albums at age 40+

[Hot_Street]

MJ was 43 when Invincible was released.
In 2022, Ne-Yo at age 42 released Self Explanatory.
This year Usher und JT released the first albums in their 40s.
What are your impressions? Did they better than Michael? You decide:

Usher, age 45, album: Coming Home

Justin, age 43, album Everything I Thought It Was

 

[Blues_Away2023]

Good topic, I had similar thoughts.

I've not heard Usher's new album but I really like Justin's a lot and think it is better than Invincible.

The media have really turned on JT in their reviews. Must be influenced by the Britney scandal. It's a much better album than his last effort, man of the woods.

Feels like a bit of everything from his previous albums but there are some great tracks on it. At 18 songs though it could have been trimmed by a few.

No Angels, Technicolor, Drown and Paradise my faves so far.

 

[Hot_Street]

To me, Coming Home didn't have memorable songs, but Everything I Thought It Was has No Angels. A catchy disco track, that's not worse than You Rock My World.
On both Justins and Ushers album I miss the soul, that Invincible has. There is a depth in Michaels voice, that is untouchable for them.

 

[MJJ Leaks]

Flame from JT is 10/10

 

[Blues_Away2023]

To me, Coming Home didn't have memorable songs, but Everything I Thought It Was has No Angels. A catchy disco track, that's not worse than You Rock My World.
On both Justins and Ushers album I miss the soul, that Invincible has. There is a depth in Michaels voice, that is untouchable for them.

As much as I enjoy both especially Justin , MJ's voice is superior in every single way.

 

[mjchris]

Bhuu what an necessary thread.

 

[Hot_Street]

Bhuu what an necessary thread.

what a necessary post

Youth is important in pop music to reach the target group. The albums above were made by artists in their 40s. That's why it is interesting to compare their impact.

 

[filmandmusic]

Thanks for reminding me JT’s new album is out. The first released songs were mediocre auto tune songs but I am curious for the rest. 18 songs though… More is not better but artists don’t realize that apparently

 

[Hot_Street]

Thanks for reminding me JT’s new album is out. The first released songs were mediocre auto tune songs but I am curious for the rest. 18 songs though… More is not better but artists don’t realize that apparently

This review of Justins new album sounds like the reviews of Invincible.

Based on title and the album’s first track, you’d think Timberlake would keep up his end of the bargain and lay bare a little bit more of himself. He does not. The rest of the album is as vanilla as it gets, so much so that it makes the Americana/folk-pop/country/soul rebrand from 2018’s Man of the Woods feel, somehow, more ambitious. The only ambitious thing about Everything I Thought It Was is its tracklist, whose 18 songs clock in at a laborious 77 minutes.

The album’s various producers — Timbaland, Danja, Cirkut, Calvin Harris, and Post Malone-whisperer Louis Bell — are competent and employ a barrage of clean, enjoyable beats, occasional back-half vibe switches, and all the bells and whistles necessary for an 18-track pop album in 2024. But there’s no life behind it. There are no moments of messiness or instrumental power, no arrangements that rival the majesty of “Pusher Love Girl” or “Lovestoned.”

In the end, though, Everything I Thought It Was feels less like a terrible Justin Timberlake album and more like wasted potential. Man of the Woods was terrible, but at least he took a risk. This one is fine, frictionless, and overwhelmingly safe.

Justin Timberlake's New Album is Overstuffed, Overproduced, and Under Baked

Justin Timberlake's new album Everything I Thought It Was is too long, too safe, and tells us much too little about the pop star. Read our review.

consequence.net

 

[mjchris]

what a necessary post

Youth is important in pop music to reach the target group. The albums above were made by artists in their 40s. That's why it is interesting to compare their impact.

Yeah, its an necessary post for this stupid unnecessary thread.

 

[filmandmusic]

I wonder why pop artists even bother with releasing albums these days. Nobody is interesting and creative enough to pull of a great 13 to 20 song album. I wonder how much all of it costs and how much profit they make, it can't be much if any at all because it simply doesn't sell.

I'm not an Adele fan but at least she's got an idea and something to say/sell each time she releases a new album and she does so with a modest tracklist.

I'm probably a whiny old fart but 12 songs are really the max that I would allow on a record or in terms of minutes 45 min tops.

 

[Hot_Street]

I wonder why pop artists even bother with releasing albums these days. Nobody is interesting and creative enough to pull of a great 13 to 20 song album.

MJ, Usher, Justin and Ne-Yo at age 40 don't seem to reinvent the wheel with their albums.

I wonder how much all of it costs and how much profit they make, it can't be much if any at all because it simply doesn't sell.

It seems to do well on streaming platforms:

A rough calculation of the amount some of the most-streamed artists have earned on the music streaming platform as of January 2024.
Unsurprisingly, Drake still holds the top spot with almost $300 million in total earnings. Taylor Swift is the highest-earning female artist on Spotify, with BTS securing their position as the top-earning band.
1. Drake
Total earnings: $280,833,549
Lead streams: 70,208,387,350
2. Taylor Swift
Total earnings: $272,444,699
Lead streams: 68,111,174,735
4. The Weeknd
Total earnings: $206,844,174
Lead streams: 51,711,043,585

How much money have the top 10 artists earned on Spotify in 2024? - RouteNote Blog

A rough calculation of the amount some of the most-streamed artists have earned on the music streaming platform as of January 2024.

routenote.com

 

[Annita]

I noticed that Timberlake (Spotify 56) and Usher ( Spotify 55) with brand-new albums out and Uher also with halftime-show in back are only around 20 places better then MJ (Spotify 75) in monthly listeners.

But anyway this thread does not belong in MJ-news. @Hiker can you do it in that section, please.

 

[Hot_Street]

But anyway this thread does not belong in MH-news. @Hiker can do it in that section.

Really? This is a Invincible thread, isn't it?