Justin Timberlake’s New Album May Mark A Turning Point In His Music Career

Justin Timberlake’s new album Everything I Thought It Was is scheduled to arrive on Friday, March 15. The set is one of the more highly-anticipated pop efforts announced so far this year…or at least, it was. In only a few weeks, the two tracks that have been released from the full-length have not performed as well as some expected, and that may be a sign that this forthcoming effort may mark a turning point in his musical career.

Up until recently, Timberlake has been regarded as one of the biggest pop stars in the music industry. He has rarely stumbled, and he’s known for crafting countless hits. For many years, it seemed that there was nothing he couldn’t do, and Americans loved both him and almost everything he turned out.

Everything I Thought It Was may change that. Lead single “Selfish” was released in late January, and expectations for the tune were high. When it arrived, enthusiasm seemed to wane somewhat.

The track debuted at No. 19 on the Hot 100, and it hasn’t risen higher. That’s a slow start for a track from someone considered one of the top pop stars in the business. In the weeks since “Selfish” dropped, it has remained inside the top 40 on the chart, which means there is continued interest–but it’s not really the smash he was looking for.

Just a week or so ago, Timberlake delivered “Drown,” a promotional single from Everything I Thought It Was. That tune failed to reach the Hot 100 entirely, as it starts just one position below the ranking on another, connected tally called the Bubbling Under Hot 100. That track wasn’t necessarily meant to dominate, but its lackluster performance is also somewhat telling.

For almost his entire solo career, every album Timberlake has produced has shot right to No. 1 on the Billboard 200, Billboard’s ranking of the most-consumed full-lengths in the country. His debut offering on his own missed the mark by one spot, but since then, all of his studio LPs have ruled, at least for a time. Some have been massive commercial wins, while others were much smaller—but still No. 1s.

Timberlake’s last album, 2018’s Man of the Woods, was also a commercial disappointment, but when compared to Everything I Thought It Was’ early performance, it was still a bigger win. That set opened atop the Billboard 200, and it produced a pair of top 10 hits. Neither of those singles held on for very long, but their lofty debuts showed that Americans were still eager to at least hear the latest from the Grammy champion. Now, they seem less interested.

So far, Everything I Thought It Was is not turning out to be the major comeback that Timberlake could have used. Unlike many of his past efforts, it doesn’t have a huge single powering it. A No. 1 start on the Billboard 200 is certainly within reach, but it’s not guaranteed. Should the set fail to open in first place, it will be a seemingly tell-tale sign of his wavering popularity and where he stands in the current pop culture landscape.

Everything I Thought It Was could still become a sturdy seller, and if there’s a big hit waiting to be found on the collection, everything could change. If the album does falter, and miss the No. 1 spot–or open in first place and then disappear quickly–it may mean that Timberlake’s time as one of America’s beloved male crooners may be coming to a close. His career will be far from over, but every pop icon has an expiration date, of sorts, and his may have come.