Can Justin Timberlake’s ‘Man of the Woods’ earn Grammy nominations despite tepid reviews, or be ‘snubbed altogether’?

Justin Timberlake‘s “Man of the Woods” was one of the most anticipated albums of 2018, dropping on February 2, two days before he headlined the Super Bowl LII halftime show. The stage was set for another big year for the pop star. But the reviews for the album were mixed (55 on MetaCritic), and its hits have lacked staying power: “Filthy” and “Say Something” both debuted at number-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 before dropping. Can he hold on for Grammy nominations in 2019?

Timberlake always has to be considered a Grammy contender given his track record. He has won 10 times out of 38 nominations over the course of his career. He earned bids for Album of the Year for “Justified” (2004) and “FutureSex/LoveSounds” (2007). And even though he was unexpectedly snubbed from the general field in 2014 when he was eligible for his album “The 20/20 Experience”, he still earned seven nominations and three wins that year. Most recently he claimed Best Visual Media Song in 2017 for “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from “Trolls”.

But those were bigger hits than “Man of the Woods”, which has already fallen off of the Billboard 200 albums chart. To compare, even the “Trolls” soundtrack is still on the Billboard 200. So will this prove to be an off year for Timberlake on the awards scene, or will the recording academy still rally behind him? Our forum posters aren’t so sure. Read some of their comments below, and join the Grammy discussion with them right here in our message boards.

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neverkneel: “Justin Timbarlake’s chance for Best Pop Vocal Album is not high, I suppose. He didn’t sell well in total, and the album left Billboard 200 after only 19 weeks. Even Niall Horan‘s album is doing better than him”.

Gucci: “Justin Timberlake may get snubbed altogether”.

D.C.: “I agree that Justin isn’t the strongest competitor, and I’m not necessarily saying he has a better shot of getting in than Ariana, but he does have to be considered as a possibility … He probably has a better chance of getting in Pop Duo/Group than Pop Album”.

Oscar Rodrigues: “The Justin Timberlake situation reminds me of Kanye and Eminem this year as well: legends and Grammy darlings with flop albums and no acclaim. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up in Pop Vocal, even before Ariana. He’s still 10x winner Justin Timberlake after all”.

GoldDerby