Many fans are still unconvinced by this change of direction.
Justin Timberlake might be from Memphis, Tennessee, but he's made a career out of the pop industry that has been very much apart from his country roots. This year, however, he plans to return to his origins with a new musical direction on his new album 'Man of the Woods'.
Justin Timberlake at the Academy Awards
The 36-year-old 'Can't Stop The Feeling' hitmaker has decided to strip down his sound for a more country vibe on his upcoming fifth album, while still maintaining a large team of producers such as Pharrell Williams, The Neptunes, Timbaland and Danja, of course.
'This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any other album I've ever written, where I'm from. And it's personal', Justin says in a voiceover for a newly released teaser clip in which he can be seen surrounded by mountains, snow, cropfields, horses, bonfires and woodland.
It's very much directed towards his Tennessee upbringing, with the Wild West themes and casual attire, the homeliness only emphasised by glimpses of what could be his actual wife, Jessica Biel, and son. There's also a brief black and white clip of Justin in the studio with Pharrell.
The only problem is, fans just aren't buying it. As soon as the teaser video went up fans were comparing it to 'Brokeback Mountain', Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons and even his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears.
To make matters worse, he's certainly not the only one to have taken this kind of new direction in recent years. Lady Gaga donned a pink cowboy hat for her 2016 album 'Joanne', while Miley Cyrus went from barely-dressed 'Bangerz' star to the wholesome, vintage style of 2017's 'Younger Now'. Again, it was a return to her roots, but it was still a dramatic transformation.
More: Justin Timberlake to headline Super Bowl LII halftime show
Justin is set to perform at the Super Bowl LII halftime show in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 4th 2018. That's two days after the release of 'Man of the Woods' on February 2nd 2018 through RCA Records, and he has a new song coming on January 5th.
Almost pathologically buoyant, this brightly colourful animated comedy is so cheeky that it's impossible to...
For the first time us humans get to have a look into the life of...
An astute satire of the pop music business, this raucous mock-documentary is consistently hilarious from...
The Coen brothers have a wry twinkle in their eyes as they take us on...
Clearly something went horribly wrong as this thriller was being made, because despite a solid...
Richie Furst is a Princeton student with a unique gift for mathematics. He uses his...
Llewyn Davis is a struggling folk musician attempting to find his place in the world...
With beautiful but bland direction and a script that can't help but overstate everything, this...
Gus Lobel is one of the most formidable baseball talent scouts around, however his age...
In the near future, the world's population lives until the age of 25. After that,...
A smart, witty script and a likable cast help overcome the deep-seated rom-com cliches the...
Elizabeth should never have become a teacher, her teaching technique is somewhat 'hands off'; she...
2011 will see the return of two very popular bears, Hundred Acre Wood resident Winnie...