Justin Timberlake’s New Album Is as Mediocre as We Knew It Would Be

Justin Timberlake’s third album, The 20/20 Experience, would be a disappointment were we not adequately prepared to be underwhelmed. This is the kind of album whose mellow, nothing-more-than-nice first single is puzzling until you hear the rest of the album and realize that it’s the most commercial pop on a collection whose musical m.o. is to be nothing more than nice. “Suit & Tie,” at least, has a sense of spunk, which is more than can be said for most of 20/20. The album sounds like a conscious attempt at musical maturity that is never quite earned or fully realized. More »