A month ago, Justin Timberlake announced his fifth solo album via a minutelong video. In it, the pop superstar muses in a voice-over about the record’s…
A month ago, Justin Timberlake announced his fifth solo album via a minutelong video. In it, the pop superstar muses in a voice-over about the record’s inspiration in between idyllic shots of snowy plains and sizzling bonfires. Then, there was Timberlake himself, bearded and decked out in flannel, denim and even a leather fringe jacket.
If the reveal of the album’s title, “Man of the Woods,” hadn’t clued you in, the clothes certainly did. A new Timberlake had arrived.
But going in a fresh direction is nothing new for Timberlake, whose latest album drops Friday before he headlines a little thing called the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday. Since his start as a member of NSYNC in the late ’90s, Timberlake, now 37, has consistently signaled the evolution of his music by switching up his personal style.
“With the longevity that he has had in his career, there absolutely had to be a growth with the change of the times,” says Tiffany Briseno, a stylist who counts rising pop star Shawn Mendes among her clients, from “his earlier days into now, there’s been this very organic, genuine quality to [his style].”
To be sure, Timberlake wasn’t always a style icon. As a member of NSYNC, when he was just a teenager, his looks were part of a coordinated group effort — usually hypertrendy, from frosted tips to oversize everything.
“They had to stand out,” says celebrity stylist Eric Himel, who has worked with Pete Wentz. “So I think it was about having fun versus being fashionable in a sense where people took them seriously.”
That sartorial joie de vivre also spilled over into Timberlake’s appearances outside the group. Who could forget the infamous denim-on-denim “Canadian tuxedo” he wore with Britney Spears to the 2001 American Music Awards. “Obviously, we’re looking at it now in 2018, and we’re, like, ‘Oh, my God, what’s happening there?’” says Briseno. “[But] the presentation of it sold that look.”
By the time Timberlake went solo with his 2002 album “Justified,” he was an established celebrity in the public eye, which meant he could say “bye, bye, bye” to the gimmicks. A shift in style signaled he was his own man, no longer part of the boy band everyone knew and loved.
“Once you gain that trust from your audience, you can do a jeans and T-shirt thing,” says Briseno, describing Timberlake’s transition to the urban, cool guy of the “Rock Your Body” days. “You don’t need to keep pushing yourself that much. He stripped down from the earlier sartorial silliness, and it became more about his music.”
It was in 2006, with the lead single “SexyBack” from the album “FutureSex/LoveSounds” that Justin Timberlake the tastemaker officially emerged. He paired the LP’s sensual electronic music with a sleek overhaul of his look that centered around the suit. By today’s standards, those suits may appear pretty baggy, but Himel says the updated Fred Astaire vibe was hot stuff at the time.
“The clothes emulated the music,” says Himel, labeling both “sultry.”
Seven years later, for the soulful funk of “The 20/20 Experience” back-to-back albums, Timberlake stuck with suits, but updated them with sharp tailoring and dapper bow ties. After all, his lead single for the era was called “Suit & Tie.”
“One thing I look for in men’s suits is the way it falls on the shoe,” says Briseno. “And he had no breaks, which is my ideal tailoring. So he knew how a suit is supposed to fit.”
Which brings us back to the present, where Timberlake is embarking on a fresh look with a sound he calls “modern Americana with 808s,” referring to the drum machines. In prepping for “Man of the Woods,” the producer Danja, who worked on “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” told Entertainment Weekly he asked Timberlake what the “energy” of the new album would be. “And he just raised his arms up in the air and was like, ‘This is it,’” said Danja. “He had flannel on, some jeans, some sneakers. He had a beard. I pretty much understood from that.”
Although the first single “Filthy” didn’t exactly scream “lumberjack,” the album is full of references to Timberlake’s Tennessee roots.
“When you listen to this entire album, you definitely hear that it has [that] feel,” Z100’s Elvis Duran tells The Post. “There is a wardrobe point to it, believe it or not.”
Count Duran, who cites the new visual aesthetic as his favorite Timberlake era, as a fan.
“He just seems comfortable in his own skin, and maybe it goes back to being a father, having a family,” says Duran, referring to Timberlake’s son, Silas, 2, with wife Jessica Biel. “It really has escorted him into a whole new way of life.”
When Justin Timberlake released “Filthy” as the first single off his new album “Man of the Woods” (out Friday), there seemed to be a pretty wide gap between the slinky club track and the LP’s country-sounding title. But it turns out the always-innovative Timberlake packed the album with an intriguing blend of his beloved funky R&B and fresh elements from his Memphis, Tenn., roots.
Here’s a look at just how woodsy some key tracks are.
“Supplies”: The trap-tastic beat of the album’s second single is so overwhelming, it’s hard to hear much else. However, there is a repeated reference to “living in ‘The Walking Dead,’ ” a show that does technically spend a lot of time outdoors.
“Midnight Summer Jam”: The track most likely to make you dance hinges upon the smooth funk of a clavinet, but a harmonica breakdown veers it toward Tennessee, as Timberlake declares, “I don’t like it, I love it!”
“Flannel”: It’s easy (and soothing) to picture Timberlake singing the refrain of this sweet love song to his wife by a campfire: “Right behind my left pocket, that is where you’ll feel my soul/It’s been with me many winters, it will keep you warm.”
“Say Something”: Timberlake’s lush collaboration with country genius Chris Stapleton pairs urgent strums with a soaring chorus that feels as comfortably lived-in as your favorite pair of jeans.
