Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Suit & Tie (Feat. Jay-Z) - Justin Timberlake

He's back.

As I'm sure you all have heard, Justin Timberlake has very recently announced that he's putting out a new album. And today, he released the first single, "Suit & Tie", featuring hip-hop superstar Jay-Z. This is the first new music JT has put out since 2006 with his hugely successful album FutureSex/LoveSounds, and so the anticipation has built up immensely. I myself have been a fan for a few years, mainly from my Mom very much enjoying his music.  I purchased the song the minute I discovered it was released, and immediately gave it a listen. After the first time through, I had to play it a few more times to truly grasp it. The introduction caught me off the guard, with it's hip-hop influence and seemingly strange quality to it. When the verse kicked in, however, I was even more surprised by the direction it went. It had a big R&B-borderline-soul vibe going on, with JT employing his famous falsetto to croon an unknown girl. The addition of live band elements also helped to maintain the R&B feel. Another surprising section is the bridge, which consists of hip-hop driven breakdown and the introduction of Jay-Z to the track. This was probably my favorite part of the track, especially when JT comes back and sings the chorus over the bridge instrumental. It brought to mind the vibe of his previous CD, which had a heavy hip-hop influence. Overall, I thought it was a great song, and makes me curious/excited to hear the rest of his album. 4/5

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