Justin Timberlake, “Suit & Tie”; Destiny’s Child, “Nuclear”

A few of R&B’s biggest hitmakers are finally ready to return to the game and I couldn’t be happier. Anything that saves us from the current dubstep demons pillaging R&B will make my soul rejoice.

Instead of our usual Flashback Friday, when we reminisce about the good ol’ days, let’s have a Flash Forward Monday and take a look at where R&B could be headed this year.

We haven’t said their name since 2005, but the children of destiny are back. You can bet Michelle Williams is cartwheeling down the street – that woman has been twiddling her thumbs for about a decade. Beyonce announced last week that the trio is reuniting for a compilation album and a Pharrell-produced single, “Nuclear.”

I need to sue “Nuclear” for false advertising. It has to be the most misnamed track ever. The song sounds more like a creeping toxic haze than a nuclear explosion. It’s certainly not bad – the girls haven’t missed a beat and their voices blend seamlessly – but it’s more fit to be a sleepy album cut than a triumphant comeback single. Even the wifey, a card-carrying member of the Beyhive, couldn’t make it through the whole track without her eyelids drooping. We certainly expected more.

This may surprise some of you but I’m a massive JT fan. He’s the only artist from the dreaded Bubblegum Pop era that has constantly reinvented himself, with stellar results each time. His 2002 and 2006 albums are totally different but are both five-star affairs.

Justin dropped a video last week announcing his return to the world of music and I figured we MIGHT hear new music from him by summertime. The dude wasted no time leaking “Suit & Tie,” a bouncy R&B cut. JT’s go-to producer Timbaland whips up a track that meshes big band sounds with familiar steppin’ tunes. It’s far from a “SexyBack”-level game-changer but it’s extremely fun. Jay-Z drops a verse reminding us how rich he is (uggggggh) but surprisingly shares kind words for his in-laws in the last few bars. Those are the type of relatable lyrics Jay needs if he wants to remain relevant.

*Note*: YouTube snatched the vid off their site as soon as I posted it. Good lord they’re fast. Visit my friends at You Know I Got Soul to hear the song for yourself.

“Suit & Tie” is a pretty good outing for Justin. His new album, The 20/20 Experience, better not be on Detox’s schedule. By the sounds of it, R&B needs it ASAP.

Verdict: Thumbs up