Fans have waited long and hard for something new from Justin Timberlake. His last album, The 20/20 Experience, came out in 2013 and today marks the release of his first single since then. It’s unmistakably Justin Timberlake, but it definitely pushes the musical envelope.
Filthy is the first single to be released from the new album, Man of the Woods, and at the onset of the music video, it’s clear that this isn’t just any old pop track.
It’s set in the “Pan-Asian Deep Learning Conference” in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the year 2028. And the best way to describe it is Justin Timberlake meets TedTalk.
His Steve Jobs-esque attire matches his role. He presents a light-up cyborg to a scrutinizing audience. As the song progresses, they become more and more excited about this dancing robot.
At first, Timberlake’s robot is rigid, stiff and awkward and so are his primitive dance movements. But as the song continues, the cy-borg begins to take on Timberlake’s fluid, signature dance moves, and even Michael Jackson’s Moonwalk.
The simple and modern setting is a basic backdrop for a musical shout out to artificial intelligence, and the complicated relationship we all have with technology.
In fact, as the robot becomes more and more adept, it reminds you of a popular scene from Disney’s Fantasia, where Mickey Mouse gets carried away with a sorcerer’s powerful broomstick.
But this isn’t a children’s movie. Even here, JT is bringing sexy back.
In a tweet to his 148.4M social media fans, Timberlake gave straightforward introductions for Filthy: “This song should be played very loud.”
So, it’s your turn to weigh in. What do you think of JT’s latest single? Is it worth the hype?