Justin Timberlake fans have been waiting 5.5 years for him to make new music, but his new single “Suit%20&%20Tie%20(feat.%20JAY%20Z)%20-%20Single%20-%20Justin%20Timberlake” target=”_blank”>Suit & Tie (feat. JAY Z)” does not disappoint.

This single starts out with awesome brass hits introducing a too-slow simplified chorus. As soon as the first verse starts, the tempo picks up into a sweet disco-esque groove.  The big brass reminds one of vegas showmanship (think Tom Jones’ “It’s%20Not%20Unusual%20(Single%20Version)%20-%20Greatest%20Love%20Songs” target=”_blank”>It’s Not Unusual”), and the xylophone runs and combo trap set/hip hop beats transport this tune back in time while keeping it modern. Timberlake’s vocal style, especially falsetto, lends itself really well to the feel of this song.

I appreciate Timberlake’s attempt at genre mixing in this single. There’s hip hop, pop, R&B, disco, and big band jazz in there. JAY Z‘s rapped bridge completely changes up the feel of the song, though I’m not sure how well it and the hip-hop vernacular in the second verse fit in. JAY Z’s mentions of designers add to the overall theme of “Suit & Tie.”

This song is well-titled. There’s classiness in the idea of a man dressed to the nines, wearing a “Suit & Tie,” which redeems a lot of this song, boosts the chorus, and helps cement the dancing mood and setting of this tune. That said, the changes in tempo and beat throughout this track throw off the flow of any dancing one might do to this song, a sad shift for fans who want to “leave it all on the floor tonight.”

3.5/5 stars