*NSYNC Album: “Celebrity”

I had never owned an N'Sync album until "Celebrity", and now I feel obligated to buy the first two albums. I hate to admit it, but I've always been a pop fan since BSB came out with "Quit Playing Games" and other R&B-esque songs. And when N'Sync busted out with "I Want You Back" and "Tearin' Up My Heart", I thought they were the best thing since sliced bread. But I was too chicken to buy their albums because I felt they were a BSB clone. But they've grown musically, because now they're writing their own songs. They've flipped the script a bit and thrown in a lil 2-step ("The Two Of Us", "Up Against The Wall"), dirtier beats ("Pop"), and melodic ballads ("Gone") . Their cool harmonies are reminiscent of Take 6 on the uplifting "Do Your Thing" (a song teenyboppers can't stand). I love "Do Your Thing"'s acapella vibe. I'd say N'Sync's "Celebrity" is a notch better than BSB's "Black & Blue" (which was really good). The only complaints I had was that "Tell Me, Tell Me... Baby" and "Just Don't Tell Me That" sound like "Bye, Bye, Bye" Parts 2 and 3. Even the word "tell" shows up twice in the song titles. And how come Chris, Lance, and Joey don't get any singing parts? At least give them a bridge. I've heard Chris's voice on "Drive Myself Crazy" and he would be a good lead on a ballad. Besides that, I wasn't disappointed by this album. Even if you're evoked to vomit upon the mentioning of their name, N'Sync will force you to like at least one song on their latest effort. Why do pop-hating music fans even bother to bash N'Sync anyway? Didn't they either buy or borrow the album and listen to it in its entirety? That must mean they like "pop" to some degree. Ohterwise, why would they waste their time?

The fickleness of American audiences is evident by this group's detractors. Sadly, the expression "Celebrity breeds contempt" holds true by the number of condemnations that appear in this forum, which, thankfully, are in the minority.

As a 40-something listener, I must join the throngs of those that praise this quintet. Sure, I purchased it for my 13-year-old niece, but after giving a listen, I found it to be worthy of a "thumbs up."

This is a pop group that realizes that its success is limited, so the boys are making the best of it by releasing a solid musical treat. The first cut "Pop" sets the foot a-moving with its beat-box rhythms and the determined vocals of lead man Justin Timberlake.

The title cut is a sly wink at those that hover around the famous (Tell me these boys are unaware of the price of fame?). It is one of the best on the album.

"The Game is Over," with its video game sound effects is a lot of fun. It is a perfect tune for the young audience that is the core of the group's fan base. Other danceable tracks include "The Two of Us," "Tell Me, Tell...Baby," and "Just Don't Tell Me That."

The slower paced "Gone," "Something Like You," and "Selfish" on the other hand, will appeal to kids as well as their parents who appreciate a well-written and well-performed ballad.

But, the real triumph (or maybe the real "masterpiece") is the last track "Do Your Thing." This track with its simplistic orchestration (great violin accompaniment), vocals (superbly executed rap near the song's end) and its inspirational lyrics about self-determination and self-assurance is like an appetizer; one is waiting for the entrée. It leaves you with just enough, wanting more.

And, I suppose, that is the intention....

I wonder what their fourth release will be like.

Boyband members who assert themselves and start taking over songwriting and production duties are usually met with skepticism, and it isn't even unjustified: after all, most of these groups started out as producers' products who got handed their songs, harmonies, and dance steps. However, on N Sync's fourth outing, "Celebrity," you may find yourself raising an eyebrow instead of doubts, as members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez bring something noticeably different to the teen pop table.

Most importantly, Timberlake is turning into a damn fine singer and songwriter. "Girlfriend" offers a solid, mature composition laid over a slick arrangement, and the ballad "Something Like You" (boasting a can't-lose cameo by Stevie Wonder on harmonica) is just as tender and catchy as anything more accomplished songwriters handed the band in the past. His true triumph, however -and the album's overall finest moment- comes on the longing ballad "Gone," which he not only infuses with a startlingly soulful vocal but also co-produces with a carefully intricate touch, offering more ear candy than most boybands' upbeat numbers and still managing not to get in the way of the song's considerable hooks. JC Chasez contributes notably as well, hitting some admirable high notes on the superslick single "Pop" and offering the album's brightest uptempo moment on his co-write "The Two of Us," ripping off chords from The Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and cleverly matching them up with a trendy dance beat. Overall the guys clearly know their groups' strengths and how to best utilize and build upon them.

Unfortunately, only half the album's grasp equals its reach. "The Game is Over" tries unsuccessfully to be clever by punning its title and sampling sound bites from Pac-Man. Not only is this more Eighties than anyone needs in one sitting, but it's also odd considering most of N Sync was two or three years old when the arcade game was popular. They also welcome back the Swedish brainpower behind some of their past hits (Max Martin, Andreas Carlsson) but unfortunately the producers extraordinare offer little more than walk-throughs you feel like you've heard before. Rodney Jerkins and Brian McKnight are also wasted opportunities; Jerkins produces Timberlake's "Celebrity" while McKnight helms Chasez's "Selfish," but it's clear that both Jerkins and McKnight make magic only when they're producing something they've written themselves...being handed material, they only offer lukewarm results.

Still, the future looks bright. The album's closer demonstrates just how far the boys have come: "Do Your Thing" not only boasts innovative and entrancing production (no drums but tasteful percussion, atmospheric keyboards, etc.) and not only manages to be catchy without sounding at all like a hit single, but it also features the sort of message, melody, and intricate vocal arrangement one might more easily expect from Take 6 than they would a boyband. So while the swooning over N Sync will still be by teenagers over their looks rather than by adults over their music, "Celebrity" is undeniably a step in the right direction.

N'Sync's new music single, entitled 'Pop,' seems to be the group's rebuttal to all its detractors. In reality, 'Pop' is a condemnation of substance, and celebration of the hype machine that fuels the group's success. N'Sync's opening salvo is a sugary as a bag of C&H. It goes:

"Sick and tired of hearin all these people talk about What's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out The thing you got to realize, what we're doin' is not a trend We've got the gift of melody, we're gonna bring it till the end"

A trend is certainly what it is, one that comes around every 10 to 12 years or so. Which, amazingly enough, is exactly when young girls begin to have a few dollars to spend on music that is as plastic and unreal as the Barbies they just put down.

My problem with N'Sync lies in the fact that they are manufactured, like a toaster, or a car. While that may not be such a bad thing it you want to buy a cheep toaster, there are certain things that don't benefit from being mass produced. Art, literature and music are three things that have not benefited from being turned out like so many Big Macs. What N'Sync's handlers, i.e. producers, song writers and managers, have done is taken pieces of molded plastic and constructed a boy band for the masses. A little pinch of cuteness, another of unimaginative lyrics and a few boring dance steps and the 12 year olds will lap it up like so much Nestle Quik. It's a brilliant idea, if you want to empty the wallets of every parent whose child just has to have the latest N'Sync album, keychain, poster, apron; mousepad, sticker, pen cap; 8x10 glossy, and 'Teen People' with their picture on the cover. This could run into some serious money. The song continues:

"It doesn't matter About the car I drive or what I wear around my neck All that matters That you recognize it's just about respect It doesn't matter About the clothes I wear and where I go and why All that matters Is that you get hype and we'll do it too ya everytime"

The word 'Hype' is quite apropos, since all that N'Sync is has been built around hype. Hype has carried them when their singing abilities haven't. Hype has carried them when their bland songs haven't. And hype has carried them when their nonexistent personalities haven't either. But, for how much longer you ask? Not much by my calendar. See, the teenyboppers who supported N'Sync's rise to the marketing mountain are growing up, and learning that good music doesn't come out of a factory. They are coming to terms with who they are, and they are shedding their old ideas for those with more substance.

What the N'Sync boys have failed to realize is that they aren't the great artists that they have come to believe they are. Their music won't grow because it is already in its fully formed stage. However, N'Sync won't realize this because they are constantly surrounded by yes men who love everything that they do, as long as it's marketable. And that's what it comes down to. N'Sync is not an artistic group of young men portraying their inner feelings in their music. They are a marketing ploy, a shinny new toy on Christmas morning that breaks by noon.

Art is created by those who understand their medium and use it to convey their feelings to the world. N'Sync is a committee that goes through the motions and plays the part of artists. There is nothing of themselves in their music, and so it is devoid of any humanity and feeling, essential elements in art. What we do have is a toaster, an object built for one purpose and one purpose only, to make millions of dollars. As such N'Sync is a great success, but only as such. In the end, it really doesn't matter how many records they sell or how much money they make. What matters is that fifty or a hundred years from now people will still be talking about Elvis, The Beatles, Hendrix, Nirvana, Michael Jackson, along with other great artists of the last five decades. Where will N'Sync be? They will be on the ash heap of musical history, where others such as Pat Boone, Wayne Newton, Poison and The New Kids on the Block reside, never to be spoken of again.

I'm a fan but I've got to take an honest and objective look at this album if I really do respect NSYNC as a vocal group. Honestly, this album does not live up to the hyp that surrounds it. The hype that preceded CELEBRITY is far bigger than the actual album itself. It's not exactly a bad album but, come on, it also isn't the best album. And if fans actually respected the group more, they'd learn to be more honest with their critiques. NSYNC's not selling their faces and style but their music, so let's be honest about the music. (Style-wise and looks-wise, they're still good). It'll probably sell a huge amount of copies because of the hype plus NSYNC's huge fan base, but I really don't think it will live that long in music history (as some are touting it to be). NSYNC is definitely a cut above the rest of the boybands and they exist in a plane of their own. It does seem that they have creative juices that have yet to expire, so I hope for a better next album (which will be a long wait, no doubt). The single POP wasn't so great compared to BBB. The real star of the single was BT and not NSYNC. Lyrically and musically it did not have the punch of BBB. The rest of the album's dance tracks are above average with the new 2-step beats sounding "all over the place". Only 2 ballads ring true in this album: GONE and SELFISH, the former by JT and the latter by JC. Overall I'd give this album a B-. Diehard fans will no doubt LOVE this album (but for reasons that extend beyond "good music"). Honestly if they divorced the band from the music, they may not have even given this album a second thought. 13-year old girls fall in love with faces and styles, then the music. And unless the music is really horrible, they'll put in effort to love it. NSYNC's music is not horrible, it just isn't that incredible also. I'm an adult and a fan of NSYNC, not for their good looks or their style, but because I thought their music sounded good (on Bye Bye Bye and It's Gonna Be Me). That was until I bought the entire NSA album and discovered it was really a mediocre album with 3 great songs (Justin's track I'll Be Good For You was a real gem). CELEBRITY is more or less the same way. Two or three above average songs, two or three below average, and the rest OK. As a side-note, I'm really impressed with GONE. It is classic NSYNC, I think, showcasing their vocals instead of all that messy 2-step, complicated BT-beats. As a vocal group, NSYNC is still TIGHT. Their lyrics seem to be maturing somewhat. For this album, at first listen, you'll go : "This ain't NSYNC!" But, it'll grow on you. If you give it a chance.