Music Review: Justin Timberlake "Tunnel Vision"

Justin Timberlake

Tunnel Vision

Album: The 20/20 Experience

Year: 2013

        For Justin Timberlake, everything stops when his girlfriend is in view in the  foggy “Tunnel Vision.”

          A gasping synth opens the single, setting a sickly tone. In the introduction, a child’s voice says people are going to enjoy the single. (“I know you like /I know you like /I know you like it/I know you like /I know you like /I know you like.”)

            In the ocean, he watches as people splash and race other to the shore. Next to him, a low whistle comes out of his girlfriend’s nose as she naps on her blanket. The wheezing worries him and he hopes she would have it get checked out soon. On the small of her back, he brushes his fingers against her skin. Immediately, she lifts her head up and gives him a playful slap on the arm. “I was snoring again, wasn’t I?” she asks him and he nods yes. She flips herself over on her blanket and snuggles to him, putting her head on his shoulder. He gives her a warm smile, thinking how much he wants to tell her how much she means to him. She inspires him to write, expressing himself in a way he didn’t think possible. All he has to say that he has something for her and begin to sing. However, seeing a blank stare and a distracted look is enough for him to clam up. (“Don't know why, but girl/I'm feeling close to you/Maybe it's this ocean view/I'm so emotional/And all these thoughts are dancing on my head/Too long, too long, too long/I wrote a song for you/I wanna sing it to you/But everytime I'm close to you/The words wanna come out, but I forget/It's so strong, it's so strong, it's so strong.”)

           In the pre-chorus, his friends notice the dreamy look on his face whenever she’s off talking to someone. His co-workers tease him, joking they will place a jar in the office and every time he mentions her name, he has to put a dollar in it. She’s seen his friends glances and smiles. She has to have some indication of the depth of his feelings for her. However,he can’t hold it in any longer. He can only concentrate on her. Conversation with him is hopeless when she’s away from him. (“Didn't I see my girl, yeah she's something else, because it's true/And I can't deny it, I won't try it/But I think that you know/I look around and everything I see is beautiful/Cause all I see is you/And I can't deny it/And I stand by it/And I won't hide it anymore/A crowded room anywhere, a million people around, all I see is you there/Everything just disappears, disappears, disappears, disappears,
yeah/A million people in a crowded room/But my camera lenses only get set to zoom/And it all becomes so clear, becomes so clear, becomes so clear.”)

           In the chorus, she’s the one person he’s fascinated by, taking in every mannerism and quirk. (“I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got, I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got, I got that tunnel vision, I only see you/I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got, I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got, I got that tunnel vision, for ya/I got that tunnel vision, I only see you yeah.”)

       Three rules he’s dated by: 1) Don’t fall right away during the first week, 2) Hang out for a while but don’t start acting like an exclusive couple and 3) when flirting, don’t get into the personal space of the person. Within the first days of meeting her, he wondered where she was if he didn’t see her. When they were together, he stood near her, putting his hand on her arm. He started thinking he needed a place of his own and a better, safer car to drive her around in rather than his 10-year-old car with an engine that could fume at any time. He thinks of his rules now and is embarassed by them. He watches romantic movies now with her, realizing there is some truth to them. (“Now that I know the truth/What am I supposed to do/Changing up and breaking all my rules ever since we met/I'm so dumb, I'm so dumb, I'm so dumb/Just like a movie shoot, I'm zooming in on you/Everything is extra, in the background/Just fades into the set/As we ride off into the sun.”)

           The pre-chorus and chorus are sung again.

             In the bridge, he says “zoom, zoom. zoom/I only see you.” For

            The “I know you like” section is repeated again with an extended orchestral arrangement.

              Part of the chorus is sung again. (“A crowded room, anywhere.. and it all becomes so clear, becomes so clear, becomes so clear.”)

                The chorus is sung again.

          The “I know you like” section is repeated again with only the child’s voice.
        

         At the end, he says “I only see you.”
 

       Timberlake’s dry, distant vocals are tedious, remaining on the same pattern of notes throughout with minor varations in the chorus. At 6 minutes, 56 seconds, the beat circles and circles as in error. Add in producer Timbaland’s irritating beatboxing and parroting of Timberlake, a crash of the computerized arrangement seems certain. 

       The sedated  “Tunnel Vision”  doesn’t know where it is, choking on emotion in the back of its cottony throat.