Justin Timberlake drops new single and music video "Filthy"

Justin Timberlake released “Filthy,” the first single from his upcoming album, to mixed reviews, Billboard reported Friday. Twitter was buzzing when the song was released early Friday, and while some fans enjoyed it, some “haters gon’ say it’s fake,” to quote a line from the song. Justin Timberlake has been defined by strange twists and turns. Against all odds, December 2017 found him trademarking phrases such as ‘Man of the Woods’ and ‘Fresh Leaves’. Then, on Tuesday (January 2) he announced his new album indeed called ‘Man of the Woods’ with visuals that suggested he was going full Bon Iver, and a voiceover that described the album as “Mountains, trees, campfires… like the Wild West, but now.” Shudder not: ‘Filthy’ JT’s first track since 2016’s blankly cheerful ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling’ is anything but a bucolic picture of rural America.

Produced by his old pal Timbaland (‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’, ‘The 20/20 Experience’), ‘Filthy’ begins with a typical Timbaland/Timberlake moment of bombast, all OTT guitar licks and keening “Hey“s. And then something unexpected happens: it morphs into a sleekly industrial neo-funk banger, complete with blinding lashes of synth and a snaking bassline. It’s filthy, sure, but in a classy way. Justin Timberlake has dropped the first official single and music video for "Filthy," from his upcoming album "Man of the Woods." It's been five years since the singer's last album, 2013's "20/20." Though the singer's new album "Man of the Woods" is supposed to have an earthier sound that "feels like mountains, trees, campfires, like the Wild West," according to his wife Jessica Biel in a promo, "Filthy" is reminiscent of Timberlake's classics like "Rock Your Body" and "SexyBack." Justin Timberlake says he's performing at Super Bowl LII halftime show in 2018.


In the music video, Timberlake channels Steve Jobs in a black sweater and jeans as he presents a robot to an audience. Director Mark Romanek also collaborated with Timberlake on the video for 2016's "Can't Stop the Feeling." Timberlake's new album is set for release on Feb. 2 and features collaborations with The Neptunes, Timbaland, Chris Stapleton and Alicia Keys. In a teaser on Instagram, Timberlake says, "This album is really inspired by my wife, my son, my family, but more so than any other album, where I'm from. And it's personal." Timberlake will headline the Super Bowl LII halftime show in February, his third Super Bowl performance.