Justin Timberlake – Successful return, but not new

Last week, Ariana Grande’s album Eternal Sunshine continued to top the Billboard 200 chart. In the top 10, there were two new albums, which are No.2 Deeper Well by Kacey Musgraves and especially No.4 Everything I Thought It Was by Justin Timberlake.

The return of former NSYNC member Timberlake right in the middle of many controversies in his personal life – related to Britney Spears – made many people curious.

There is no newness

Justin Timberlake has just returned to the Billboard 200 chart with his first album in more than 6 years, when Everything I Thought It Was debuted at No.4.

The album opened with 67,000 equivalent album units in the US in the week ending March 21, according to Luminate. Of which, from album sales is 41,000 units and from streaming is 24,000 (equivalent to 31.13 million official on-demand online streams of songs in the album).

Justin Timberlake – Successful return, although not new – Photo 1.
Album cover of Justin Timberlake’s “Everything I Thought It Was”.

First-week sales of Everything I Thought It Was were supported by the multiple editions available, including 1 standard CD, 4 vinyl variants and 4 deluxe CD cases (each containing 1 set of branded items). and 1 CD).

In total, this is the 6th consecutive time Timberlake has reached the top 5 of the Billboard 200, including 4 No.1s. These are all of his solo albums.

As Timberlake’s 6th studio album, Everything I Thought It Was was released on March 15, 2024 through RCA Records. The album’s name was based on a friend’s feeling after listening to the album: “This sound is everything I thought I wanted from you.”

The album includes 18 songs, led by the single Selfish – reaching No.19 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 10. The album features vocals from Fireboy DML, Tobe Nwigwe and Timberlake’s band NSYNC.

The album release kicked off with a stirring concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on March 13. Here, Timberlake unexpectedly reunited with NSYNC members. The group played many old hits in succession and performed the new song Paradise from the album Everything I Thought It Was.

Single “Selfish” from the album “Everything I Thought It Was”

Despite the buzz, Everything I Thought It Was was not highly appreciated by critics. The Metacritic score, based on 17 reputable sources, is just 51/100. The album was praised as better than Timberlake’s previous album Man of the Woods and on par with The 20/20 Experience. It’s like a race for numbers – something that can guarantee a position on the rankings – but is easily forgotten. Too safe, Everything I Thought It Was isn’t Timberlake’s worst album, but it feels like a waste of potential. The R&B genre that made his name 20 years ago no longer has its glory.

Justin Timberlake has many opportunities to change the direction of the story. Maybe, he will enter a new era, being a best-selling artist, but not necessarily having a best-selling album.

New era

Justin Randall Timberlake was born in 1981, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Dubbed the “Prince of Pop”, he is considered one of the most influential entertainers of his generation.

Timberlake is known for his engaging performance, inspirational tenor voice, catchy music production and diversity in composition. He has received many awards and honors, including 10 Grammy Awards, 4 Primetime Emmy Awards, 3 Brit Awards, 9 Billboard Awards, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Contemporary Icon Award.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Timberlake appeared on music television shows from an early age. In the early and mid-1990s, he was a key member of Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club, dancing and covering many songs.

At this club, Timberlake worked with many future famous figures such as NSYNC band member JC Chasez, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling. Timberlake and Chasez quickly rose to fame in late 1997 as the lead vocalists of the boy band NSYNC. Despite only releasing 4 studio albums, NSYNC is one of the best-selling boy bands of all time with sales of more than 70 million copies worldwide.

Justin Timberlake – Successful return, although not new – Photo 4.
Justin Timberlake (2nd, from right) reunited with NSYNC members to promote the album “Everything I Thought It Was”

As a solo artist, Timberlake has released six studio albums, all of which were hugely successful. In total, he sold more than 88 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.

Besides his illustrious career, Timberlake’s personal life is also a frequent topic of public opinion. He has dated many superstars such as Britney Spears, Emma Bunton and Cameron Diaz. He gradually stabilized when he started dating Jessica Biel since 2007. In 2012, they officially became husband and wife and are now living happily with their two sons.