comeback,
Everything I Thought It Was
, mostly avoids that downward trend, offering a decent attempt at recapturing his former glory. The emotion and charisma that propelled his solo ascendance is present on the yearning "Drown" and "Flame," which sound like "Cry Me a River"/"What Goes Around¿" in the best ways. Plus his voice is still in fine form. Of the highlights, the team of
Angel Lopez
Federico Vindver
, and
Calvin Harris
delivers a pair of immediately catchy jams that help remind listeners of how expertly
Timberlake
can groove: "No Angels" is smooth, funky, and begging for the dancefloor, while "F*ckin' Up the Disco" soars with
's recognizable falsetto and an effortlessly breezy disco sheen. The slinky bass of "Play" is a flashback to the
loverman era, when
delivered some of his best
Prince
tributes; meanwhile "Infinity Sex" and the wild "My Favorite Drug" are rocket ships of swirling disco-space-funk, with the former so catchy it could possibly convince listeners that
JT
is still burning up the bedroom. Guests include
Fireboy DML
("Fire"),
Tobe Nwigwe
("Sanctified"), and
on their second reunion single "Paradise" (the first landing on 2023's
Trolls Band Together
soundtrack). Even though it's natural to pine for the quality of his first two solo efforts, it's still unfair to expect
to come close to those heights. In the end,
is better executed than
and on par with
The 20/20 Experience
. ~ Neil Z. Yeung