COVERCULTURE: Justin Timberlake’s ‘The 20/20 Experience’
Perfect Vision
Album cover review for Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience”
By Darren Melchiorre
Photo for packaging by Tom Munro
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Justin Timberlake’s return to music for seven years. As my wait soon comes to an end, I got a glimpse of the most anticipated return with the release of Timberlake’s album cover art for The 20/20 Experience, set to be released in March. And from what I can see from this cover, it’s never been so clear that this could be the biggest return!
I have to say that this album cover art came as a complete surprise to me. After seven years, we could have seen a cover with just his sexyback face and some nice type, as the album would have sold anyway, even if he was wearing a paper bag. Staying one step ahead of the game and adding to the intrigue of the release, we get an image that not many would have thought of for the The 20/20 Experience. There is no pretty face. No outrageous type. We get Justin’s face behind a piece of eye examining equipment and the simple name “JT”. It’s powerful, it’s fun, it’s big, it’s bold and overall brilliant!
This image is a clear indication of Timberlake’s star power, not having to rely on his pretty face anymore to make an impact. He has clearly learned from the master, Madonna, who shocked the album cover world with 1989’s Like A Prayer, which did not show her face at all, but simply her navel and a set of rosary beads. From this album cover, it is completely clear that Justin Timberlake is rising to a whole new level, both with artistry and fame. With this experience shining so bright, I might need prescription sunglasses to enjoy it!