Justin Timberlake releases arty music video for 'Mirrors'

By Mikael Wood

March 20, 2013 1:13 PM PT

Another day, another component in the Justin Timberlake promotional juggernaut.

Around the same time Tuesday night that The CW was airing a one-hour special memorably titled “Target Presents the iHeartRadio Album Release Party with Justin Timberlake,” Vevo premiered the music video for “Mirrors,” the second single from “The 20/20 Experience.”

Timberlake’s third solo album -- which marks his return to music following a six-year break -- arrived in stores Tuesday, though it had been available to stream on iTunes since March 11. On Saturday he performed at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, and last week he appeared for five nights straight on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

REVIEW: Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience”

Oh, and before that he did “Saturday Night Live.” And the Grammy Awards.

Wait, where were we? Oh, right -- the new music video.

Unlike the clip for “Suit & Tie,” in which Timberlake took center stage, the “Mirrors” video doesn’t focus on the singer, at least until six minutes in, when he pulls off a sweet dance routine inside what looks like a dressing room at Nordstrom.

The rest of the video reenacts various dramatic episodes in the lives of an elderly couple evidently inspired by Timberlake’s grandparents, to whom “Mirrors” is dedicated. (“For William and Sadie,” a title card reads.) Directed by Floria Sigismondi, who recently paired David Bowie with Tilda Swinton in the former’s “The Stars (Are Out Tonight),” the clip is very handsome, if quite a bit more obtuse than Timberlake’s last few visual presentations.

Watch “Mirrors” below.