Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience Part 2 of 2

Timberlake came back to finish what he started. Described as the more "experienced...older sister" to Part 1 released in March, the masses have been blessed with a total of 12 tracks from Timba & Timbo's second 2013 outing. 

Is it really a blessing though? Well, yes and no. Not so much of a sequel as it is another half of the same album, 'Part 2' once again features Timbaland as its main producer. His role is as prominent on both albums as Justin's is. You can hear some of the greatest production and melodies of the year on both parts for sure. The grand symphonic sounds are back ('You Got It On', 'Amnesia') as well as Timberlake riding the beat under Timbaland's bassy beatboxing ('TKO', 'True Blood' and once again...'Amnesia'). But what the two bring to this time around is the mainstream radio sound taking prevalence on ‘Drink You Away’ and ‘Not A Bad Thing’. This I don't love as much.

Justin proclaimed that the previous disc was music made for the summer, while the later is for the bleaker autumn/winter - which I don't really understand. There is nothing as icy or aloof as 'Blue Ocean Floor' from part one, and save for Justin dropping a few f-bombs it's in no way colder or more appropriate for the darker months. 

Justin’s voice is just as perfect as ever, and Timbaland once again crafts (or reserves) his best work for the former mouseketeer. But save for four of the albums tracks (‘Amnesia’, ‘Murder’, ‘True Blood’ and 'Cabaret'), the two fail to deliver a stellar conclusion to what kicked off at the beginning of the year. In all honesty it's best to just stick to those four, especially 'Cabaret'. With an amazing feature from Drake and cheeky lyrics such as "if sex is a contest then you're coming first" and "I got you saying Jesus so much it's like we're laying in a manger" it's instantly one of the best songs from either of Timberlake's 'Experience' pieces.

A-

Key Tracks: True Blood, Cabaret, Murder, Amnesia

Drake - Nothing Was The Same

What better way to write my first album review on this blog for the year (which is ridiculous as it's the end of September) than to cover one of the best albums of 2013?

Drake's third album, "Nothing Was The Same" was released on Monday, a week after its online leak. Yes, the man who put Melancholy & B on the map is back to tell us how sad he is. I couldn't be happier about it. But for the first time in his career, Drake chooses to lead us in with the upbeat and hypnotising track 'Tuscan Leather'. Sampling Whitney Houston's ‘I Have Nothing’, the opener is three interlude’s in one. Letting us know that he’s here to stay, (“I'm tired of hearing ‘bout who you checking for now, just give it time we’ll see who’s still around a decade from now”) the Canadian rapper has never seemed so pompous, believable and likeable at the same time.

Drake’s grandiosity is broken up by his sombre temperament  similar to his last two efforts "Thank Me Later" and "Take Care". 'Connect' and the previously leaked 'The Motion' reek of the rapper’s feelings we've all come to know, and 'From Time' is the 'Take Care' of NWTS, aided by a beautifully fitting Jhene Aiko. ‘Own It’ features a first for any rapper in existence  as Drake utters the words – “Next time we fuck, I don’t wanna fuck, I wanna make love”. You can tell he really means this one. 

What does separate him from his previous LP's is how angry he is in parts of NWTS. Okay, so he’s not at a Yeezus level of rage (yet) but his versus have never sounded as forceful or urgent as they have here . It’s hard to believe the same person spittin’ is the same person singing on ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’, a song so filled with golden throwback  goodness it seems almost too perfect to have been released this year.

'Nothing Was The Same' is without a doubt his most diverse album thus far, at least on a lyrical level. It's the perfect addition to his already strong discography. Drake should be proud of this one. 

A-

Key Tracks: Tuscan Leather, Worst Behaviour, From Time