Vocally, Timberlake heavily channels Prince, particularly the exacting, scornful tone of When Doves Cry, while his “whatchu gonna do with all that meat?” is like an X-rated version of Bruno Mars’s “whatchu tryna do?” from 24k Magic. If this is Timberlake’s white rebranding, he’s not doing a great job of it. But it’s not a mere parroting of others, either – the chorus, which modulates into a sweeter, smoother key, is signature Timberlake.
Justin Timberlake's comeback single channels Prince i