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Man of the Woods
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Man of the Woods Image
Metascore
55

Mixed or average reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 765 Ratings

  • Summary: The fifth full-length solo studio release for the pop artist features guest appearances from Alicia Keys and Chris Stapleton.
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Top Track

Say Something
[Intro: Justin Timberlake] Say something, Say something No, no, no Say something, Say something Say someting (Let's do it) [Breakdown: Justin... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 29
  3. Negative: 3 out of 29
  1. Q Magazine
    Feb 13, 2018
    80
    Throughout, Man Of The Woods seesaws brilliantly between pop and country. [Apr 2018, p.116]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. Consequence
    Feb 8, 2018
    67
    Man of the Woods, a funky, country-laced experiment that’s not nearly as bad as its already damned reputation suggests. Though the lyrics might be.
  3. musicOMH.com
    Feb 6, 2018
    60
    Ultimately the album is three or four songs too long, but Man Of The Woods is rarely less than entertaining. Too slick to be a genuine man of ‘rough’, Timberlake nevertheless continues to lead the way in his field, even if he does so without consistently reaching the greatness he so clearly strives for.
  4. Slant Magazine
    Feb 1, 2018
    50
    The majority of the highlights on Man of the Woods, from the faux-Stevie Wonder groove of “Higher, Higher” to the smooth dance-floor glide of “Breeze Off the Pond,” could have appeared on any Timberlake album, give or take a few pointedly rural references to roadside billboards and canoes. The songs that hew more closely to the Americana vibe, meanwhile, are mostly embarrassing.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Feb 2, 2018
    50
    Expertly appointed but emotionally inert homage to the place that he says made him.
  6. Drowned In Sound
    Feb 14, 2018
    40
    Man of the Woods is not an outright disaster but it is a significant disappointment--a record too preoccupied with image, volte face and forced “REAL” to fully engage as a coherent piece of craftsmanship.
  7. PopMatters
    Feb 5, 2018
    30
    A handful of decent songs do not a classic album make, much less a good one. While Timberlake can't be faulted for wanting to try something genuinely new this far into his career, the laziness of the productions and overall misguided lyrics make for an awkward fit. ... Timberlake's worst album to date.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 112 out of 194
  2. Mixed: 22 out of 194
  3. Negative: 60 out of 194
  1. andre_x
    Feb 2, 2018
    10
    Haters gonna say it's fake... But he did save the music... Again! Trying to merge the past traditional music with a modern sound was aHaters gonna say it's fake... But he did save the music... Again! Trying to merge the past traditional music with a modern sound was a brilliant idea, risky but worth it. You can tell he's in a different place right now.… Expand
  2. damarru
    Feb 8, 2018
    10
    Great album, great vocals, great everything. I had to come here give a 10 and "Say Something".
  4. marinaoliv
    Feb 3, 2018
    10
    Haters gonna say it’s fake. But the true is that this new JT album is so real.
  5. kjrwhfwjefhw
    Feb 5, 2018
    10
    eu realmente nao tenho palavras para descrever esse trabalho maravilhoso de JT
  6. chidime
    Feb 7, 2018
    5
    A terrible bore. He gets points for a cohesive album, and a few interesting sounds here and there, but overall, this was a very disappointingA terrible bore. He gets points for a cohesive album, and a few interesting sounds here and there, but overall, this was a very disappointing record. Sounds that go nowhere, and lyrics/songs that just drag on and on without any purpose/destination. Timberlake can certainly do better.… Expand
  7. thefress
    Feb 2, 2018
    2
    Dear Justin Timberlake,

    What in the literal AND figurative hell were you thinking with this new album? Same goes for you, Timbaland,    Dear Justin Timberlake,

    What in the literal AND figurative hell were you thinking with this new album? Same goes for you, Timbaland, Pharrell, and all other pop titan producers involved in „Man of the Woods“. Seriously, that album name alone. The title track sounds like the music one would stick in the background of diaper commercial and the rest like songs SNL skits use to satirize current events or trends. I could (to a certain degree) understand the whole 70s/funk infusion into pop music people are going for these days… but country music is one thing and one thing only: It’s (for better or for worse… and let’s be real: for worse) country music. Not pop. Not trendy. Not something one should try to incorporate into the daily lives of average, innocent listeners.

    I recently read that this album was largely inspired by your wife, your son, and your upbringing in Tennessee. Is your marriage this unfulfilling? Is your son such a massive letdown? I’ve been to Tennessee several times, and while it’s far from my favorite state (no offense, my TN friends), did your time there burn you so badly that it warrants such an awful „tribute“? I mean… come on, son. You did „FutureSex/LoveSounds“. „Cry Me a River“. Hell, even most of „The 20/20 Experience“ was genuinely great or, at the very least, fun. You’re clearly talented. But latest by now, it’s evident that you ALSO smoke a lot of weed, possibly crack. And I’m sorry weed - you deserve better than that. Crack… you, too, I think…?

    This is probably the meanest, most scathing „review“ of any release I have ever made public, but as one who was curious and suffered through the vast majority of the unmitigated disaster that is „Man of the Woods“ (again… really? ), I felt it was my duty to warn the rest of you. This, my friends, is what happens when you are in a musical rut and turn to drastic measures in the hopes that it will inspire something worth releasing. Also, pressure from major labels - something I imagine RCA sincerely regrets at this point.    … Expand
  8. Criminal1
    Feb 12, 2021
    0
    Awful disgusting piece of crap. Total white trailer trash. It's so bad it's shocking

See all 194 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Most Discussed Album of 2018
10
#10 Most Shared Album of 2018

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