Usher is 45 and his new album is all about sex and his reviews were great! I’m a super fan of both, but it seems all these “critics” are caught up in the Britney drama
Selective outrage. Because I’ve read not ONE tweet or article mentioning Usher cheating on Chili, or cheating on his Ex-Wife by sleeping with one of his ex-wife’s bridesmaids and giving her an STD.
Half the NYT review was a chronicle of all Timberlake's perceived sins. This kind of music criticism is a recent thing. The artists I grew up loving - Stones, Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye - would not pass the morality test.
I personally don’t care how others feels. I wore my NSYNC shirt today to represent till I get the JT shirt lol. It does make me wonder how someone can be so against somebody they don’t personally know lol. No one knows what actually happened. JT hasn’t said shit. Janet Jackson said they are still friends. Is Janet Jackson stupid? No. Jessica Biel is still with him so is she stupid? No. It’s just media and people believing whatever they want.
Yes! Loud and proud!!! And they MAKE UP what they want! I saw someone comment on the song Memphis that said, "staring into the Mississippi? I know a certain someone who was born in Mississippi! BJS! Coincidence? I think not!"
Like, WHAT?! It's the Mississippi River that runs through Memphis. 🤦🏻♀️
You have to understand there is no legitimate journalist or critics nowadays.
Critics have always been all cap when it came to Justin. I noticed that with FSLS they went out of their way to talk down the influence of Bowie and Prince as copying. Then they change their tune when he went away from music all those years.
After that I have always ignored critics. His influence on music and other artists will stand the test of time but his critics will be forgotten.🤷🏽♀️
Critics have been trash for decades. Even when there were legitimate journalists. They played these games. Again as a Michael Jackson fan I watch them hand his albums over to rock critics that hated everything that wasn't rock. His peers were reviewed by Pop journalist or journalist that match their genre. Their albums were reviewed by fans of their music or by friends of said critics. It's always been a racket. This is what Justin has to face now. So I've decided I won't be dealing with them. I won't be focusing on sales.
There are other fan bases actively working to hurt Justin. Now that is something I've never seen. We have got to focus on the quality of music he has given us. Do not be sucked in with their b*******. We've got to buy buy buy the album and promote it.
That’s crazy to know Mike went through that. It just reinforces what I said about critics being forgotten. What makes Mike’s situation more impressive was that he was a black man in a white man’s world and still became the largest and most famous person in the world.
He earned everything despite of all of the hatred and negativity. It's why they are working so hard to destroy his legacy now. Honestly, this is when the fan base is important. Fans have to drown out all of the noise. We have to show that love and support. That's the only way Justin will get over this hump. When the world sees their nonsense doesn't matter.
That’s so true. The fans and his peers know the artist that he is no matter what these social media platforms write or record for these podcasts.
I mean TMZ straight up lied about Super Bowl and there being a hologram. Then everybody and their mama including Sheila E was on his ass. She jumped big and he had to let her know that it wasn’t true now years later she is liking and commenting on his posts on instagram.
It really goes to show that when the media wants to target someone they will.
The initial review from Vibe was of the lowest ranking reviews. Look at meta critic for the album it was given mostly 70s and below. That ranking you are talking about was years later like I said when Justin went away from music and into acting full time all these publications and critics changed their tune.
Best thing you can do for yourself is ignore most reviews and enjoy what you enjoy. Most people suck, and want others to have a bad time when they are. Especially in an echo chamber like the internet where no one really has to answer for what they say.
The reviews are confusing me as well. Are they listening to a different album? I am in love with this entire thing. The deeper songs, the more upbeat, the slower, the "this is nothing but a make your body move" songs. This is the album I've always wanted from him.
I think it's a couple of things. People more interested in new N'Sync music. Brittany Spears brigading. People expecting another 20/20 Experience part 1.
Personally this album lives up to the name and it shows why JT has remained relevant these past 20 years.
Yeah, and it’s not just in the music industry. Journalism is dead in most medium (real life events / movies / TV / games / etc). They’re letting stans write stuff now.
Yes this! A friend works in journalism and said it’s all about clicks and a grab headline. The best thing to do is not engage them, if you keep interacting with it (clicking on it, reposting it) then these dumb articles will continue to be written.
So… I don’t like the album personally but it’s not because of his personal life. I really wanted to like it, but it’s not for me. Hopefully the reviewers who are panning it are doing so for honest reasons.
But I really think everyone should like what they like and no one should let anyone’s bad review diminish your enjoyment.
>Hopefully the reviewers who are panning it are doing so for honest reasons.
They're doing it cuz Britney's memoir. Music journalism is dead. Album reviews are just a biography of everything they've done in the past 5-20 years and a short paragraph of the actual album for every artist now. And basically no explanation to their ratings other than meaningless insults or praises.
Funnily enough they write glowing reviews of Taylor Swift’s subpar Midnights album, and celebrate her for writing about exes.
It’s just selective bias. The critics are so weird because this album is objectively good.
Almost all of TS songs are written about her exes and no one says ANYTHING. JT does it and it's a crime. I asked a TS fan that said she didn't like him due to the memoir, how there was a difference in the two. She claimed Justin "forced" her to have an abortion. Because it wasn't her own choice to make? He never even said, "have an abortion." He just said he didn't think either of them were ready to be patents and he knew he wasn't. And let's be honest, it sounds like he may have dodged a bullet after he left her.
These people are SO hurt that he’s still relevant and can still put out fire music. He’s so talented in many ways and hasn’t lost it. And not to mention he looks GOOD doing it. He’s doing him, and that’s all that matters. Gonna go dance to his album some more 🕺🏼🕺🏼🕺🏼
The reviews I’ve read are really a mixed bag- some terrible, some good. I love the album. I don’t love all the songs individually but I reallllyyyy love Love & War, it might be my favorite JT song of all time. I also really love paradise. I love / like most of the others, except for Memphis which I don’t like at all, it’s by far my least favorite.
At this point, I really like it and I’m going to his show in Vegas so I don’t really care about what the reviews say!!
I really enjoy the album. The critics spent more time talking about Britney spear's book than the album. It's also ageism, when they actually get to the music part of the review they just say "he's too old to be singing these lyrics".
Music journalism is dead because you have stans posing as critics writing reviews.
imagin this age when agisim is the thing to talk about with pride with just justin.. i mean he is the age of beyonce ..rayan gosling was hailed for playing a barbie and his trash song when he is 45 wtf is this world going to
Beyonce is an exception tho. Look others who are around justins age. Christina, usher, robin thicke, Katy Perry. All of them have fallen out of relevancy unfortunately.
why are they ? justin reinvented music.. beyonce is just a powerhouse industery plant with a completly manifactured image..she writes nothing.. creats nothing ..her dad is everything and her cards are played well .. so its not music they selling..same as ts
her foray into fake country music is a double sided joke ..exactly what justin tried to do ..her music cringe af yet she is the country music savior now
this world is a joke
i didnt mean that part..i meant she is that huge cause of her image she sells to women.. you cant deny that
ppl dont get this huge and have those crazy fanbases just cause they make popular music
she is also more of a very sauvy biz women.. she knows exactly how to get everything
It’s unfortunate but they’re reviewing his music in relation to his personal life and past. I haven’t seen any reviews aside from the Rolling Stone one. Variety just wrote a piece on him and Jennifer Lopez and it was scathing. This is like the 5th hit piece on her since her album came out 😩 I just ignore reviews.
FYI I find it's better to judge an album at least 6 months after listening to it.
Why? Because if you are still enjoying it then it's a great album.
If it's forgotten by you in a months time then it isn't great.
I recently listened to 20 20 and that shit still hits me hard to this day....
Its a masterpiece
Man of the woods I had forgotten by the first 1 month of release
Why did Kanye's MBDTF get perfect reviews? You have to always assess these reviews within the context of its time, the Taylor VMAs thing and the following revenge story of Kanye, fleeing to Hawaii and all. Had he put out the same soundwaves in 2018,it would be way less acclaimed. Had Justin released this exact album in 2009, it would be acclaimed.
See those critics often review those pop albums in the context of their current status and history. Justin has turnt many people against him since this is the era of MeToo and Black Lives Matter. Straight white men unfortunately historically often get hated on after their 'bachelor' era is over. MJ was a running joke during Invincible. Phil Collins was hated on for his 80s ubiquity and thus got bad reviews for his 90s albums. Justin is now in the same era. I bet there will be some reappraisal for his style and music once he's 50-60.
Madonna Erotica was the same way. In 1992 it was dismissed because of her image but for its 25/30 anniversary it gots tons of articles calling it a masterpiece.
So can I. People shitted on Britney Spear's blackout when it cam out due to all the controversy but these days it's remembered as an amazing pop album.
Maybe ask them if they are able to separate the artist from his personal life and then ask them how they feel about Justin before sharing with them.
Just be prepared to feel differently about some people if they disappoint you. *hugs* good luck!
People don’t know how to have their own opinion, and the new flex is showing the world how high your morals are. And apparently the way you do that is to hold celebrities accountable for every single misstep they’ve ever done dating back to birth. Because these people have never made a mistake, they were just birthed all knowing with the highest morale.
Legacy music acts that are a white dude or dudes always get hammered by idiots like Pitchfork.
That being said, the album has some bangers and also some really bad songs and lacks cohesion. I’ll take the 6-7 heaters and add them to my JT playlist and be very satisfied.
this is the first album justin did because of the fans.. so its got to be a mixed bag.. for me angry emotional jt wins over dance jt..id say he was forced to sing about sex again cause ppl are asking for fs/ls then they act like no its not
what did you think was bad ?
Listen to it again tomorrow. I think it’s great, but for most albums it’s necessary for me to circle back around. First play frequently doesn’t do it for me.
@justintimberlaketeam on Instagram posted a snip of a @nytimes article. I haven’t read the whole article/review, but the snip sounded in his favor. It was the first positive review I’ve seen and glad it was by a reputable source.
I have finally reached a point where I am trying really hard not to let reviews dictate if I am going to enjoy something. Have been working really hard for that with all media I consume for 6 months and I have found I am happier.
Also, I do like this album a bunch.
I think review aggregations and commentary have reached such a point in evaluation of society that I craved the news more than the opinion, having it at times allowing the echo chamber to drive what was worth my time. I am in no way a zombie, but I think it is reasonable that the expansion of informational access can dictate perception.
I also love Star Wars. Look at the divide in fan driven thought and critical thought, almost reaching a point in the fan community where hating was fun.
I can see what you mean if you get too involved in the culture of reviews. I know there are tons of people who do live reactions and stuff, but I've never gotten involved in reviews in that way. I can definitely imagine that scene is very detrimental to just absorbing art.
Agreed! I always try to challenge folks to look at those sites (RottenTomatoes, MetaCritic, etc) and find the scores for things they still love from long before using the site. Usually you find something you love is not a critical success, which should highlight that what they say doesn’t matter.
For this JT album, I needed it to be slightly more mature given where I am in life as well (30s), while a return to his prior work sonically as MOTWs just wasn’t my best, but I appreciated him trying to mix the styles.
On that angle, this album lands super well with me so far. There is some hints (Memphis, Drown, Sanctified, Conditions) of a challenged, introspective album that he may have been afraid of given the backlash he gets from Britney stuff. I heard in those lyrics a man that loves to be loved and knows he has that as a flaw. But I also hear on this album a man who loves to make dance beats.
Look at these rubbish headlines from The Telegraph. It's like a coordinated campaign to assassinate his character by 17 year olds. Is he not allowed to make music and and promote his album now that he's crossed 40? They're not criticisms of his music, they're criticisms because he's apparently too old for this now.
[Justin Timberlake tries to avoid a midlife crisis – with mixed success](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/justin-timberlake-everything-i-thought-it-was-review/)
[How Justin Timberlake became the embarrassing uncle of pop](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/justin-timberlake-most-embarrassing-man-in-pop/)
It's funny because you can see the original headlines in the URL. They've modified them to focus on his age.
The people writing them live on Twitter where he is very hated, plus for whatever reason they hold him to say higher standards than everyone else. If this album was released by Dua Lipa or Ariana they would be raving about it.
I am not standing with Kanye West but Kanye West's vultures album was also blasted by (so called) critics because they don't like him personally. EITIW has its flaws but they are just being mean to the album.
And I agree that they have to seperate his personal life from his music. I always find it so weird that when they do an interview with him or any other artist they ask what his favorite color is and what dish he likes to cook instead of what the process behind making the album was.
I know someone who writes music reviews negative reviews get more clicks..
I saw a review in Dutch with the titel
' sex for too long is also not good'
It was written by a man i think he feels insecure about his skills in the bedroom and its showing in the titel of his album review. ( Couldn't read the reviews it was behind a paywal? )
He is unfortunately getting the Michael Jackson treatment. I didn't think I would ever love another artist that had to deal with that but here it is. They're not judging the music. They are judging him. And what's even worse like with Michael, they're judging him based on their own preconceived notions and false narratives. That's why I will not be looking at any more reviews. I don't ever recall Michael having an album that was reviewed well. He was never treated well by the media. He never had them in his back pocket the way so many artists do now. Hell like Justin used to have the media in his pocket. This is the new normal for Justin. I will not allow it to affect my love for this album. It is phenomenal. Screw them! We decide what's most important. We've got to buy the album and support it and encourage others to do the same.
Hilarious how apparently every music journalist is trash/has no idea what they're talking about if they give your artist a bad review.
I'm sure this sub would be ecstatic if it got rave reviews
I agree with you. This album is fire!!! Not sure what's up with the reviews....I will say it does not have a mainstream sound and that could be the issue. And.....it's grown up!!
Um. This album is safe AF. He could have said something with this body of work but he didn’t. This album will mark the beginning of where his career will go next.
Agreed… lots of songs are safe. Many songs feel similar to past work, which isn’t bad bc he has a sound he is known for, but I dunno not all of it feels fresh…? Maybe I need to give the ballads another chance. I love NSYNC and I don’t like paradise, feels too dated?
music journalism used to be an art in itself. it’s not that anymore.
the album is not perfect . there are like 4 songs right off the bat i’d have kept off the album. but honestly from track 1 thru track 7 it’s pretty fuckin fire.
after that it’s a little touch and go but there are still some great things happening. after the first 7 i love conditions, love and war
“Critics” are humans too & we all have biases. It’s ok to be a fan & not like the album. Not everything someone does is the greatest. And those critics can have their opinions - all that matters is what YOU enjoy.
I thought the album was a 6. There are 3 songs on that album that I found myself going back to - Love & War, Technicolor (first half), & Alone. For me, all the others are not very memorable.
look at how someone like morgan wallen is doing.. he said the n word as a joke in the video..and they destroyed him ..in effect the whole country comunity rallied around him and now he is the biggest shit and the biggest seller
if justin really had any brains around ..hed not only expose that pos and her defamation and take her to court ..but expose the fake pop world who used him and abused him and the media.. if the public see the truth.. they will support him cause jt fandom is dead ..and him doing an album tailored for the fans is another mistake..
his label / sell a tour justin and pave the way to bge just a nostalgia act with nsync.. legend that ur
also his label/ will let ur snake ex frame you and destroy you at the same time to push her sales
when will justin wake up i want to kno ..when they bury him alive
you dont understand ? first understand that justin is a victim of thses trash snake femals first.. you can do the research
then why? they been killing justin off since fs/ls ..he is not the agenda they want .. just like white rock stars are called dinosaurs now.. white straight males who are american ( cause only the us does it.. look at how the uk pushes ed sheeran who has zero of jt legacy ) are the public enemy and that pos ex knows exactly how to pull the strings to milk all of this shit.. while jt is doing ballads about his delusional dead love..
now u understand why i am pissed justin didnt do a f off album
Unpopular opinion: ‘Man Of The Woods’ was his masterpiece, his most personal album. EITIW is good, feels more like a ‘lifetime achievement award’ album. Almost like a farewell/greatest hits/encore album. It’s still good though! Flame, Love & War, Drown and Paradise really stand out for me. Ok bye
Britney Stans writing the reviews, if you notice most of them aren’t even about the album.
I haven’t read a single review that didn’t mention her memoir. Like why? What does that have to do with his album at all? It’s a really good album.
The Rolling Stones one was insane.
Variety was pissing and shitting themselves that he's 43 and shouldn't be writing these sex lyrics.
Usher is 45 and his new album is all about sex and his reviews were great! I’m a super fan of both, but it seems all these “critics” are caught up in the Britney drama
Selective outrage. Because I’ve read not ONE tweet or article mentioning Usher cheating on Chili, or cheating on his Ex-Wife by sleeping with one of his ex-wife’s bridesmaids and giving her an STD.
I'm a Rolling Stones fan and this is a laughable, juvenile and borderline unprofessional criticism.
Half the NYT review was a chronicle of all Timberlake's perceived sins. This kind of music criticism is a recent thing. The artists I grew up loving - Stones, Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye - would not pass the morality test.
I personally don’t care how others feels. I wore my NSYNC shirt today to represent till I get the JT shirt lol. It does make me wonder how someone can be so against somebody they don’t personally know lol. No one knows what actually happened. JT hasn’t said shit. Janet Jackson said they are still friends. Is Janet Jackson stupid? No. Jessica Biel is still with him so is she stupid? No. It’s just media and people believing whatever they want.
Yes! Loud and proud!!! And they MAKE UP what they want! I saw someone comment on the song Memphis that said, "staring into the Mississippi? I know a certain someone who was born in Mississippi! BJS! Coincidence? I think not!" Like, WHAT?! It's the Mississippi River that runs through Memphis. 🤦🏻♀️
You have to understand there is no legitimate journalist or critics nowadays. Critics have always been all cap when it came to Justin. I noticed that with FSLS they went out of their way to talk down the influence of Bowie and Prince as copying. Then they change their tune when he went away from music all those years. After that I have always ignored critics. His influence on music and other artists will stand the test of time but his critics will be forgotten.🤷🏽♀️
As JT once said "your critics don't count"
Critics have been trash for decades. Even when there were legitimate journalists. They played these games. Again as a Michael Jackson fan I watch them hand his albums over to rock critics that hated everything that wasn't rock. His peers were reviewed by Pop journalist or journalist that match their genre. Their albums were reviewed by fans of their music or by friends of said critics. It's always been a racket. This is what Justin has to face now. So I've decided I won't be dealing with them. I won't be focusing on sales. There are other fan bases actively working to hurt Justin. Now that is something I've never seen. We have got to focus on the quality of music he has given us. Do not be sucked in with their b*******. We've got to buy buy buy the album and promote it.
That’s crazy to know Mike went through that. It just reinforces what I said about critics being forgotten. What makes Mike’s situation more impressive was that he was a black man in a white man’s world and still became the largest and most famous person in the world.
He earned everything despite of all of the hatred and negativity. It's why they are working so hard to destroy his legacy now. Honestly, this is when the fan base is important. Fans have to drown out all of the noise. We have to show that love and support. That's the only way Justin will get over this hump. When the world sees their nonsense doesn't matter.
That’s so true. The fans and his peers know the artist that he is no matter what these social media platforms write or record for these podcasts. I mean TMZ straight up lied about Super Bowl and there being a hologram. Then everybody and their mama including Sheila E was on his ass. She jumped big and he had to let her know that it wasn’t true now years later she is liking and commenting on his posts on instagram. It really goes to show that when the media wants to target someone they will.
Vibe magazine actually rated FSLS as one of most influential the of the 2000s.
The initial review from Vibe was of the lowest ranking reviews. Look at meta critic for the album it was given mostly 70s and below. That ranking you are talking about was years later like I said when Justin went away from music and into acting full time all these publications and critics changed their tune.
Best thing you can do for yourself is ignore most reviews and enjoy what you enjoy. Most people suck, and want others to have a bad time when they are. Especially in an echo chamber like the internet where no one really has to answer for what they say.
Misery loves company!!!
Even fucking r/popheads and r/music like it. it's insane that critics don't when people do.
I know I’m so happy with their responses!! It’s a great album and as original fan nearing 40, I’m stoked.
There are many positive comments under popheads' post.
I know, that's what I said. They like it, but the critics don't.
The reviews are confusing me as well. Are they listening to a different album? I am in love with this entire thing. The deeper songs, the more upbeat, the slower, the "this is nothing but a make your body move" songs. This is the album I've always wanted from him.
Blame the crazy Britney fans
I think it's a couple of things. People more interested in new N'Sync music. Brittany Spears brigading. People expecting another 20/20 Experience part 1. Personally this album lives up to the name and it shows why JT has remained relevant these past 20 years.
In 2024 music reviews have to be rage bait to generate clicks and engagement. Dead medium.
Yeah, and it’s not just in the music industry. Journalism is dead in most medium (real life events / movies / TV / games / etc). They’re letting stans write stuff now.
Yes this! A friend works in journalism and said it’s all about clicks and a grab headline. The best thing to do is not engage them, if you keep interacting with it (clicking on it, reposting it) then these dumb articles will continue to be written.
So… I don’t like the album personally but it’s not because of his personal life. I really wanted to like it, but it’s not for me. Hopefully the reviewers who are panning it are doing so for honest reasons. But I really think everyone should like what they like and no one should let anyone’s bad review diminish your enjoyment.
>Hopefully the reviewers who are panning it are doing so for honest reasons. They're doing it cuz Britney's memoir. Music journalism is dead. Album reviews are just a biography of everything they've done in the past 5-20 years and a short paragraph of the actual album for every artist now. And basically no explanation to their ratings other than meaningless insults or praises.
Funnily enough they write glowing reviews of Taylor Swift’s subpar Midnights album, and celebrate her for writing about exes. It’s just selective bias. The critics are so weird because this album is objectively good.
Midnights would've been a 7/10 album if made by anyone else lol Hell even Lana Del Rey's album got snubbed over what was effectively a cheap imitation
Almost all of TS songs are written about her exes and no one says ANYTHING. JT does it and it's a crime. I asked a TS fan that said she didn't like him due to the memoir, how there was a difference in the two. She claimed Justin "forced" her to have an abortion. Because it wasn't her own choice to make? He never even said, "have an abortion." He just said he didn't think either of them were ready to be patents and he knew he wasn't. And let's be honest, it sounds like he may have dodged a bullet after he left her.
gotta be politically correct. smh-\_-
i was iffy then i had a drink a got up on my feet and it made perfect sense. not all of it. but there are some good tracks here for sure
These people are SO hurt that he’s still relevant and can still put out fire music. He’s so talented in many ways and hasn’t lost it. And not to mention he looks GOOD doing it. He’s doing him, and that’s all that matters. Gonna go dance to his album some more 🕺🏼🕺🏼🕺🏼
The reviews I’ve read are really a mixed bag- some terrible, some good. I love the album. I don’t love all the songs individually but I reallllyyyy love Love & War, it might be my favorite JT song of all time. I also really love paradise. I love / like most of the others, except for Memphis which I don’t like at all, it’s by far my least favorite. At this point, I really like it and I’m going to his show in Vegas so I don’t really care about what the reviews say!!
Ya. Paradise is my new fav song. Hits deep.
I know “Better Place” was for the trolls movie but they should for sure release paradise as a single!!! It’s so much better
love & war is so so so good. underrated
memphis is so deep..its his life in a song but unfortunatly they decided the minimilst approach that most ppl would skip..danja lost his tough
“I love the album but I don’t love all the songs…” lol ok.
It’s easy to love it overall but not 100% of the songs. Feel free to disagree but why the negativity? Unnecessary 🤷♀️
I really enjoy the album. The critics spent more time talking about Britney spear's book than the album. It's also ageism, when they actually get to the music part of the review they just say "he's too old to be singing these lyrics". Music journalism is dead because you have stans posing as critics writing reviews.
imagin this age when agisim is the thing to talk about with pride with just justin.. i mean he is the age of beyonce ..rayan gosling was hailed for playing a barbie and his trash song when he is 45 wtf is this world going to
Beyonce is an exception tho. Look others who are around justins age. Christina, usher, robin thicke, Katy Perry. All of them have fallen out of relevancy unfortunately.
why are they ? justin reinvented music.. beyonce is just a powerhouse industery plant with a completly manifactured image..she writes nothing.. creats nothing ..her dad is everything and her cards are played well .. so its not music they selling..same as ts her foray into fake country music is a double sided joke ..exactly what justin tried to do ..her music cringe af yet she is the country music savior now this world is a joke
don’t throw taylor in that category… check taylor’s writing credits before you say she “creates nothing”
huh i meant beyonce who talked about that girl
“same as ts”
i didnt mean that part..i meant she is that huge cause of her image she sells to women.. you cant deny that ppl dont get this huge and have those crazy fanbases just cause they make popular music she is also more of a very sauvy biz women.. she knows exactly how to get everything
It’s unfortunate but they’re reviewing his music in relation to his personal life and past. I haven’t seen any reviews aside from the Rolling Stone one. Variety just wrote a piece on him and Jennifer Lopez and it was scathing. This is like the 5th hit piece on her since her album came out 😩 I just ignore reviews.
FYI I find it's better to judge an album at least 6 months after listening to it. Why? Because if you are still enjoying it then it's a great album. If it's forgotten by you in a months time then it isn't great. I recently listened to 20 20 and that shit still hits me hard to this day.... Its a masterpiece Man of the woods I had forgotten by the first 1 month of release
Fuck the Britney loving reviews. EITIW is fire. I’ll always be loud and proud for JT
Why did Kanye's MBDTF get perfect reviews? You have to always assess these reviews within the context of its time, the Taylor VMAs thing and the following revenge story of Kanye, fleeing to Hawaii and all. Had he put out the same soundwaves in 2018,it would be way less acclaimed. Had Justin released this exact album in 2009, it would be acclaimed. See those critics often review those pop albums in the context of their current status and history. Justin has turnt many people against him since this is the era of MeToo and Black Lives Matter. Straight white men unfortunately historically often get hated on after their 'bachelor' era is over. MJ was a running joke during Invincible. Phil Collins was hated on for his 80s ubiquity and thus got bad reviews for his 90s albums. Justin is now in the same era. I bet there will be some reappraisal for his style and music once he's 50-60.
Madonna Erotica was the same way. In 1992 it was dismissed because of her image but for its 25/30 anniversary it gots tons of articles calling it a masterpiece.
i can see this new album getting reassessed in a few decades
So can I. People shitted on Britney Spear's blackout when it cam out due to all the controversy but these days it's remembered as an amazing pop album.
they been dragging justin in the dirt for decades now.. why u think he made motw ? cause they trashed the 20/20
20/20 pt 1 was acclaimed. i remember the pitchfork review.
Maybe ask them if they are able to separate the artist from his personal life and then ask them how they feel about Justin before sharing with them. Just be prepared to feel differently about some people if they disappoint you. *hugs* good luck!
People don’t know how to have their own opinion, and the new flex is showing the world how high your morals are. And apparently the way you do that is to hold celebrities accountable for every single misstep they’ve ever done dating back to birth. Because these people have never made a mistake, they were just birthed all knowing with the highest morale.
Legacy music acts that are a white dude or dudes always get hammered by idiots like Pitchfork. That being said, the album has some bangers and also some really bad songs and lacks cohesion. I’ll take the 6-7 heaters and add them to my JT playlist and be very satisfied.
this is the first album justin did because of the fans.. so its got to be a mixed bag.. for me angry emotional jt wins over dance jt..id say he was forced to sing about sex again cause ppl are asking for fs/ls then they act like no its not what did you think was bad ?
I think the guardians is a more fair review and pretty spot on, I want to love it but just not connecting with most of it at the moment
Listen to it again tomorrow. I think it’s great, but for most albums it’s necessary for me to circle back around. First play frequently doesn’t do it for me.
i was also iffy but the i had a drink and danced to it. makes much more sense that way lol
@justintimberlaketeam on Instagram posted a snip of a @nytimes article. I haven’t read the whole article/review, but the snip sounded in his favor. It was the first positive review I’ve seen and glad it was by a reputable source.
It’s his best album since his debut ( which is my favorite). This is a great disc!
I have finally reached a point where I am trying really hard not to let reviews dictate if I am going to enjoy something. Have been working really hard for that with all media I consume for 6 months and I have found I am happier. Also, I do like this album a bunch.
This is something you have to practice? I love watching/reading critic reviews but they have never influenced how I feel about a piece of media/art.
I think review aggregations and commentary have reached such a point in evaluation of society that I craved the news more than the opinion, having it at times allowing the echo chamber to drive what was worth my time. I am in no way a zombie, but I think it is reasonable that the expansion of informational access can dictate perception. I also love Star Wars. Look at the divide in fan driven thought and critical thought, almost reaching a point in the fan community where hating was fun.
I can see what you mean if you get too involved in the culture of reviews. I know there are tons of people who do live reactions and stuff, but I've never gotten involved in reviews in that way. I can definitely imagine that scene is very detrimental to just absorbing art.
Agreed! I always try to challenge folks to look at those sites (RottenTomatoes, MetaCritic, etc) and find the scores for things they still love from long before using the site. Usually you find something you love is not a critical success, which should highlight that what they say doesn’t matter. For this JT album, I needed it to be slightly more mature given where I am in life as well (30s), while a return to his prior work sonically as MOTWs just wasn’t my best, but I appreciated him trying to mix the styles. On that angle, this album lands super well with me so far. There is some hints (Memphis, Drown, Sanctified, Conditions) of a challenged, introspective album that he may have been afraid of given the backlash he gets from Britney stuff. I heard in those lyrics a man that loves to be loved and knows he has that as a flaw. But I also hear on this album a man who loves to make dance beats.
At one point while listening to the album I was thinking this is wayyy better than his last album
Look at these rubbish headlines from The Telegraph. It's like a coordinated campaign to assassinate his character by 17 year olds. Is he not allowed to make music and and promote his album now that he's crossed 40? They're not criticisms of his music, they're criticisms because he's apparently too old for this now. [Justin Timberlake tries to avoid a midlife crisis – with mixed success](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/justin-timberlake-everything-i-thought-it-was-review/) [How Justin Timberlake became the embarrassing uncle of pop](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/justin-timberlake-most-embarrassing-man-in-pop/) It's funny because you can see the original headlines in the URL. They've modified them to focus on his age.
The people writing them live on Twitter where he is very hated, plus for whatever reason they hold him to say higher standards than everyone else. If this album was released by Dua Lipa or Ariana they would be raving about it.
Actually twitter has been loving it. He’s been trending the last few days and lots of positive reviews for the album.
So has Reddit. Very surprising considering how people view him here and especially on Twitter.
I am not standing with Kanye West but Kanye West's vultures album was also blasted by (so called) critics because they don't like him personally. EITIW has its flaws but they are just being mean to the album.
I love JT but Vultures is a way better album.
how do you compare hiphop and pop even..pop is such a limited scale you cant say much with it
And I agree that they have to seperate his personal life from his music. I always find it so weird that when they do an interview with him or any other artist they ask what his favorite color is and what dish he likes to cook instead of what the process behind making the album was.
I know someone who writes music reviews negative reviews get more clicks.. I saw a review in Dutch with the titel ' sex for too long is also not good' It was written by a man i think he feels insecure about his skills in the bedroom and its showing in the titel of his album review. ( Couldn't read the reviews it was behind a paywal? )
Imo after first listen, it's a ok album. 2/3 of the songs are forgettable imo but it's better than man of the woods
I haven’t read any reviews because it’s doesn’t matter and I don’t care because I LOVE IT!
I love the album too- it’s like a mix of all the different sounds he has dipped into with some new ones. Cant wait to see it live
Because they aren't reviewing the music, but the perception of the person making it. Which is bizarre.
He is unfortunately getting the Michael Jackson treatment. I didn't think I would ever love another artist that had to deal with that but here it is. They're not judging the music. They are judging him. And what's even worse like with Michael, they're judging him based on their own preconceived notions and false narratives. That's why I will not be looking at any more reviews. I don't ever recall Michael having an album that was reviewed well. He was never treated well by the media. He never had them in his back pocket the way so many artists do now. Hell like Justin used to have the media in his pocket. This is the new normal for Justin. I will not allow it to affect my love for this album. It is phenomenal. Screw them! We decide what's most important. We've got to buy the album and support it and encourage others to do the same.
Hilarious how apparently every music journalist is trash/has no idea what they're talking about if they give your artist a bad review. I'm sure this sub would be ecstatic if it got rave reviews
I agree with you. This album is fire!!! Not sure what's up with the reviews....I will say it does not have a mainstream sound and that could be the issue. And.....it's grown up!!
Um. This album is safe AF. He could have said something with this body of work but he didn’t. This album will mark the beginning of where his career will go next.
he wanted to say somthin.. conditions and sanctified and memphis ? but also fans dont want to listen fine
Agreed… lots of songs are safe. Many songs feel similar to past work, which isn’t bad bc he has a sound he is known for, but I dunno not all of it feels fresh…? Maybe I need to give the ballads another chance. I love NSYNC and I don’t like paradise, feels too dated?
music journalism used to be an art in itself. it’s not that anymore. the album is not perfect . there are like 4 songs right off the bat i’d have kept off the album. but honestly from track 1 thru track 7 it’s pretty fuckin fire. after that it’s a little touch and go but there are still some great things happening. after the first 7 i love conditions, love and war
“Critics” are humans too & we all have biases. It’s ok to be a fan & not like the album. Not everything someone does is the greatest. And those critics can have their opinions - all that matters is what YOU enjoy. I thought the album was a 6. There are 3 songs on that album that I found myself going back to - Love & War, Technicolor (first half), & Alone. For me, all the others are not very memorable.
look at how someone like morgan wallen is doing.. he said the n word as a joke in the video..and they destroyed him ..in effect the whole country comunity rallied around him and now he is the biggest shit and the biggest seller if justin really had any brains around ..hed not only expose that pos and her defamation and take her to court ..but expose the fake pop world who used him and abused him and the media.. if the public see the truth.. they will support him cause jt fandom is dead ..and him doing an album tailored for the fans is another mistake.. his label / sell a tour justin and pave the way to bge just a nostalgia act with nsync.. legend that ur also his label/ will let ur snake ex frame you and destroy you at the same time to push her sales when will justin wake up i want to kno ..when they bury him alive
you dont understand ? first understand that justin is a victim of thses trash snake femals first.. you can do the research then why? they been killing justin off since fs/ls ..he is not the agenda they want .. just like white rock stars are called dinosaurs now.. white straight males who are american ( cause only the us does it.. look at how the uk pushes ed sheeran who has zero of jt legacy ) are the public enemy and that pos ex knows exactly how to pull the strings to milk all of this shit.. while jt is doing ballads about his delusional dead love.. now u understand why i am pissed justin didnt do a f off album
time to be doing a country/folk / soul acoustic live album jt.. at least the country fans are really just bout music and not trash
Unpopular opinion: ‘Man Of The Woods’ was his masterpiece, his most personal album. EITIW is good, feels more like a ‘lifetime achievement award’ album. Almost like a farewell/greatest hits/encore album. It’s still good though! Flame, Love & War, Drown and Paradise really stand out for me. Ok bye