I Can't Just NOT Dedicate a Post to Justin Timberlake
"I once had a dream that I was a professional chef in Justin Timberlake's home and I don't think any dream could ever top that." -Demery Gijsbers
If you haven't heard his new album, Man of the Woods, you must have just gotten out of a coma this morning, or had a really important physics exam all day, or you are just wrong about many things. If you have heard it, you're in the right place. We may have been discouraged from the amount of silence since "The 20/20 Experience", but he has held us close. With excitement like tracks from The Trolls, and his wife, Jessica Biehl's movie, "The Book of Love" we haven't been left completely high and dry. But today, February 2nd, 2018, he has come through in an incredible way. Man of the Woods is his most authentic, most Justin work (because I know him personally...? I am not a crazy person this is just fun). It is musical gold. Are any of us surprised, though? (If you are surprised, please keep it to yourself and quietly unsubscribe from my blog).
Here's my ranking of the songs thus far. This is subject to change considering this album came out less than twenty hours ago. Honestly this was really hard to do because many compete for the top spot. Also hard to do because I was supposed to be studying for an exam at the same time. Sorry unnamed professor, but like, priorities. I would describe this album as being the love child of the following albums: Mumford and Sons' Wilder Mind, John Mayer's Born and Raised, Jack Johnson's All the Light Above it Too, and JT's very own FutureSex/LoveSounds. I don't know a lot of technical stuff about music, but these are gut feelings and I'm going to go ahead and trust them. Each song has been measured on a scale of 1-10 regarding: lyrics, fun, beat, and my own overall feeling about it. Obviously very well versed in the music realm.
16. Her's (Interlude) - Jessica makes a guest appearance! A little insight into their relationship and it's so sweet. Almost makes me feel like a romantic. Almost. Low score just because it's not exactly a song.
15. Supplies - Honestly, unsure what's happening in this song, but gosh dang it, he still does it well. Careful, because it can get stuck in your head reallll easy, but is that such a problem?
14. Higher Higher - This one feels V JT. Kinda feels like a song on the good ol "Justified" album if you're into that. I am.
13. Montana - Great beat. Greater high notes. Idk what his affiliation with Montana is, but I hope the people that live there appreciate this work.
12. Man of the Woods - Not at all what I was expecting from the title song, but his wife is in the music video and he just wants to brag about her and does it in a classic JT way with some big notes and some intimate lyrics. No holding back.
11. The Hard Stuff - Probably the most country tune of all of them, and I'm P sure it's just a song about him being a husband. A new popular 'first dance' song? Potentially.
10. Filthy - The first single, and a controversial one at that. Just accept that it is here for fun and it succeeds at just that.
9. Say Something - With a feature from a country artist that I have only heard about in passing, they really outdid themselves. This song is soulful and catchy and the music video is also really cool and done in one continuous shot. They make playing the guitar while walking look really sick and there's a choir. Chills.
8. Sauce - Guys, I just want to describe these all as fun. I would probably listen to this while I cook and just wanna dance in the kitchen.
7. Flannel - Basically just a metaphor for love but using a flannel and it’s romantic af. Time to slow it down a little and your cool friend that plays guitar should learn how to play this so you can all sing it around the campfire.
6. Breeze Off the Pond - Will probably become a solid karaoke song, but that doesn't make it anything less than that might suggest it is.
5. Livin' Off the Land - Pretty cool that he got some quotes from fellow men of the woods at the beginning. They're v authentic. And then straight jams.
4. Morning Light - My thought process: "The beginning is what a sunrise would sound like if a sunrise made noise...oh, he's singing about sunrises! I called it! Omg, Alicia Keys!!!"
3. Young Man - AGHH HIS BABY just about the most adorable intro to a song ever. Didn't doubt for a second that there would be a song dedicated to his son, and wow, he just blew it out of the water. Play this for your own sons whether they're 2 or 25. Also, totally hinted at another baby? A sister?!?!
2. Midnight Summer Jam - I will throw parties in the summer from 11:55pm to 12:05am just so we can listen to this song at midnight. Sounds like a party was happening when he was recording it.
1. Wave - Just a load of fun. I would go to an island with him any day.
NPR Music has yet to do their usual evaluation of the new album - which I am excited for - but I would say mine holds similar professional and expert-level weight. His voice carries you through dancey-pop, fun rock, melodies of country music and a mix of all three and more at the same dang time. If the word "magic" cannot describe it, I don't know what can.
If you're looking for a ranking of songs from past albums, I have some drafts of that as well. If you're curious which songs are good for certain moods like a road trip, a dinner party, or a dance jam sesh, I can give some recommendations there as well. And if you're wondering why no part of this post has anything to do with my professional goals and/or career, then just understand that I am a well-rounded person.
Stay cool, Happy Groundhog Day, and go listen to some brand spankin new JT.
All my best and then some,
Dem
If you haven't heard his new album, Man of the Woods, you must have just gotten out of a coma this morning, or had a really important physics exam all day, or you are just wrong about many things. If you have heard it, you're in the right place. We may have been discouraged from the amount of silence since "The 20/20 Experience", but he has held us close. With excitement like tracks from The Trolls, and his wife, Jessica Biehl's movie, "The Book of Love" we haven't been left completely high and dry. But today, February 2nd, 2018, he has come through in an incredible way. Man of the Woods is his most authentic, most Justin work (because I know him personally...? I am not a crazy person this is just fun). It is musical gold. Are any of us surprised, though? (If you are surprised, please keep it to yourself and quietly unsubscribe from my blog).
Here's my ranking of the songs thus far. This is subject to change considering this album came out less than twenty hours ago. Honestly this was really hard to do because many compete for the top spot. Also hard to do because I was supposed to be studying for an exam at the same time. Sorry unnamed professor, but like, priorities. I would describe this album as being the love child of the following albums: Mumford and Sons' Wilder Mind, John Mayer's Born and Raised, Jack Johnson's All the Light Above it Too, and JT's very own FutureSex/LoveSounds. I don't know a lot of technical stuff about music, but these are gut feelings and I'm going to go ahead and trust them. Each song has been measured on a scale of 1-10 regarding: lyrics, fun, beat, and my own overall feeling about it. Obviously very well versed in the music realm.
16. Her's (Interlude) - Jessica makes a guest appearance! A little insight into their relationship and it's so sweet. Almost makes me feel like a romantic. Almost. Low score just because it's not exactly a song.
15. Supplies - Honestly, unsure what's happening in this song, but gosh dang it, he still does it well. Careful, because it can get stuck in your head reallll easy, but is that such a problem?
14. Higher Higher - This one feels V JT. Kinda feels like a song on the good ol "Justified" album if you're into that. I am.
13. Montana - Great beat. Greater high notes. Idk what his affiliation with Montana is, but I hope the people that live there appreciate this work.
12. Man of the Woods - Not at all what I was expecting from the title song, but his wife is in the music video and he just wants to brag about her and does it in a classic JT way with some big notes and some intimate lyrics. No holding back.
11. The Hard Stuff - Probably the most country tune of all of them, and I'm P sure it's just a song about him being a husband. A new popular 'first dance' song? Potentially.
10. Filthy - The first single, and a controversial one at that. Just accept that it is here for fun and it succeeds at just that.
9. Say Something - With a feature from a country artist that I have only heard about in passing, they really outdid themselves. This song is soulful and catchy and the music video is also really cool and done in one continuous shot. They make playing the guitar while walking look really sick and there's a choir. Chills.
8. Sauce - Guys, I just want to describe these all as fun. I would probably listen to this while I cook and just wanna dance in the kitchen.
7. Flannel - Basically just a metaphor for love but using a flannel and it’s romantic af. Time to slow it down a little and your cool friend that plays guitar should learn how to play this so you can all sing it around the campfire.
6. Breeze Off the Pond - Will probably become a solid karaoke song, but that doesn't make it anything less than that might suggest it is.
5. Livin' Off the Land - Pretty cool that he got some quotes from fellow men of the woods at the beginning. They're v authentic. And then straight jams.
4. Morning Light - My thought process: "The beginning is what a sunrise would sound like if a sunrise made noise...oh, he's singing about sunrises! I called it! Omg, Alicia Keys!!!"
3. Young Man - AGHH HIS BABY just about the most adorable intro to a song ever. Didn't doubt for a second that there would be a song dedicated to his son, and wow, he just blew it out of the water. Play this for your own sons whether they're 2 or 25. Also, totally hinted at another baby? A sister?!?!
2. Midnight Summer Jam - I will throw parties in the summer from 11:55pm to 12:05am just so we can listen to this song at midnight. Sounds like a party was happening when he was recording it.
1. Wave - Just a load of fun. I would go to an island with him any day.
NPR Music has yet to do their usual evaluation of the new album - which I am excited for - but I would say mine holds similar professional and expert-level weight. His voice carries you through dancey-pop, fun rock, melodies of country music and a mix of all three and more at the same dang time. If the word "magic" cannot describe it, I don't know what can.
If you're looking for a ranking of songs from past albums, I have some drafts of that as well. If you're curious which songs are good for certain moods like a road trip, a dinner party, or a dance jam sesh, I can give some recommendations there as well. And if you're wondering why no part of this post has anything to do with my professional goals and/or career, then just understand that I am a well-rounded person.
Stay cool, Happy Groundhog Day, and go listen to some brand spankin new JT.
All my best and then some,
Dem
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