Justin Timberlake, “Everything I Thought It Was.”

Justin Timberlake effectively dances around the elephant in the room throughout his sixth album, Everything I Thought It Was. Amid a groundswell of demand—from some—for an *NSYNC reunion album or tour, he instead made an 18-track solo set. That’s not to say fans of the boy band will go home empty handed, but they’ll just need to accept more of a side dish than a main course, at least for now.

The quintet gets back together for “Paradise,” an introspective slow jam looking back on the big youthful dreams and the maturity that followed.

“All this time we’ve always wondered if it would feel the same as it did when we were young and not afraid,” Timberlake sings.

The harmonies are instantly recognizable, and the sound sounds familiar. It’s a smart move to let the boy band have one moment together while avoiding the nostalgia angle for the rest of the album. Otherwise, the album is rooted in danceable pop that leans toward funk and soul.

Everything I Thought It Was starts on a more unexpected note, with the moody and understated “Memphis,” which feels more like stripped-down hip-hop with distorted and fuzzy synths.

“I guess that’s what you get for trying to make heartbreak pretty,” Timberlake sings with a calm half-sung/half-rapped flow.

The mood turns upbeat for clubby tracks “F**kin’ Up The Disco,” “No Angels” and “Play.” Timberlake plays it cool with his signature falsetto that recalls the more innocent stage of his younger career.

These songs feel like a bridge between Timberlake’s solo debut, Justified, and the folky-ish Man of the Woods. The hooks are aplenty. “Play” recalls David Bowie’s “Fame.”

The love-gone-wrong pop balladry of “Technicolor” and “Drown” show off Timberlake’s softer side, the lyrics offering some sarcastic snark. Musically, they’re well-constructed, and the beats and synths bring added life.

Timberlake’s *NSYNC group-mates aren’t the only friends he brings along for the ride. He tapped Nigerian singer Firebox DML on the rhythmic “Liar.” Elsewhere, rapper Tobe Nwigwe delivers a verse on the spacey and hypnotic “Sanctified,” which adds an unexpected fusion of hip-hop and jazz with a rock and roll attitude that ties them together in the end. The song is different and one of the highlights of the record.

“Infinity Sex” and “Love & War” dip into different parts of Timberlake’s back catalog. The latter in particular succeeds in its bluesy minimalism paired with his soulful harmonies. The rapped/sung vocals return for the lively “My Favorite Drug,” which offers a ‘70s-like sound. His keen ability to draw from the past remains.

“I know I did it before but I’mma do it again,” Timberlake sings on a call-and-response bridge.

“What Lovers Do” leans further into a dirty pop aesthetic, with Timberlake delivering some wordy verses and slick wordplay. Beat-heavy ballad “Selfish” is followed by piano-driven “Alone.” The latter is a nice change of pace, stripping away much of the pop sheen to reveal Timberlake’s voice, piano and violin.

Everything I Thought It Was shows Timberlake can still deliver a memorable pop jam most of the time. It’s got some unnecessary filler but is otherwise ambitious. Does it close the book on an *NSYNC reunion? Who knows, but the cameo helps with the weight.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.