Music Review: Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z "Suit & Tie"

Justin Timberlake & Jay-Z

Suit & Tie

Album: The 20/20 Experience

Year: 2013

       Justin Timberlake shows off his girlfriend at a gala in the sleek “Suit & Tie.”

        Elegant horns open the single, setting a stylish tone. In the intro, he says he’s dressed up and ready to go. (“I be on my suit and tie, shit tie, shit tie/I be on my suit and tie, shit tie, shit/Can I show you a few things, a few things, a few things, little baby?/'Cause/I be on my suit and tie, shit tie, shit/I be on my suit and tie, shit tie, shit/Let me show you a few things/Let me show you a few things.”)

      Producer Timbaland breaks in, wanting to know if he can start the beat. (“Wait a minute. You ready, JT?”)

       He admires how his girlfriend looks in her shimmering ocean blue dress. He can’t wait to put his hands on her bare shoulders and whirl her around on the dance floor. He’s proud of how she carries herself. He knows she will cause other guys to turn their heads and look. It’s ok with him, though, she’s in love with him. Other people will get a chance to see a couple who complement each other well and have a lot of chemistry. He likes how she moves her hips when she dances. She’s a spitfire and he enjoys every minute of it. (“I can't wait 'til I get you on the floor, good-looking/Going out so hot, just like an oven/And I'll burn myself, but just had to touch it/It's so fire and it's all mine/Hey baby, we don't mind all the watching/Cause if they study close, real close/They might learn something/She ain't nothing but a little doozie when she does it/She's so fire tonight.”)

        In the chorus, he says they will have a wonderful, romantic evening together. Hewants her to remember every dance they share and the kisses they sneaked in while having dinner. (“And as long as I got my suit and tie/I'ma leave it all on the floor tonight/And you got fixed up to the nines/Let me show you a few things/All pressed up in black and white/And you're dressed in that dress I like/Love is swinging in the air tonight/Let me show you a few things/Let me show you a few things/Show you a few things about love/While we're in the swing of love/Let me show you a few things/Show you a few things about love/Hey.”)

       He likes her voloptous curves. Sometimes, he has to shake himself out of a gaze and remind himself of what he was doing. While he’s in line, waiting to get a drink for them both, he watches as she dances. He sees the dirty looks she gets from other women. He chalks it up to the women being jealous of the attention she’s receiving. She deserving of it, though. She’s a natural and has even studied dance. (“Stop, let me get a good look at it/Oh, so thick, now I know why they call it a fatty/And aww, shit so sick, got a hit and picked up a habit/But that's alright, cause you're all mine/Awww, go on and show 'em who you call daddy/I guess they're just mad cause girl, they wish they had it/Oh, my killer, my thriller, yeah you're a classic/And you're all mine tonight.”)

     The chorus is sung again.

      In the bridge, he tells Jay-Z to join in the single. (“Get out your seat, Hov.”) In Jay-Z’s rap, he speaks for both Timberlake and his girlfriend. They attend the galas all the time and smoke Cubans while chatting with other elite people. The galas are usually decked with extravagant decorations, crystal lights outline the trellises and trees and a bouquet of white roses sits on every table. Having the most expensive meals are worth the consequences later. He gets upset when he sees his girlfriend has a bad day and he can’t do anything about it. However, now is the time they can relax and enjoy themselves, forgetting about the stress of their daily lives. He’s grateful for her family whom he respects. She’s his future wife. (“All black at the white shows/White shoes at the black shows/Green card for the Cuban links/Y'all sit back and enjoy the light show/Nothing exceeds like excess/Stoute got gout from having the best of the best/Is this what it's all about?/I'm at the restaurant/My rant disturbing the guests/Years of distress, tears on the dress/Trying to hide her face with some make up sex/This is truffle season/Time for tuxedos for no reason/All Saints for my angel/Alexander Wang too/Ass-tight Denim and some Dunks/I'll show you how to do this young!/ No papers, catch vapors/Get high, out Vegas/D'usses on doubles, ain't looking for trouble/You just got good genes so a n**** trying to cuff you/Tell your mother that I love her cause I love you/Tell your father we go farther as a couple/They ain't lose a daughter, got a son/I show you how to do this, hun!”)

   The chorus is sung once to end the single.

     Timberlake’s fawning, pleased vocals are seductive, drawing people in with fine lines with a steady hand, careful not go outside of it. He cares about his girlfriend and she’s the most important person in her life. Having her as his plus one is something he can’t believe he managed to get. Jay-Z keeps his rap even with the rest of the single, adapting to it with precision. He maintains the narrative, getting in a few choice lines of his own (i.e. “All black at the white shows…ya’ll sit back and enjoy the light show.”)

      The tacky intro, which is the only major flaw, drones on with unnecessary swearing and namechecking. It’s the forgotten mustard stain on an otherwise impeccable “Suit and Tie.”