Disco de Justin Timberlake: “Justified [Limited Edition Digipak]”

Now I will be the first person to admit that I am not a fan of N Sync. I am a fan of rap, r&b and old school r&b music. There are 2 N Sync songs that I like: "This I Promise You" and "Gone". However, when I heard the first single for "Justified", the Neptunes' produced "Like I Love You" featuring Clipse, I decided to give Justin Timberlake some attention. One of my friends forwarded me a link to preview some of his songs and since I was impressed, I decided to purchase "Justified". The 1st track, "Senorita", sets the mood for Justin's debut. He wants everyone to get on the dance floor and have some fun. Other than the unnecessary chants towards the end of the track, this is a good way to get the CD started. After "Like I Love You", Timbaland, who is known for producing tracks for the late Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Jay Z and for his Beat Club artists (Bubba Sparxxx, Petey Pablo, and Ms. Jade), hooks Justin up with something lovely on "(Oh No) What You Got". This is definitely one of his best r&b creations. Justin is able to ride cruise control and he even gets provocative with the lyrical content. Timbaland also produces the second single and ode to Britney Spears, "Cry Me A River". He slows things down to a midtempo song this time around and Justin is able to make his feelings and thoughts known to everyone about his failed relationship. Justin has good production all over "Justified". The Neptunes produce 7 tracks, Timbaland produces 4 and Brian McKnight shows up to produce the closing ballad, "Never Again". On this track, Justin is able to pour out his feelings once again and you can hear the Brian McKnight influences throughout the song. What I like about "Justified" is that despite the pop appeal of N Sync, Justin Timberlake was able to make a r&b record without letting his past pop success get in his way. The Neptunes have alot to do with this as well. He is able to feel liberated with songs like "Rock Your Body", "Last Night" and "Let's Take A Ride" and it seems like Justin is enjoying his newfound freedom. "Last Night" is definitely going to be heard in a few clubs because the instant the track comes on, you want to hit the dance floor immediately. "Let's Take A Ride" takes a page from Mary J. Blige's "Steal Away" as Justin talks about wanting to get away from things for awhile with a particular young lady. The Neptunes slow things down on my favorite track on the CD, "Take It From Here". For over 6 minutes, in a submissive format, Justin is pouring his heart out to someone that he has been dealing with. Although, the analogies may be elementary to some listeners, Justin does a good job of getting the point across. The only downside to "Justified" is that 1) He spends too many songs talking about Britney and 2) The Michael Jackson influences are all over the place. For all of the young folks that are reading this review, check out MJ's "Off The Wall" and "Thriller" and you will see what I am talking about. Other songs worth checking out are the Timbaland produced "(And She Said) Take Me Now" featuring Janet Jackson, "Still On My Brain" and the Neptunes produced "Nothin' Else". If you judge Justin Timberlake's debut CD by presentation, lyrical content and production, then you have a semi classic on your hands. Whether, this is a good thing remains to be seen, but "Justified" is definitely worth checking out, in my opinion.

Track Listing:

1) Senorita

James' Top 5

1) Take It From Here

The next Michael. The next Elvis, even (I'm not so sure about that one, Brian McKnight). The next "King of Pop." They say he has all the ingredients - the looks, charm, personality, moves (damn...a white boy can dance like that?), and voice (damn...a white boy can sing like that too??). Seriously though...is Justin Timberlake the answer?

Well, if the buzz surrounding Justified is any indication, Justin is indeed all that and a bag of chips. We already know the girls love him. The guys are coming around also, bedgrudingly bumpin' along with his new club-flavored fare. The critics have jumped on the bandwagon as well - Rolling Stone, which is known for its distaste of pop music in general, gave the much ballyhooed album a four-star rating (out of five).

Admittedly, I too, got sucked into the hype and picked up a copy. And although I haven't bought into the legend-in-the-making notion just yet, I'm not the least bit shy about giving JT his due props for Justified.

Ray's Rants & Raves: If you're some blond, pig-tailed high-schooler expecting to hear a bunch of Max Martin-crafted "Bye Bye Bye" clones, you are NOT going to be happy with this record -Justified is almost exclusively geared towards the urban (yet mainstream) markets. But then again, you already knew that with the Neptunes and Timbaland handling most of the production, right? ;)

Timberlake's departure from `Nsync-like poppyness is evident right off the bat, as the CD starts off with the slinky "Senorita" and the now-ubiquitous "Like I Love You." Are they mainstream? Yes. Sickeningly-sweet, boyband pop? No. They are choice combinations of lite hip-hop and R&B, sprinkled with just the right amount of organic ingredients to give it that "live" feel. The Neptunes' trademark stamps - wicked drum beats, blazing horns, staccato keys, and plucky string arrangements, just to name a few - are evident all over these two cuts, as they are on the breezy "Let's Take A Ride" and retro boogie romp "Rock Your Body."

Not to be outdone, Timbaland ups the ante with his contributions. He unleashes his one-of-a-kind sonic mastery on tracks like the exotically off-kilter "(Oh No) What You Got" and hypnotic "Cry Me A River," the latter of which has bonafide smash written all over it. The booming bass and electronic weirdness continue with "(And She Said) Take Me Now" and "Right For Me," although Top 40 pop enthusiasts will probably need a few extra listens before they can fully enjoy the results.

The production itself is top-notch; the ups-and-downs come in when JT enters the musical equation. The lyrics (almost all of which are Timberlake-penned) are disappointingly bland, fitting only two themes: either "girl-you-done-did-me-wrong-and-I-hate-you" or "girl-you-look-fly-let's-leave-and-get-it-on." Not to say that the material never works. You have your highs - Justin pining away with the best of `em on the Stevie Wonder-esque "Nothin' Else"; the fragile realness of "Never Again" (okay, it's obvious Britney did SOMETHING bad); the impressive dose of buttery-smooth, chocolate soul on "Still On My Brain"; and positively buoyant performances on many of the aforementioned Neptunes/Timbaland joints. Then you have your lows - such as the ho-hum/blah ballad "Take It From Here" filled with elementary, yawn-inducing rhymes ("I wanna be your sky/so blue and high/and every time you think of me, I wanna blow your mind"). Timberlake's supple vocals flit and flutter through the notes, going anywhere from a growling, southern drawl to a warbling falsetto, evoking spitting images of some guy named Michael that its downright scary at times. Critics, peers (i.e., India.Arie, Alicia Keys, among others), and fans (including myself) have always praised JT's singing ability, but it's as if Justified put all of his vocal shortcomings under a microscope. When listening to the album, you can't help but wonder what the material would be like if it was performed by someone with a stronger set of lungs.

Ray's Rank: 3 ½ / 5 stars: What if? That's the question that keeps entering my mind after listening to Justified. What if Justin had delved into some different material? What if the production had been a little different? What if the lyrics had been more powerful and hard-hitting? What if he had sung things a different way? As it stands, Justin Timberlake's debut is very good. Solid. Definitely fun to listen to. Worth your hard-earned [cash]bucks. I think I see some untapped potential there, though. Or do I? Something just seems a little off, yet I can't quite put my finger on it. In any case, we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out - for Justified and the "Justifier" himself.

So, it's Justin's first solo album and being a member of boyband `Nsync, there would always be prejudices about what type of album he may be able to come out with.

Moving from r&b to hip-hop back and forth, the production is sublime. Justin shows he's got soul and a capable voice to make a great solo artist. His falsetto may be overused in some tracks, but he uses it wisely in most of the songs.

Musically, "Justified" is a surprise, specially if you were used to listening to N'sync. There's no "Pop", "Tell me...tell me, baby" or "Bye bye bye" in here. No Max Martin or Rami this time around, just the fantastic Neptunes, Timbaland and Brian McKnight.

Ballads such as "Take it from here", "Never again" and "Cry me a river" show Justin excels in that territory not only as a singer but as a writer as well.

The most up-beat track "Rock your body" is also excellent and instantly catchy. He tries his known beatboxing and success in making it an irresistible song.

Another standout, besides the well-known first single "Like I love you", is "Let's take a ride" a mid-tempo r&b song which sounds quite different to everything else and will have you singing for days, just like first song "Señorita" specially when guys get to sing a line and the ladies answer back, being Justin ( and his falsetto) the lead for both.

Guests include Janet Jackson, Bubba Sparxxx, Pharrell Williams and Clipse.

"Justified" excels in many aspects. By purchasing this you will get a great hip-hop album, which consolidates Timberlake as an artist and not just Britney's ex or an N'sync member. This is definitely the best solo debut of the year.

Wow.

I was really impressed by Justin's album. I didn't think it'd be as R&B as it was. I thought it was going to be completely pop and stuff. But it was great. I really enjoy every moment of this album. He's like the white Usher! Haha, just kidding. I recommend this to all those who are looking for great male R&B talent.

I WOULD NOT recommend this to most teeny-bopping NSYNC fans, however.

I realize that there are many who hate NSYNC with a fierce passion, including those who haven't actually listened to their records. If you're one of those people, please skip this review, and may God help you. For the rest of us, I have to admit that I had strong preconceived notions about "Justified," the solo debut of boy wonder Justin Timberlake. Ditching the Max Martin-produced Europop of NSYNC in favor of street smart r&b seemed like he was jumping on a bandwagon to secure platinum sales. Still, I wanted to see if he would either pull it off or fall flat on his face. Haters who were praying for the latter will be disappointed to know that "Justified" is actually a pretty decent solo debut. Let it be known that Timberlake isn't going to make Usher or Ginuwine lose any sleep, but he passes the blue-eyed r&b test with flying colors on this album of jams mainly produced by Timbaland and the Neptunes. Musically, it's nothing we haven't already heard before, but "Justified" is a far cry from the cheesy cuteness of "Tearin' Up My Heart." Timbaland, known for his stuttering and futuristic hip hop beats, goes hand in hand with Justin on "(Oh No) What You Got" and the infectious "Cry Me a River," which wouldn't sound out of place on a Ginuwine record. He and the Neptunes get things off to a bangin' start on the hip-hop swagger of "Seniorita" with its crisp, way-funky drums. But if I have a bone to pick with "Justified," it's for the way Timberlake often imitates Michael Jackson's vocal style, as evidenced on the otherwise excellent "Like I Love You" (love those acoustic guitars!) and "Last Night," both produced by the Neptunes. His falsetto hits Jacksonian heights that will make you wonder who's really doing the singing, here. And the inclusion of Brian McKnight's sappy and soulless "Never Again" is downright unforgivable. Never again, indeed. Still, "Justified" is a fine disc of r&b ear candy that successfully begins Timberlake's transition from boy to man. Here's hoping he stays on the right path.