Justin Timberlake threw a very unusual party to celebrate the launch of his new album Man Of The Woods. It's a literally-themed soirée, to be precise.
The event, which happened Tuesday night in New York City, saw guests enter a space decorated with bushes and trees, described as a "pop-up forest". Ants, coated in black garlic and rose oil, were served to hungry guests along with, er, grasshoppers served with aebleskiver, a traditional Danish pancake.
The album, comprising of 16 songs total, isn't quite as crazy as its celebratory event, however, sticking to Timberlake's well-worn pop persona with energetic splashes of his regular brand of upbeat pop, mixed with the usual R&B and electronic interludes.
The event was attended by the usual array of music industry insiders, press, and American Express cardholders (the company put on the event, and will do another Wednesday). Celebrity guests including Stranger Things' Gaten Matarazzo and Girls' Zosia Mamet also appeared.
iPhones were surrendered for the duration of the listening party, so lucky fans who were hoping to snap photos of their favorites dancing along were left disappointed. Red lights beamed throughout the large space as the album played.
Timberlake reportedly helped design the area. The 36-year-old singer and actor even wore a flannel shirt, possibly in reference to the 11th track on the album,"Flannel," to ensure he fit in with the aesthetic.
"I'm not going to go all Ray LaMontagne," Timberlake joked at the party, for anybody worried he might be going down a more folksy route.
In reality, the "personal album" is a tribute to his 2-year-old son, Silas, whose name means "living in the woods." Timberlake's wife and mother to Silas, actress Jessica Biel, attended the event alongside various family members and friends who reportedly flew in especially to support him.
Silas himself actually has a cameo on Man Of The Woods, with his voice appearing on "Young Man," the album's closing track. Also, Alicia Keys guests on "Morning Light," and Chris Stapleton appears on "Say Something," a track that went down particularly well on the night.
Timberlake worked with super-producer, and frequent collaborator, Timbaland on the album. He's set to headline next month's Super Bowl halftime show, his first since the infamous incident with Janet Jackson back in 2004.
His debut single off Man Of The Woods titled "Filthy" landed at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart earlier this week. The album is slated for release on Feb. 2. Three more singles are scheduled to drop each week starting Friday until the album's release.
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