Justin Timberlake: 'My new album will punch people in the face'

Justin Timberlake is working on a hard-hitting new album he is convinced will take listeners by storm.

After the critical and commercial success of his last three efforts, Justified (2002), Future Sex/Love Sounds (2006) and his latest 2013 double-album The 20/20 Experience, the nine-time Grammy winner will not disappoint fans with his upcoming LP either.

“I wouldn’t say (my new material) is the antithesis of ‘20/20,’ but it does sound more singular,” he tells Variety, noting long-time producer buddies Pharrell Williams and Timbaland are helping him craft an innovative sound for the record in the recording studio. “If ‘20/20’ sounded like it literally surrounds your entire head, this stuff feels more like it just punches you between the eyes," he adds.

Although Timberlake continues to explore the depths of his musicality, don't expect the star to stay on the road performing concerts over a span of nearly two years, like he did during his The 20/20 Experience World Tour, which kicked off in November, 2013 before concluding in January, 2015.

The 35-year-old star insists he is simply too busy taking care of his 18-month-old son Silas with wife Jessica Biel to even entertain the thought of having a lengthy tour in support of his forthcoming album.

“My life has changed and is changing. So it’s important to discover that there’s work you can do where you get more time with your family,” he explains. “I wouldn’t go on tour next week, because I wanna be with my son. I wanna be with my wife. What does touring even look like for me now? It’s such a luxury to be able to make those decisions: to be able to think about how you could do the work you used to do in a different way. As men, we’re always taught at a young age to be a man and have your priorities in order. And you get to a point where you’re like, ‘It’s not about “being a man” — it’s about fulfilment.’ Which is a totally different thing.”

Justin also advises fans to hold tight while he completes his upcoming effort, explaining the album has no hard deadline at the moment: “I think everyone I’m working with right now knows that I’m notorious for being like, ‘Yeah let’s work. I have no idea when I’ll put it out, though'. I’ll put it out when it’s done — when it feels right.”