Justin Timberlake is putting some political spark into his musical comeback. He dropped the second song from his new album on Thursday to much fanfare. "Supplies" sounds sonically different from "Filthy," the first song off "Man of the Woods." But it's also much more intense from a lyrical perspective. In the video, the musician takes aim at a variety of people, including Harvey Weinstein, but he saves some of his most pent-up feelings for the president himself, Donald Trump.
He's got 'Supplies'
The music video is directed by Dave Meyers, who is most famous for directing some of Kendrick Lamar's music videos.
The video of "Supplies" takes viewers to a dystopian, not-so-distant future. There, Timberlake watches a wide array of screens, showing the stories of the world. There's footage of Harvey Weinstein, anti-Trump protests, feminist protests, and a deserted wasteland where an orphan chants, "Just leave. Die already. You’re still asleep. Wake up."
It's not hard to decipher what Timberlake is trying to say in "Supplies." Like many other entertainers, he's taking stock of what's going on in the country and trying to make sense of it. Clearly, the artist doesn't like the news blasted out daily about Trump, sexual harassment, and bigots. He feels that the present is just as broken as the future can become.
Most importantly, he believes it's time for the whole world to start paying close attention to the things happening around them. It's a message much different than the dance-pop vibes Timberlake usually sends.
Timberlake's a 'Man of the Woods'
When Timberlake isn't excoriating Trump, he's promoting his new album, "Man of the Woods." "Supplies" is the second single off the album and almost certainly not the last.
The album is set to be released on February 2, 2018. Two days later, he'll be showcasing some of those songs during his Super Bowl halftime show performance in Minneapolis.
"Man of the Woods" is the fifth studio album from Timberlake and the first in five years. It will be immediately followed by a tour in promotion of the album.
He has previously stated that the album will serve as a tribute of sorts for his two-year-old son Silas, whose name literally translates to "living in the woods." You best believe Timberlake will have the "supplies" to make the listener sing, make the listener think, and most importantly, make listeners around the world dance.