BY MELISSA RUGGIERI/AJC Music Scene
Although the trailer for his upcoming "Man of the Woods" album intimated that Justin Timberlake would be journeying down a Chris Stapleton-like road of rootsy introspection , the first single from the album keeps him firmly in the club.
“Filthy,” which arrived just after midnight Friday, is a slinky slice of electro-funk with minimal lyrics and a vibe that gels with longtime collaborator Timbaland, who co-wrote the song with Timberlake, Danja, James Fauntleroy and Lawrence Dopson.
The video for the single, directed by Mark Romanek, who handled Timberlake’s perky 2016 hit, “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” finds the singer donning a Steve Jobs-like headset and clothing as he introduces his robot creation to a rapt audience at the Pan-Asian Deep Learning Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the year 2028.
“Man of the Woods” arrives Feb. 2, two days before Timberlake performs at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in Minneapolis.
