And Now There’s This: Justin Timberlake Is Recording New Music in Nashville
If all of the quotes over the last couple of years from Justin Timberlake proclaiming he would love to make a country record weren’t proof enough, if his purchase of a huge 126-acre parcel of land just south of Nashville in June was not any indication, if his performance at the 2015 CMA Awards with Chris Stapleton on Wednesday night wasn’t a shining beacon pointing right on the obvious notion that Justin Timberlake is about to make a country move, then maybe this news will finally seal the deal.
Saving Country Music has learned that Justin Timberlake’s label has been looking to secure the singer blocks of studio time at facilities in Nashville in the coming days and weeks, including the historic Studio ‘A’ where Chris Stapleton recorded his now CMA-winning Album of the Year Traveller produced by Dave Cobb. It’s also not out of the question that Timberlake has already been recording in town previously, and working with Nashville songwriters.
Though there’s no guarantee Timberlake will be using the studio time to make a country record, when you line up the news with quotes like “I still got my eyes set on a Best Country Album. There is time for that,” which Timberlake said to Sirius XM in 2013, all indications are that Timberlake is looking to record at least country flavored music.
On Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, Justin Timberlake was part of what became the night’s marquee performance as he sang a version of “Tennessee Whiskey” with Chris Stapleton, and then the pair sang Timberlake’s “Drink You Away.” The moment may have been a litmus test for both country music and Justin Timberlake to see just how a relationship between the two may bode moving forward.
On Thursday (11-5) afternoon, Timberlake said on Instagram, “About last night… I’ve been friends with Chris Stapleton and his lovely wife Morgane for a couple of years now, but sometimes you meet people and feel like you’ve known them your whole life. He is one of THE MOST gifted musicians, songwriters, and vocalists I’ve ever met. So stoked to share this moment with him and watch him put the WHOLE WORLD on notice. So happy for you brother. Chalk one up for the good guys.”
Another interesting wrinkle to Timberlake’s potential use of Studio ‘A’ in Nashville is that Aubrey Preston, the individual Timberlake purchased his new middle Tennessee spread from, was also the philanthropist who swooped in at the 11th hour to save Studio ‘A’ when it was slated for demolition in 2014.
Also, in an act of good will towards the Nashville community, Timberlake has donated the guitar he played on the CMA Awards to the USO Nashville to be auction off at a “Big Band Bash” event on Saturday.
November 6, 2015 @ 8:23 am
I may be in the minority but after Wednesday performance I’m optimistic and excited in what Timberlake could do to the country landscape. I highly doubt he would be singing ‘bro’ stuff and would more then likely produce something that is respectful to the genre and has substance. I would also imagine Stapleton would pop up on the album either as guest vocals or songwriting
November 6, 2015 @ 9:00 am
I don’t think you’re in the minority–I think that real country fans are ten times more legitimate than most music fans, and therefore we understand Timberlake’s undeniable talent and appreciation for genre roots and parameters. While I’m a little worried that he won’t alter his delivery enough to reign in his too-perfect for country voice, he will record good songs. As fans, we have a purpose and a fight and we’ve had that since Rascall Flatts took what artists like Alabama did with here and there singles and made entire albums of them. Now, I don’t think Rascall Flatts has ever made music that’s all that terrible, but to so blatantly involve bubblegum pop elements, especially in the vocals, paved the road for all the cliche-driven, laundry list nonsense. They may have recorded a boatload of good songs (What Hurts the Most and Fast Cars and Freedom come to mind), but to finish them with all of Levox’s pop acrobatics opened doors country fans never wanted opened, and it’s lead to some of the worst music ever to have the audacity to come with a price tag.
Timberlake will not hurt our side in this fight. I am not even slightly worried.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:56 am
I concur with your optimism. However, I also understand the wariness and disdain that many on this site have with him coming into country music. After repeated bastardizations of the art form that they love, an “outsider”, “pop” star, pretty-boy, dance moves galore, individual isn’t exactly what they had in mind. But, if JT is actually going to do something in this genre, I feel like it will be good music, at the very least. The “country-ness” of it may be up for debate, but the dude can sing. And, he has enough money, enough influence, enough weight to throw around, that, if he does want to cut a true to the roots country record he can, and tell all of those in the bro-sphere to fuck off. That’s why I’m holding out hope. The evil, powers-that-be will not be able to push him around/influence him with money.
November 6, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
I agree. He has a great voice and musical integrity. It is worth noting his background… he is from Memphis and his father was a church music director. Gospel to country is not a big step. I expect anything he does will also have a healthy dose of blues and R&B. I am interested to see what he comes up with, but I am less a purist and more a lover of good music no matter what the genre. Maybe he should say he is crossing over to Americana, which might be a better stylistic fit, but then he co-writes most of his stuff by committee, so doesn’t really fit. I would rather see him do some interesting covers.
November 6, 2015 @ 8:36 am
I look at this in the vein of Ray Charles recording Modern Sounds back in the early 60’s. Of course Timberlake is not a Country artist, but that doesn’t mean he can’t record good country songs. Plus I could totally see him as a catalyst for bringing guys like Stapleton, Sturgill and Jason Isbell into the mainstream.
November 6, 2015 @ 11:58 am
Chris Stapleton is now a mainstream star. “Traveller” is expected to sell over 145,000 copies this week and go #1 all genre, which is a number even more ridiculous than his three CMA wins, and don’t think Timberlake’s involvement didn’t have a huge part in that. There’s Grammy winners who don’t get half that sales bump.
Remember when Timberlake Tweeted out about Stapleton in December of 2014? He said, “Attention mainstream:” That Tweet continues to prove to be incredible foreshadowing.
Timberlake met Stapleton two years ago, and I can only imagine one reason why they would have met. I wonder if Stapleton knows any good producers he can suggest that are familiar with the Studio ‘A’ space?
😉
November 6, 2015 @ 8:51 am
Justin (along with Chris Stapleton) schooled a whole room – and a whole country – on how to do country music. And JT wasn’t just along for the Chris Stapleton ride – he was right there, bringing it country-style and blowing the world away. The kid is a five-tool threat who aces most anything he does. Expect a great deal of respect and deference to real country music from him. I guarantee he won’t be Luke Bryan 2.0.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:15 am
Timberlake is reminiscent of powerhouse Linda Ronstadt who sang across genres her entire career. He established himself as a pop singer, dabbled with a 40’s sound several years ago and now he’s turning to his Memphis roots. It may be more blues-based than some would like, but I’m betting it will be quality music. (If you haven’t heard the NPR interview with LR re her losing her voice to Parkinson’s disease — google it. One of the most touching interviews I’ve listened to in years).
November 6, 2015 @ 7:31 pm
The blues have been missing from country music far too long. It was incredibly refreshing to hear them resurface on “Traveller”, specifically on “The Devil Named Music” and “Sometimes I Cry”. I could deal with blues influences on a Justin Timberlake country album.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:21 am
I appreciate JT as an artist . I think he’s got a better than average voice . I think he’s passionate about performing . But I don’t believe for a moment JT would be considering a ” Country ” record had country not already started incorporating the R&B , rap , pop , and other non-country sensibilities and arrangements into its mainstream output . In fact …Country is making a Justin Timberlake record everytime one of those Metro Bros goes into the studio . Its no stretch for JT to say …” Hey wait …I know how to do THAT ” Now if JT were doing a tribute to Hank Cochran I might be interested in THAT record ….but only perversely .
I think its safe to assume that JT’s ” Country ” record will be as” country “as Hunt , Luke Bryan , Kelsea Ballerini, Rhett Thomas or ….well ..I ‘ve made my point .
November 6, 2015 @ 9:23 am
Timberlake will more than likely pull from multiple genres and influences when composing a country”flavored” album. The result will likely be hated by purists but enough to throw contemporary top 40 country off its axis. Hopefully his innovative, even if sacrilegious, approach will be enough to encourage mainstream listeners to at least think outside the box and shine some light on underground artists. At the very least, Timberlake could very well shake the weak foundation of pop country, opening the door to its collapse. The bro country hacks have set the bar so low that all he has to do is step over it.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:24 am
After his performance with Chris Stapleton, I think Justin Timberlake showed that he is not the type to do anything half-assed.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:27 am
JT’s performance with Chris reminded me a bit of this various-artists compilation that came out some 20 years ago called ‘Rhythm, Country & Blues,’ on which artists like Trisha Yearwood and Aaron Neville, Lyle Lovett and Al Green, George Jones and BB King, Vince Gill and Gladys Knight, and others duetted on classic country, soul and blues covers. I think he could be great using that sound as something of a blueprint for his own album.
November 6, 2015 @ 10:26 am
Travis Tritt and Patty LaBelle for that matter. YouTube still has that clip of him talking with Wanda Sykes over that duet.
November 6, 2015 @ 10:41 am
Yes, that was a good one. Same and Dave’s “When Something is Wrong With My Baby,” I’m pretty sure.
And another good one was Conway Twitty and Sam Moore singing Rainy Night in Georgia.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:41 am
It will be really interesting to see what collaborations he pulls in- could be anyone. He could use the opportunity to do something with a current star – country or pop, “reinvigorate” an older country star, “introduce” an under-the-radar type, etc. Hell, Timberlake doing something with a bluegrass outfit like the Steeldrivers wouldn’t hurt my feelings…
Unrelated to that, I’ll add a tiny shout out here to great instrumentalist Fats Kaplin who performed with Hank Jr at the CMA Awards. It turns out that my second cousin’s husband in Oklahoma is friends with him and performed with him in the past. Now, I’m looking up his original material.
November 6, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
There were all kinds of cool and hidden people in that Hank Jr. performance. Just found out this morning The Church Sisters were up there on stage, though you could barely see them.
November 6, 2015 @ 3:09 pm
RobertS: I remember that Fats Kaplin worked a lot with the Tractors back in the 90s 🙂
November 6, 2015 @ 5:37 pm
Bubba, I’m impressed someone got that one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dirt_(music) “The first usage of Red Dirt was by Steve Ripley band Moses when the group chose the label name Red Dirt Records for their 1972 self-published live album.” For whatever one might think of Ripley’s Tractors’ brand of mixing old rock-and-roll and country influences, Ripley has done quite a variety of things in the world of music over the years. The guy is a living encyclopedia of Oklahoma music, of every variety 🙂
November 6, 2015 @ 5:51 pm
Steve Ripley lived in my neighborhood till a few years ago. He’s still around here someplace. Lot of good artists from this area, not necessarily country. JJ Cale, now gone, Leon Russell, and many more.
November 6, 2015 @ 7:27 pm
Oddly enough, I’ve never met my Oklahoma cousins, but have kept up with some of them over the years online. I know they’re happy about the OKPOP museum project. For those unfamiliar, look at the Bob Wills and other music exhibits they have planned: http://www.okpop.org/projects/
November 6, 2015 @ 8:32 pm
…and Leon Russell was the first to sign Trigger.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:44 am
SIGH , just what country needs an new interloper.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:46 am
I have always respected JT for his incredible talent. I was never a fan of his boy band days, but he has shown the world that he is much more than just a boy band member. I think that it is good for the massive fanbase that he has to see how awesome REAL country music is. He obviously appreciates the music, much like the folks here do. He is talented enough to perform the genre and do it well. I don’t see country music so much of a genre as it is a lifestyle (not talking music row pop). I think that we love the music because we identify with it. We appreciate some of our own life stories being recognized. I don’t know if JT has that same well to draw from as Stapleton, Sturgill, Isbell, Hubbard, Keen, Barham, Boland, LaRue, et al. but I think that he can put something interesting out that will be worth listening to. I, for one, hope that he pulls from some of those folks who paved the first country dirt road. I could use some old twangy country and instead of an upbeat pop sound, he could throw some Bob Wills swing in the mix.
November 6, 2015 @ 9:51 am
No one has mentioned the back-up band for JT and Chris!! wasnt your typical Nashville band of hair metal rejects with Les Pauls..had their performance been with the backing of a standard Chesney/Aldean//Church band it would not have been as powerful….a change in the session/live musicians could help the genre as well
November 6, 2015 @ 10:05 am
JT, the next singer you’ll hate.
November 6, 2015 @ 10:10 am
I think it’s safe to say JT is at least more country than Samantha Hunt. He’s not a country singer, but I think he’ll put out an actual country album with actual country songs. It will really shake things up when he outcountries all the mediocre mainstream miscreants! I predict JT will go country while Luke and Jason go JT. They’ll think that’s what people want and start prancing around like idiots singing with phony falsettos! Either that, or they’ll all grow long beards like Chris Stapleton!
Heeeee hehehehehehehehe!
November 6, 2015 @ 10:27 am
I would venture to say that pigs are now flying, but weirder s**t has happened
November 6, 2015 @ 10:32 am
Who woulda thought…justin timberlake helped save country musIc
November 6, 2015 @ 12:26 pm
That is great man! Who would have thought!
November 6, 2015 @ 10:57 am
Their performance was the best of the night. I can’t remember the last time I listened to a live performance and could feel that much electricity coming through the TV. It was fricking awesome. It was anointed. Really.
November 6, 2015 @ 11:22 am
I’m cautiously optimistic. I don’t care for JT’s music in general, but that doesn’t mean he lacks talent — it’s just not my taste. I do think he killed it in Inside Llewyn Davis, an otherwise dreary movie with a great soundtrack (sure, it’s folk, but it’s only a few steps sideways to get a more country sound).
November 6, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
I didn’t watch the CMA’s, but watched Stapleton and Timberlake’s performance on youtube. Think his (JT’s) voice was good, but too high pitched for me. No country sound. Think Stapleton can handle it fine. Guess, the draw was to get people to watch. As someone said, people are watching less television in general. True country people are fed up with the fluff and frills that’s happened with all award shows. I am, but I’m not 25.
November 6, 2015 @ 5:53 pm
I don’t love his albums, but some of his songs are pop perfection. His voice might be wrong for great country music, but I’m pretty sure he’ll try to make great music.
November 6, 2015 @ 6:01 pm
The sad thing is there’s so many “real” (hate that term) starving country artists in Nashville that need a shot. I read that the next flock to place after they swarmed to Austin is Nashville. It’s already happening. Austin is going to implode, I think. Son lives there. And I, for one, never cared for JT. But I’m not his generation. Can’t tolerate boy bands.
BTW, I posted on Chris Stapelton’s facebook page to check out THIS blog. People that never heard of Chris Stapleton are peeing all over theirselves;)
November 6, 2015 @ 6:10 pm
This has very little to do with boy bands. If he’ll make great country music …. Not so sure. But if he do, it will be very cool. That very, very pop voice though..
November 6, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
Austin imploded years ago, and there was never much hope here anyway. Antone’s, closed. Red7, closed. Holy Mountain, closed. Hole in the Wall, could close any moment. All replaced and edged out by condominium development. Same is happening with East Nashville. Low rent makes for creative communities. There’s not much left of that in America’s traditional music cities.
November 6, 2015 @ 8:14 pm
West and east coast moved in. I read city-data message boards on different cities and the long time Austin people are getting priced out of the market, complaining. All of big cities in Texas are swarming. Son won’t stay there forever, he can write from anyplace. He’s a permanent resident of NZ. I won’t go to Austin, he now thinks Tulsa is novel;) but left here after college and never moved back. A family town.
Good thing is music can be listened to anywhere. So pleased that Chris Stapelton is getting the recognition he deserves. Yes, he is now mainstream. Just don’t know about Nashville, many Hellywooders flocking there;)
November 6, 2015 @ 6:16 pm
While I’m happy for Stapleton and respect Timberlake as an artist I’m a little worried the CMAs will keep trying to recreate this performance. The future awards shows will try to force two artists together hoping for the same results.
November 6, 2015 @ 8:12 pm
I thought JT and CS were by far the best performance of the night. It was a great musical moment.
November 7, 2015 @ 7:21 am
Nice kid. Ham sandwich, though.
November 7, 2015 @ 9:29 am
Sigh…yet again, I guess I’ll just have to wait and hear. But it’s a good point that someone upthread made about there being so many starving artists who play strictly country, why can’t someone give one of them a chance?
November 10, 2015 @ 8:21 pm
Justin Timberlake is great at whatever he does.
November 11, 2015 @ 12:58 pm
Aaaannnddd….I read on Twitter that Timberlake’s Drink You Away will be an official single for country radio.