Justin Timberlake widely mocked after unveiling new album: 'Listens to Bon Iver once'
It's not just his giant scarf that has drawn hilarious reactions
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The wait is finally over: Justin Timberlake has announced his first new record in five years.
The album, titled Man of the Woods is slated to come out on February 2 - just two days before his headlining Super Bowl performance.
To announce the record, Timberlake dropped a one-minute trailer where he's portraying himself as a woodsman; he runs through the mountains and cornfields and wears a vibrant poncho a la John Mayer on the Paradise Valley album cover.
"This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any other album I've ever written, where I'm from – it's personal," Timberlake exclaims in a voiceover.
After experiencing Timberlake's visual, the internet couldn't help but poke fun at the parallels the pop singer's video seemed to convey.
First there were the Brokeback Mountain truthers.
Then came the jokes about his newfound Bon Iver fandom.
Things got really interesting when one user saw him channelling Britney Spears.
And his fashion during his relationship with Britney Spears.
One publication even joked that Timberlake was "rebranding as a white man" with his new album. "The trailer [...] presents the former NSYNC heartthrob looking pensive in various natural settings, hitting every note of the 'white man finding himself in the empty West' trope that has long been part of America’s romantic fictional past," wrote Ann Derrick-Galliot for The Outline.
The video also features cameos from Timberlake's wife, actress Jessica Biel, longtime collaborator Pharrell Williams and his son.
While it's too early to tell what the record will sound like, snippets of what are likely to be parts of Man of the Woods are embedded within the visual.
But the wait for Timberlake's first single from Man of the Woods won't be too long - it's set for release this Friday January 5.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments