So, uh... Justin Timberlake's had quite an interesting few years.
In 2018, the singer released his fourth album, Man in the Woods, an ill-fated attempt at down-home earnestness interspersed with squelchy sex jams.
In 2021, in the wake of the #FreeBritney movement and after many retrospectives and re-evaluations of Nipplegate, Timberlake apologised to both Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for ‘the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn, or did not speak up for what was right’ and the part he played in an unjust system, his apology roundly criticised by fans and the media (I will concede, however, that Janet told Timberlake not to speak out in the wake of the scandal. That and the majority of the blame should definitely be placed on former CBS chairman/CEO/alleged sex pervert Les Moonves, who was hellbent on destroying Janet’s career in the aftermath).
Then N*Sync reformed last year and released a single to very little fanfare (probably because it was on the Trolls Band Together soundtrack). And then there was the release of Britney’s memoir, The Woman in Me, and... well, you know the rest.
Needless to say, the controversies surrounding Timberlake are far more interesting than his comeback single, ‘Selfish,’ which many would consider an ironic title.
Here, the singer trades in the country twang for a rather unassuming cut of adult contemporary pop. Which is basically code for ‘boring and old,’ meaning Timberlake has had to ‘mature’ his sound because he’s no longer a teen pop sensation.
When you think about it, ‘adult contemporary’ is a rather ageist term, especially if you happen to be a female artist. No one wants to see you rock or get experimental when you’re over the age of *gasp* 30, so you’re forced to ‘mature.’ Some artists sadly conform (Pink, Xtina, Gwen Stefani), but, thankfully, many others seem to be defying the adult contemporary trend (Kylie, Fiona Apple, Jessie Ware).
Still, none of that makes JT’s comeback single any less dogshit. Even the video is annoying ‘meta’ (The behind-the-scenes clips are part of the actual video, you guys!).
No amount of faux-earnestness or hangdog expressions from JT are gonna make me feel sorry for him. Especially after declaring at a recent gig that you'd like 'to apologize to absolutely fucking nobody,’ sorta rendering your previous apologies meaningless…
Kinda surprised Britney dug this track, though ⊙﹏⊙