“On 2006′s FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake looked forward in time to imagine what dance music in, say, 2013 might sound like. In actual 2013, he is looking backwards– deep into the 1970s, in fact– to reimagine old sounds and styles. While not quite as risky as “SexyBack” or as rewarding as “My Love”, “Suit & Tie” is still one hell of a wedding reception jam, as bubbly as champagne. Timbaland creates a smooth beat out of a marimba roll and harp gliassando that Marvin Gaye must have left on the cutting-room floor, and Timberlake rides it with that fluid, effortless falsetto. “Let me show you a few things,” he sings by way of seduction. Because it’s a song called “Suit & Tie”, Jay-Z is on here, delivering the obligatory rapped verse like he’s crashed a wedding. It’s another in a string of uninspired cameos by Hova but even he can’t sink the song’s slinky vibe. Much like the sartorial combination of the title, this song is smartly modular– mix-and-matchable, even– with each section clearly marked by hard tempo changes.”  – Pitchfork

[from the album The 20/20 Experience, out this year]

Download: Suit & Tie