Justin Timberlake confirms work on new album with Pharrell

Justin Timberlake has confirmed he is back in the studio recording the follow-up to 2013’s double-project, The 20/20 Experience, reuniting with Pharrell Williams for the first time since his Justified debut.

Revealing the news during an interview with Variety earlier today, JT spoke of the new collection, confirming “I wouldn’t say [my new material] is the antithesis of ‘20/20,’ but it does sound more singular,” he says. “If ‘20/20’ sounded like it literally surrounds your entire head, this stuff feels more like it just punches you between the eyes.”

Pharrell has also opened up on the collaborative effort, saying “Songwise, I think we’ve got a good solid six that are like, ‘Whoa, what was that? Play that again…..I would pay Justin a huge compliment to say he’s just discovering who he is now.”

“For the biggest pop stars in the world, the place where they have the most trouble is honesty. It’s hard for them to know that the beauty of a record, the sweetest spot in the song, is where they show vulnerability. Because there’s a formulaic sort of vulnerability, like, ‘Baby, I can’t sleep without you …’ and that’s not really it. But if you’re able to really screenshot your own vulnerability, and frame it properly, and color-correct it, then it becomes something that every human can relate to. And I think Justin is in the place where he’s mastering that right now.”

Quite.

Currently there is no word as to when the as-yet-untitled album will appear; Justin is currently on a global promotional tour for his new movie Trolls, for which he curated and exec-produced the soundtrack. As far as the artist is concerned, “I have no idea when I’ll put it out…. I’ll put it out when it’s done — when it feels right.”

More as we hear it.