Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience + “The Maggie”
Ingredients: 1 ounce Gin, 1 ounce Sweet Vermouth, 2-3 ounces Fresca, Fresh Lemon/Lime
Mixing instructions: Pour Gin, Sweet Vermouth, and Fresca over ice (in that order) and stir. Squeeze and drop fresh lemon & lime.
Notes: Justin Timberlake can be a divisive artist, but not in the most typical fashion. He’s not really controversial, if anything he just seems really nice. He’s got a lot going for him… a triple-threat if there was one. He’s funny (not afraid of self-depreciating humor), he can sing (he sounds like you might think you sound in the shower), and he’s seen successes in movies beyond what many actors dream about. And so the divisive piece comes in when there is typical jealousy, or that other thing where people act like they’re too proud to say they like what he does or appreciate his talents. Let’s not put ourselves in either of those categories.
Truth is, Justin Timberlake has raw talent coupled with a work ethic that puts him over the top for success. The 20/20 Experience consists of 10 tracks (so far) of what will turn out to be a larger product when completed in the future. But this album, these ten tracks, are a complete masterwork in themselves. There are a lot of ways JT could have gone with it… no shortage of trends he could have jumped on or producers he could have worked with in order to essentially take over the airwaves for the foreseeable future. Instead, we get a shockingly tight collection of songs with clear vision and direction with Timbaland, his proven partner in previous success. Artistic and well rounded, and this is just half of the final product. I, for one, can’t wait to hear the whole masterwork when it’s complete.