You know how 2016 is the year for realizing things? Add this to your list of realizations: Justin Timberlake is quite the bizarre wordsmith.
When JT sat down with Variety for a big interview about working with Woody Allen, his Netflix concert show, and his life as a pop star with a family, the talk felt more like a series of stream of consciousness confessions.
This isn't to say the "SexyBack" singer doesn't come across as incredibly earnest and off the cuff — he does! It's just that sometimes when he waxes poetic about life, love, and fatherhood it comes across as a little... intense.
So, here you have it: The top moments from JT's Variety interview that left us scratching our heads.
1. “I haven’t seen or heard anything in a year.”
JT asked Variety's reporter for music and movie recommendations. Being a new dad has kept him busy, and he said he's a little unplugged from the day-to-day of new releases. Still, he seemed pretty familiar with Chance The Rapper and Frank Ocean's albums, so it's safe to say his taste is intact. 2. “If 20/20 sounded like it literally surrounds your entire head, this stuff feels more like it just punches you between the eyes.”
We're well into the fourth chapter of Timberlake's career as an entertainer. First he was a boy band star, then he gave us FutureSex/LoveSounds. The 20/20 Experience was lavish pop. Now, it seems, he's headed for a different kind of sound — we're excited for it, even if the description is a little random. 3. “I’m just in the now of now."
Don't talk to JT about deadlines. He'll be the first to warn collaborators that he'll release new work when it feels "ready," and not on a corporate timetable. Life in the "now of now" sets its own schedule. 4. "For a long time I lived my life for a lot of other people, or for the idea that those other people had an idea of me. And whatever — there’s a guy who’s gonna wake up tomorrow and transfer an organ from one body to another and save someone’s life — so what are we even doing?"
Justin Timberlake would really like us to respect medical professionals. But Timberlake is still charming. And now, as an industry veteran all grown up from his No Strings Attached days, he's doing his part to dismantle toxic masculinity: "As men, we’re always taught at a young age to be a man and have your priorities in order. And you get to a point where you’re like, ‘It’s not about 'being a man' — it’s about fulfillment.' Which is a totally different thing." You know when a friend says something totally crazy and you nod along supportively, but inside wonder what the hell it is they're talking about? JT is that friend. Sure, he might say a lot of crazy stuff, but "in the now of now," he manages to say all the right stuff, too.
JT asked Variety's reporter for music and movie recommendations. Being a new dad has kept him busy, and he said he's a little unplugged from the day-to-day of new releases. Still, he seemed pretty familiar with Chance The Rapper and Frank Ocean's albums, so it's safe to say his taste is intact. 2. “If 20/20 sounded like it literally surrounds your entire head, this stuff feels more like it just punches you between the eyes.”
We're well into the fourth chapter of Timberlake's career as an entertainer. First he was a boy band star, then he gave us FutureSex/LoveSounds. The 20/20 Experience was lavish pop. Now, it seems, he's headed for a different kind of sound — we're excited for it, even if the description is a little random. 3. “I’m just in the now of now."
Don't talk to JT about deadlines. He'll be the first to warn collaborators that he'll release new work when it feels "ready," and not on a corporate timetable. Life in the "now of now" sets its own schedule. 4. "For a long time I lived my life for a lot of other people, or for the idea that those other people had an idea of me. And whatever — there’s a guy who’s gonna wake up tomorrow and transfer an organ from one body to another and save someone’s life — so what are we even doing?"
Justin Timberlake would really like us to respect medical professionals. But Timberlake is still charming. And now, as an industry veteran all grown up from his No Strings Attached days, he's doing his part to dismantle toxic masculinity: "As men, we’re always taught at a young age to be a man and have your priorities in order. And you get to a point where you’re like, ‘It’s not about 'being a man' — it’s about fulfillment.' Which is a totally different thing." You know when a friend says something totally crazy and you nod along supportively, but inside wonder what the hell it is they're talking about? JT is that friend. Sure, he might say a lot of crazy stuff, but "in the now of now," he manages to say all the right stuff, too.