EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I WAS – JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
Released: 15 March 2024
Genre: Pop, RnB
Runtime: 77 minutes
Six years after his fifth studio album, Justin Timberlake returns to the Pop and RnB scene. Praised in his earlier career for taking the genre to new heights through his production style, he also has the ability to switch in and out of his charming falsetto and a knack for storytelling and songwriting.
JT has earned his stripes, however his newest record Everything I Thought I Was comes off a little flat and devoid of life. There are redeeming qualities – some catchy hooks, groovy baselines and instrumentals. However, there isn’t an awful lot to grab your attention, not even the included feature of his past boy band crew NSYNC. Although a more mature sounding Timberlake, the barebones themes aren’t enough to hook onto. If he isn’t doing sober love tunes he is catching onto the trend of doing Pop Funk tracks such F**kin’ Up The Disco, No Angels and Imagination.
In comparison to his contemporaries The Weeknd, the Silk Sonic duo and Dua Lipa (who arguably started this new 2020’s trend), JT lacks that real IT factor to really stand out in this Pop Funk era.
It’s not a horrible album, it’s actually good background noise for cleaning the house. But it’s not the older Justin Timberlake we miss and need.
5/10
BLUE LIPS – ScHoolboy Q
Released: 1 March 2024
Genre: Hip-Hop
Runtime: 56 Minutes
One of the most prolific and extravagant rappers in the game returns to the limelight, after a solid promotional roll out with his grimy and street gritty single Yearn 101 and visual material for other songs – ScHoolboy Q provides the goods for his sixth studio album.
With a mix of soulful jazz cuts and face scrunching dark hip-hop bangers, the Hover rapper gives you everything you need one song after another, or sometimes both in the one song. Such as THank god 4 me, which starts with a beautiful but eerie jazz instrumental then suddenly cuts cut to a loud and bombastic horn section and drums that smack you around.
On his last record CrasH Talk, Q was enjoying the fruits of his labour by the pool, here the golfer and father of two rethinks his life and how he came to be where he is; the accolades, the trauma and everything that comes with it.
Though 90% of the record was recorded circa 2021, he still resonates with a lot of the statements he lays on the record. Blue Lips at times isn’t sure what it wants to be, never holding onto a theme for too long, it’s chaotic in nature but there is beauty in the jungle, showing the audience the muddled mind of an artist who has gone through hell and back. It’s an encapsulating album for hip-hop fans, smooth tracks to sink into with your headphones and hard bangers to bump in the car with your friends.
8.5/10
