(In Hear This, The A.V. Club writers sing the praises of songs they know well. This week, since we’re getting into the summer groove, we’re picking what we’d like to be this year’s song of the summer.)
This year, you can already tell that Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” is your hot-weather jam. Stylistically, it’s a soul-pop sugar rush tweaked for maximum dance grooves, thanks to faint electronic programming. Unsurprisingly, credits show the song is a collaboration between JT and Max Martin, whose Timberlake-related CV entries, incredibly, previously only included the ’N Sync megahit “It’s Gonna Be Me” and album cut “Tell Me, Tell Me… Baby.” Martin and collaborator Shellback’s knack for foolproof pop hooks and concise arrangements are a perfect match for Timberlake’s nimble falsetto and vocal acrobatics. It’s a contemporary-sounding tune but possesses a few nostalgic signifiers to give it a timeless sheen.
