Looking forward to new music and movies to come in February

The end of 2017 brought early holiday presents for music-lovers and movie-goers. Albums from Taylor Swift, Eminem, Huncho Jack and Jack Huncho, and a plethora of other artists found their home in Spotify and Apple Music. At the same time, box office hits like “Ferdinand,” “The Greatest Showman,” and, of course, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” forced audiences to stop watching Netflix and get to their nearest movie theater.

Music soothes the soul while movies feed the imagination—and stomach—with horribly unhealthy snacks.

— Matthew Steinberg

Apparently, even more artists and producers were inspired by the spirit of giving,  a lot more. Here is a rundown of the albums and movies to be on the lookout for throughout February.

From his boy-band days with *NSYNC to his collaborations with The Black Eyed Peas, Timbaland, Jay Z and other big industry names, Justin Timberlake has never failed to please his audiences. Most identify him as a pop icon, but his music has bled into R&B, hip-hop and neo soul genres.

The ten-time Grammy recipient will release his fifth solo album on Feb. 2, titled “Man of the Woods.” According to “Billboard Magazine,” Timberlake’s recent single “Filthy” “set the tone” for the rest of the album, which took his Memphis rock-and-roll roots and blended them with an electronic sound. As usual, fans are anticipating a J. T. album unlike all the others.

Timberlake has been known for stepping in and out of musical genres throughout his career. In the same month, popular hip-hop artist Tyga will test out his singing abilities on “Kyoto,” which is set to drop on Feb. 16.

The artist stirred up controversy on Twitter after releasing the cover to his new album that displayed a nude woman in a provocative pose. According to “XXL Magazine,” Tyga responded to the controversy stating it represented the creativity that he poured into the work.

“I been wanting to make this album for a while now but didn’t have the confidence an the story to express my true emotions,” Tyga tweeted on Jan. 22.

Timberlake and Tyga stand beside other artists such as “Awolnation,” “MGMT,” “The Wombats” and many more who will be dropping albums in February.

Music soothes the soul while movies feed the imagination—and stomach—with horribly unhealthy snacks. Sure, spending $20 at the movie theatre for one ticket and small popcorn may not sound appealing at first, yet it may be worth it in February to catch one of 2018’s box office hits.

Movies like Stephen King’s “IT,” Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” and the prequel to “The Conjuring,” “Annabelle: Creation,” pleased horror fans in 2017. “Winchester,” set to hit the theatres Feb. 2, will have a high standard to live up to.

The film tells the tale of an old, seven-story high haunted mansion outside of San Francisco. Sarah Winchester, a widow, and her family occupy the space with not-so-typical guests that stay in each of the hundreds of rooms. The visitors haunt this manor not because they have a personal connection with the house but because they hold Winchester’s late husband, who made rifles for a living, responsible for all their deaths.

The concept of “Winchester” may sound a bit repetitive and washed up since ghost stories have been central to the horror genre in the last five years or so.

However, unlike many spookers, this film does not appear to have a sole paranormal antagonist living in the house, which is where this story differentiates from fan favorites such as “Insidious” or “The Conjuring.”

“Winchester” introduces a twist to the traditional ghost story. Outside of horror, another story in the sci-fi Marvel universe will be released on Feb. 16.

“Black Panther” takes place in the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda. After the death of his father in “Captain America: Civil War,” king T’Challa returns to lead his futuristic nation, only to be met with warring factions that want to take the throne.

According to “IMDb,” the powerful and clever superhero must team up with the CIA and “other Wakandan special forces” to assure his home does not plunge into war.

“Black Panther” will kick off a highly anticipated year for Marvel Comics, with releases including “The Fantastic Four,” a “Deadpool” sequel and “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.”

Along with “Winchester” and “Black Panther,” movie-goers also have “Fifty Shades Freed,” “Early Man,” “Annihilation” and other motion pictures to look forward to in February.