Justin Timberlake has made his career off of being repetitive. This recurring tendency in his songs dates back to his earliest days as a teen sensation when tearing up N’SYNC fans’ hearts with earworm hooks. He’s continued this habit well into his solo career. Along the way, he’s told an ex to cry a river, brought sexy back, and implored that his love not be given away. It’s never once or twice, but rather dozens of times or more, just to make sure he’s been heard. And to a degree, it works. The former boy wonder turned Top 40 savant is up to his old tricks on his latest record, The 20/20 Experience. We brought out the abacus and went deep on the album, logging each word or phrase said ten times or more. (Two songs — “Spaceship Coupe†and “Blue Ocean Floor†— are fairly repetition free.)
