THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE.
| Justin Timberlake
THE 20/20 EXPERIENCE.
The 20/20 Experience is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on March 15, 2013, by RCA Records, as the follow-up to his second studio album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). It is considered the first half of a two-piece project, later being supplemented by his fourth studio album The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2 (2013). The record incorporates neo soul styles with elements of older soul music; its lyrics discuss themes of romance and sex. Production is handled by Timbaland, Timberlake, who also serves as the album's executive producer, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with Rob Knox contributing to the album's deluxe edition. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
has Timberlake seamlessly conflating the last 40 years of pop, soul, and R&B into a series of warping seven-minute songs that shamelessly extol the joys of music and marriage.
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Rolling Stone
both a return to form and a departure, deftly combining his trademark shape-shifting digital funk with a warmer, more organic sound.
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AV Music
The 20/20 Experience doesn’t lack for ideas, and anyone who’s witnessed Timberlake’s dogged pursuit of all-around-entertainer status can acknowledge the combination of enthusiasm and skill in his performance.
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The Guardian
Part one gave us a pair of bona fide pop gems – Mirrors, and Suit and Tie – in one of 2013's most experimental pop albums. Part two is similarly ambitious
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Funktopia
While we reserve the 5 afro ratings for amazing funk classics (with some exceptions), this album gets about the highest rating we can give it without sacrificing our funk cred. (afros)
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NME
Best enjoyed with some time on your hands and a very active sex life.
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E News
The 20/20 Experience showcases Timberlake's impressive vocal stylings and the songs are expansive, employing creative and experimental musical progressions.
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BBC
Third album The 20/20 Experience dazzles.
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The Music Network
If Justified was a hoodie and FutureSex a sharp, shiny suit, then 20/20 is a vintage tux with purple silk lining and something up the sleeve.
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Entertainment Weekly
the music has a cool, cinematic vibe
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QRO
Every piece on this album is unique enough that it would be easy to sit here and analyze each one.
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Music Feeds
The ambulant beats and Timberlake’s laid-back professionalism combine to create consistent peaks that ascend above the mire.
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New Zealand Herald
Classy comeback that's more about the experience than the singles.
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Mic
The 20/20 Experience will certainly stand alone as a more than serviceable effort from a richly talented pop star.
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Fact
the album is a steady, often languid ego massage that we encouraged and so should have seen coming.
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Pop Matters
what you find is a disc that is without question the most ambitious thing Timberlake has undertaken in his career.
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USA Today
Timbaland is the R&B savant with whom Timberlake has teamed on most of his best material since shedding the bubblegum stigma of 'N Sync.
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Cosmopolitan
Brave, infectious and very, very sexy. He's come a long way from The Mickey Mouse Club.
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ABC News
this is a surprisingly uninspired collection.
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Rocksucker
Not as perfect as its eyesight might have you believe
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People
the more challenging vision of an artist creating a cohesive work rather than a collection of singles.
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Times Colonist
near perfect, echoes 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'
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The rgus
The emotion he paints with the overall sound of the songs shows Timberlake is not only looking to bring a new sound to modern-day music, but also to bring back the suit that reminds the world of the Rat Pack-era.
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Elevator
It is an epic album containing all the elements of a classic: Pop, R&B, and Soul with sounds that requires your undivided attention.
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Under the Radar Magazine
While it may be a little overlong at nearly an hour and a half, there are influences from 40-odd years of pop music expertly melted together by a master craftsman to create an album of consistently brilliant songs.
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Pop Cultured Randoms
the songs are their own creations that somewhat defies classification and description. It’s a classic sound with a modern twist.
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The Drop
a joyous collection of soulful grooves, tender-loving crooning and Timberland's savvy production.
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The Quad
a wonderful pop album.
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Prefix
There’s a cornucopia of sounds that definitely needs some time to be digested, but when it finally is – it’s an absolutely satisfying experience.
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News Day
"The 20/20 Experience" is good, but it could have been so much better.
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Middlebury College Radio
20/20 manages the considerably more difficult feat of sounding genuinely timeless
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Herald-Standard
The entertainer extraordinaire teams up once again with producer Timbaland and the results are as stupendous as 2006’s “FutureSex/LoveSound.”
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Beyond the Stage
The 20/20 Experience is diversely enjoyable.
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NBHAP
all feels very natural, very easy floating.
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Nubian Mesage
Justin Timberlake’s admirable vocals and Timbaland’s consistently immaculate producing make this album a must listen.
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Guest List
it is a clearly a piece of artwork that holds immense flavour.
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inquirer.net
The craftsmanship in most of the tracks in this album is highly commendable and praiseworthy.
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Global Grind
Although the album is as solid as a rock, Timbaland’s exquisite production at times outshines Justin’s vocal input, which is an unequivocal plus for Timbaland, but an obscure injustice for Justin.
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Student Life
However, if you can make clever use of your skip button, you might make an early call for “The 20/20 Experience” as one of the best albums of the year.
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FHHS Today
Timberlake collaborates with popular rapper Jay-Z in ‘Suit & Tie’ and well-known producer Timbaland to create an album that is diverse in style and lyrics.
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Chimes - Calvin College
most of the album rewards careful attention and repeated listens.
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Vancouver Sun
On The 20/20 Experience, JT redefines his grooves — a little more soul, a little more bump, a little less club.
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The Truth About Music
The 20/20 Experience Sets Justin Timberlake Apart From The Pack
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The Young Folks
Merging old-school crooning with Pop and R&B, and the occasional cricket noises, Timberlake and super-producer Timbaland are like brilliant, mad scientists in a lab.
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The Pop Break
a phenomenal release.
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Demon Media
Although it is a great comeback album, it is ultimately flawed through some of the pointless lyrics and ridiculous song lengths. Buy or Bin? Definite buy.
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Concrete
Despite the lingering flaws of the song length and predictable lyrics, Timberlake has created an album which is likely to send its listeners into a frenzy of nostalgia for the Justin that they know and love.
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hollywood.com
has flickers of the curly-haired novice we all grew to love as a boyband frontman, and later respect as a minted R&B stalwart.
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Velocities in Music
it is definitely an experience.
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Gutter Bubbles
Timberlake is back (with Timbaland) doing what he does best — wrecking the dance floor.
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The Daily Free Press
Timberlake and Timbaland have crafted project that is good to listen to from start to finish, at times making him sound more like a traditional R&B singer than some of his contemporary peers.
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WGMU Radio
the biggest event in pop music this year.
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Spectrum Culture
Fantastic. ... The 20/20 Experience is without a doubt Timberlake’s best album yet.
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Entertainment FOCUS
Yes it may not be the most original record you’ve ever heard but it’s undeniably infectious and addictive.
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little by listen
What we have in The 20/20 Experience is a masterclass lesson in what it means to be a star.
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Anhedonic Headphones
Tepid, yes. Not hot.
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The Daily Princetonian
20/20 is an album for the poptimist: the music fan who finds artistic value within music that happens to top the charts.
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mattneric
On the whole, 20/20 is phenomenal.
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SYN
ith The 20/20 Experience, JT adds a level of sophistication which will not only make the critic happy to leave the album out in public view, but also be happy to defend it.
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Pop Spoken
There aren’t terrible tracks in the album, only passable ones. However when a song’s good, it’s phenomenal.
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Nappy Afro
If you asked me was this a good album, I’d say yep, go get it.
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Spectrum Pulse
But as a whole, this album reeks of hubris and arrogance. It's indulgent, clumsy, painfully shallow, and while I hate using this word, it fits in this case: pretentious.
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Las Vegas Weekly
he’s made an album that’s even stronger than 2006’s Futuresex/Lovesounds, with no excess fat and much longer tunes.
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Plan!t Northwest
Despite a somewhat disappointing ending, “The 20/20 Experience” is best listened to from start to finish rather than picking and choosing your favorite tracks. It’s clear Timberlake used a much different thought process when putting together this album.
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Day & a Dream
it’s a great listen and a solid return for Justin Timberlake.
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That Grape Juice
serves up a sonically cohesive set that potently sells the vision of who he is.
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Papyrus
Using different beats and styles is excellent and helps create a catchy tune, but dragging the song out doesn’t help.
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The Appalachian Online
a nearly flawless album.
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Stereo Board
this is an outstanding album.
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The Hofstra Chronicle
“The 20/20 Experience” is actually great after a few thorough listens.
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Love is Pop
I would say that it’s worth investing in the deluxe edition of the album.
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Hidden Under Headphones
This album was nowhere near worth the wait.
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Middle of Row
if anything, The 20/20 Experience left me wanting more suave, big band Justin Timberlake, instead of the overly gaudy, futuristic (to an extent) Timberlake.
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Biggleswade Today
it is slick and polished, but because of the high standard of previous albums Justified and FutureSex/LoveSounds you get a sense of wanting more.
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Ranting About Music!
I guess there’s something to be said for the artistry and the audacity to try something this big, but The 20/20 Experience ends blurry and muddled with only a few bright spots.
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earbuddy
The 20/20 Experience plays out like a home run derby: in the end, you won’t be talking about the balls that didn’t make it over the fence.
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The Five 10
It’s a very well-crafted pop record, and certainly ambitious.
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POP Culture Online
it’s a brilliant piece of work that’s so unconventional and beautiful at the same time.
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Chicago Now
The album consists of 10 beautifully sang songs.
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Spin or Bin
quite a solid album.
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Stumblings and Rumblings
this is a great album.
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fupaper.blog
The 20/20 Experience, delivers. Mostly.
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Evigshed Magazine
The songs flow together perfectly. The music is like a soundtrack to a movie. This is easily his best album.
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The Seahawk.org
There is a lot of good material.
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Fresh Out the Deli
Filled with engaging instrumentals, catchy pop hooks, and Justin Timberlake’s indescribable allure, all of the tracks are entertaining and there are a lot of high points.
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Consequence of Sound
20/20 succeeds because it’s groove-based, which is to say, it’s neither pop-based nor logic-based.
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Tribe Nine
Strong-ish songs and almost flawless production from his partner are only let down by the songs being stretched beyond their reach.
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