Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Look, if Pharrell's on production, I'm sat the fuck down. ...... Is what I thought at first; unfortunately I don't think this album holds up all that well. It released near the cutoff date for the book's first edition, and perhaps at that time, this would indeed seem like a revolutionary record that would help shape the sound of the 2000s. Listening today though, it mostly sounds like a collection of oddly dated club jams (and not in a "fun throwback banger" kind of way). Shoutout to that one reviewer and their dancing wife though, because just as I was starting to get dismissive about the album, my own gf came into the room and started really vibing along. That's an angle we don't consider enough in these reviews: would your partner dance along to it? JT might indeed be one for the ladies. Standouts: (Oh No) What You Got • Take It From Here • Cry Me A River • Nothin' Else
Justin Timberlake has a serious ego problem. He drops an album every five to seven years or so and they are always over an hour long, when in reality he produces about an hour of enjoyable music per decade. The first chunk of this album is fantastic, but it starts to lose steam somewhere between Nothin' Else and Take Me Now, and the back part is a real slog.
Could easily cut 5 songs from this album and raise it a whole star. Definitely some fun pop music on here that I jam to 20 years later but problems with curation, music in those early days of the timberland domination of pop music.
It is on sight with this mf, but unfortunately this album is so of its time its charming. Pure nostalgia, which we all know means nothing. If I can't conjure up anything more to say than this reminds me of family cookouts and is easy to listen to, it can't be *that* vital to a list like this. It made me think back to when all these white artists were obsessed with dipping their toes (well, I guess more like cannonballing) into the R&B pool in the early 2000s...something must've been in the air. Because really, what the hell? Shoo. Get. Settling on a 3.5, rounded down to 3. It certainly made its mark, has classics millennials will get misty-eyed over, and isn't English rock dreck.
Incredible first half with a second half that falls flat. Sitting the difference in the score.
I like JT and the album is nice overall, especially its contributions from Janet Jackson and Timbaland, but there's a lot of filler here. I think any one of his next three records probably would have been better inclusions.
Esto es mi adolescencia básicamente. Lo recordaba mucho mejor de lo que me parece ahora. Pero tiene canciones top
I'm so glad Britney smoked him with toxic.
Justin Timberlake is definitely an... interesting figure in pop culture. Though he first entered the public consciousness as a part of NSYNC, Mr. Timberlake quickly made a name for himself with his solo career, starting in 2002 with this very album, Justified. Since then, he's made a ton of sales off of his music, earned a bunch of awards, and starred in movies. He should be a well-respected figure, right? Uhh, no. The man has become a bit of a joke over the years, and not always a funny one. From things as inconsequential as poor reception to albums to things that actually reflect poorly on Justin's character like the Janet Jackson stuff, it's hard to say that Justin Timberlake's legacy is as strong as it seemed it would be in the 2000s. But we're not here to talk about that stuff. We're here to see where it all started. The world tour may have been ruined by that fuckin' DWI, but was my day ruined by this album? No, but I didn't love this. Yeah, Justified isn't a great album, but it's not all bad. I think the production on here is actually pretty good. Much of it was handled by the Neptunes, and those guys usually know what they're doing, right? The writing is kinda cringe at some times, but it could be much worse. Justin's voice is okay here. He's definitely trying a little too hard to be Michael Jackson, but if you're going to take cues from any artist, you might as well take them from one of the best to ever do it, you know? I mean, there are some iconic singles on here. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a little bit of nostalgia for "Cry Me A River" and "Rock Your Body," but I also think there are some decisions made on those songs that aren't the best. I don't like it when Justin does weird things with his mouth, okay? Overall, Justified is okay, but it leaves a lot to be desired. Perhaps FutureSex/LoveSounds would've made for a better inclusion on this list. Low 3/5.
It is what it is
8/1001 Justified - Justin Timberlake (2002) The definition of a front-loaded album. The singles really carry this from being just below average to just above, and something worth listening to. After "Rock Your Body" I was mostly... bored. That said, the six track run from the opener was something I enjoyed far more than I expected, even if some tracks veer on the side of tacky. Rather than enjoying this as a Justin Timberlake album, I felt like I was mostly just enjoying The Neptunes and Timbaland. Somehow pleasantly surprised overall. ★★★
Timberlake or Timbaland? Justified earns a 3 out of 5 for me. It’s an album with flashes of personality, but it never fully steps out of the shadow of its early‑2000s influences. The production—while polished—leans so heavily on the Neptunes and Timbaland formulas of the era that the record feels more like a stylistic collage than a cohesive artistic statement. Timberlake’s vocals are competent but rarely compelling, and several tracks blur together without leaving much of an impression. There are a couple of catchy moments, but overall the album feels more like a promising sketch than a fully realized debut.
Tässä oli tuttuja tanzzi-hittejä, en ollut koko levyä koskaan kuunnellut. Ihan okei.
pop. Probably great but not my style
Buen album pero tiene skips. 7/10
Unironically love this album and ironically love JT - what a man But boring in parts though, some of the songs are just kinda… there
It has no business being this long even if some is great. Pop albums are always better when they are in between 35-42 mins. You could easily cut a handful of songs at the end. Senorita is superb, like I love you is great. Cry Me A River is a classic. Rock Your Body is okay. Nothin' Else sounds like a stevie wonder copy
Pop, RnB, Rap, 2002 -> 3
Memorable JT
A lot of anger in reviews for this one, but it's pretty fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. I do agree that it's too long though--chop a few songs off and maybe it gets to 3.5
This was so hard to rate for me. Some of these are bangers- cry me a river gets 10 stars. The second half of this album gets 2 stars, the first half gets 5 stars
Pop!
Some millennial bangers and some very forgettable songs. Some catchy beats and some boring ones. Didn't age all that well but nostalgia carries it a little
I was dreading this but it was honestly alright. Too long like a lot of these 90s-00s early albums tend to be . 2.5
JT is an integral part of 2000s pop and in his debut, Pharrell has him doing his best MJ impression. However, I think that FutureSex/LoveSounds should have been the JT album on the list.
113. ok
So I’m not like Kori and I definitely liked Adele better. Seniorita is a banger and I like a couple others but he’s kind of a whiny sounding singer and it got annoying.
Not gunna lie. I liked this better than Adele. I think we should all start a “boy” band. Iain and James clearly have a lot of opinions about singing so they’re probably better at singing than me. So I’ll just bring vibes or something the rest of NSYNC brought to the group. Karen, Kerri and whoever else is still around can all play some sort of musical thing or work on a k-pop like narrative to sell to the masses. You guys in? I think the album could have been trimmed down a bit imo. But the Clipse feature on Like I love You is a cool find. If you haven’t listened to Clipse’s newest album Let God Sort Em Out (LGSEO). I highly recommend it, LGSEO showcases more of Pharrell’s production seen on this album. It should have won rap album of the year at the Grammy’s. But Bad Bunny won AOTY so Kendrick Lamar ended up with Rap AOTY but could have easily been AOTY making space for clipse to win the rap category. Either way without the award LGSEO is still a great album.
Timbaland pulls a lot of weight with the production, which is honestly top notch. Cry me a river and rock that body are nostalgia bombs for me, sure to get a wave of "ohhh shittt"s if you throw this on in a room full of millennial or early Gen Zs. Past that, nothing to write home about. JT is clearly inspired by MJ but just doesn't come close unfortunately. Definitely has some significance within the year and time though, and can sorta see why its on the list, although definitely one you could miss out on and be fine lol.
In recent years, people have taken another look at Justin Timberlake and understandably demoted him from suave and sexy vocalist to a rather cringe asshole, for a multitude of valid reasons. But when this album came out, I remember the hold it had on popular music. His departure from NSYNC and solo pursuit was a big deal, for reasons not the least of which was his pursuit of R&B rather than boy band era pop. And this was even before his hold tightened with the release of his next album and the song "Sexyback". Honestly, Justin's attempt at being a white guy doing R&B is pretty decent here. It's clearly inspired by Michael Jackson; the vocals have a lot of solid vocals complete with falsetto "quirks", and the music feels intriguing and fresh. Songs like "Like I Love You", "Cry Me A River", and "Rock Your Body" in particular did really well among the general public and are still fun listens. And while the rest of the album does feel innovative too, it doesn't land in quite the same exciting way as those mentioned tracks. I probably would have this higher than 2.5 and less than 3, but I'll round it up.
Nice debut, really. “Cry me a river” is a timeless one, my favourite is “Nothin else”. Gotta have respect for Justin, he’s very talented. A lot of the tracks are kinda repetitive tho. High 3
For me sounds sleezy. 3 stars only because Cry me a river
Very mid Stand-outs - (Oh No) What You Got - Cry Me a River - Rock Your Body
Post boy band era. 2002. All the ‘talented ones’ start breaking out of the shell of synchronised danced moves and soft harmonies. Some jump from the nest and fall flat on their face and become a one hit wonder and thus begins the slow decent and their mental health and conservative press-proof façade. JT did well, we got a few good years out of him before his crash landing. Timberland offered a safety parachute and this album was one of the better ones- surprisingly religious which made me like it less.
2/3. Not at all what I was expecting (I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this). Actually pretty good and kept my ear overall; he makes a pretty damn convincing copy of Stevie Wonder when he wants to. The lyrical content and 20-something “I’m sexy and wanna fuck” mannerisms do get a bit tiresome after a while, but that surprise Clipse feature was one of the highlights of this whole list to me so far, short as it was.
Thought I would like it more because of the nostalgia
I think the songs I already knew were the highlights of the album - everything else didn't seem to have the same level of energy. This was a solid album. I would give it a 3.5, but 4 seems high.
When I was a kid I really loved this one, and senorita does slap I won’t lie, so does cry me a river even though I am obviously on Britney’s side. He is a bit smarmy but we can all enjoy this album
i liked this more than i thought i would. Senorita, Cry Me a River, and Rock Your Body are bangers. i like his more neo-soul/funk songs, but i think his ballads kinda fall flat. they seem uninspired, like the producers gave him those songs because an album from 2002 "needed" them. it's pretty clear that JT vibes a lot more with the songs you can get up and dance to. probably a 3.5, but ill knock it down to a 3 for the slow songs really losing me
A fun throwback. Cry me a river is great but otherwise not too sure why it’s on the list but had a good time.
This album has a couple of slow jams on it that I recognize, but this really just isn't my genre. It makes it a little bit easier to say that I'm not the biggest JT fan nowadays. I can totally understand why people like his music. He's essentially the the Eminem of r&b.
Jest tu kilka hitów i ogólnie kiedyś bym się zachwycała, ale może po prostu odczuwam niechęć do tego artysty, a może ta płyta jest boleśnie przeciętna. Zwykły pop z kilkoma ciekawymi inspiracjami i odważnymi jak na tamte czasy tekstami. 6/10
Incredible 1-2 opening of Señorita and Like I Love You - production 100%, vocals on point. The Neptunes tunes are generally the strongest here, and I can totally see that a load of these were originally intended for Michael Jackson. A good pop album with some high highs, only a couple of duds, but a fair number of tunes that were merely ok.
i read that he was gonna call this album The Justified and a little birdy told him to drop the The
The singles are awesome, but the rest of the album is meh.
It's alright. Just your staple 2000's romance pop. Not anything I would personally go out of my way to listen to again. I felt like I was being rizzed by J.T. a little too much for my liking.
I'm having kind of the opposite experience than what I had yesterday with TT's Private Dancer - the music is so good but he's just such a dork. It's like going to a great party but there's one asshole there and he's ALWAYS right beside you. There should be a remix where they use these beats and Tina Turner's Private Dancer vocals (and vice versa - that may somehow make both albums better.) He's the worst part of every song, even the one's where he's not creepy pseudo-sexy (Cry Me a River) he still does his best to kill the mood.... This album doesn't need to be this long. Every song allows for him to just repeat the name of the song over and over again for 2 minutes...
More fun than I expected! Sounds like he wants to be Mj though, which is ok.
Some good some bad
I enjoyed it, something new. Fun fact I had this album as a kid, guilty pleasure, listening to it now was lovely. Is it a masterpiece, no, but is it catchy and fun, yes
I listened to it. As talented and well-trained as they are, I'm not a fan of the boy/girl bands and their solo careers. However, I've had a bit of a soft spot for Justin Timberlake ever since I first saw him sing "Bring it on in to Omeletteville!" on SNL. Add to that his appearances with The Lonely Island guys for such bangers as "Dick in a Box," "Motherlovers," and "3-Way (The Golden Rule)," and it became very obvious to me that this dude did not take himself too seriously and had some pretty serious comedic talent. I didn't like this record, but it was ok. The Neptunes' music was solid, if a little forgettable, and I was a bit surprised to hear the guest spot from Clipse. The lyrics to the songs are often pretty dumb, too. And, of course, Timberlake can definitely sing and perform, but nothing here speaks to me. Still, I found this record pleasant enough to listen to for the entire hour, though it was hard to pay attention. Three stars for talent, but I'm just not interested.
This man is fucking corny, but he sure had some massive bops back in the day - 5 on this album alone. It drags at the end, the ballads are trash, and I'd just rather listen to FutureSex/LoveSounds. And yet... 3.5 stars.
he's a suitable vessel for the genius of timbaland and pharrell. i do wish some of the songs were just sung by pharrell because i don't love his voice but it's mostly fine, lots of catchy songs for sure. Fav tracks: Cry Me A River, Rock Your Body, Right For Me
Listening to white man mj, some bangers though
I liked this better this time.
I think it goes without saying that JT is a shithead. I love Britney's anecdote about the time he embarrassed himself trying to buddy up to Ginuwine, he's very petty about that whole relationship on this record (and elsewhere), and of course it's complete bullshit the way he skated away from the whole Janet Jackson thing while she got vilified for it. As for the music, this is a pretty solid pop record. It's got a handful of bangers and a whole lot that CD-era filler. Just because you know you have 75 minutes to play with doesn't mean you have to use every idea the Neptunes come up with for you. With a little editing, I could maaaaybe see pushing this up to four stars, but it ain't there.
62/100. I actually think this is pretty decent. The production, especially from Pharrell Williams, is really strong and gives the album a smooth, polished feel. The beats and grooves are easily the standout here.
OK, it's a solid pop album. And?
Better than I thought - quite nice easy music.
Ah, Justin. I've never been a big fan of boy bands, so I never really paid much attention to Timberlake's solo career after NSYNC. Even so, I've probably heard most of the tracks off this, his first solo album, countless times over the years. It can't be denied that as an R&B artist, he's got some talent, and compared to the work he did with the band prior to this, it's definitely got a more mature edge. But it's also a bit commercial, a bit like a lot of other R&B from the period. But when you've got artists like Aaliyah, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Alicia Keys to contend with, you're going to have trouble standing out. Still, it's got Timbaland's touch on a few of the tracks, and that's not a bad thing. Maybe I should have a listen to some of Justin Timberlake's later albums, just to see where he went after this. Until then, I'm giving this a promising three and half stars.
More mature than I expected. Some bangers
Ok so true story: at my high school prom the DJ played "Rock Your Body" and all the kids booed him so badly that he was bullied into changing the song
The singles were mostly the bops I remember, though I wonder how many would land without nostalgia. Cry Me a River is the standout. The filler is... just too much Timberlake. No, thank you.
I grew up with few of these tracks on the radio. Good album, but I don't like all of it. Song I like: Senorita, Cry me a river, Rock your body
This is the most Justin Timberlake album i've ever heard
So I watched a lot of Glee once upon a time, and I feel in my soul that the idea of Will Schuester is basically just Matthew Morrison playing Justin Timberlake as a high school choir teacher. This is "god forbid a white boy get a lil motion", the album. In a good way! Crazy to hear early Pusha T on "Like I Love You". Also, the six degrees of Kevin Bacon for the music industry goes crazy on this album: Babyface, Pharrell, Damon Thomas (Kim K's first husband), Harvey Mason Jr. (current CEO of the Grammys), Pusha T, Janet Jackson, Nathan East, Raphael Saadiq, even Timbaland contributed to this. It's crazy! "Rock Your Body" is a total banger and always will be. Otherwise, I'm not hearing much that is grabbing me and that is the best track on the album by far. Wikipedia is saying that a lot of these ideas were originally made for Michael Jackson and I can hear it but I can also see why he maybe passed on most of them.
Justin Timberlake released The 20/20 Experience when I was in my junior year of high school, a time in my life when I thought very highly of my ill-informed opinions about music. one of those opinions was that pop music was below me, and not worth consideration compared to the progressive metal and jazz albums I held in such high esteem. see, when you're a teenage straight cis boy raised on Internet forums like I was, you're predisposed to hate on shit, mainly as a poorly-defined defense mechanism. once I started realizing I wasn't straight, cis, or male, the house of cards started to collapse. it was around this time that The 20/20 Experience was there to tell me how much of a stick I had up my ass regarding my beliefs on pop music. even if I'm not huge on every chart-topping artist that's come and gone in my lifetime, I like to think that I have enough room in my cold, dead heart to enjoy it here and there. I say all this because I've been hearing some of the singles on Justified, Timberlake's debut as a solo artist following *NSYNC going on hiatus, for nearly my entire life. this album came out when I was 5 years old, and I'm pretty sure "Cry Me a River" was one of the first then-new pop songs I remember hearing on the radio. I think, somewhere deep down, I knew I liked this stuff all along. maybe my teenage self just didn't want to be perceived a certain way for liking it. but, at a certain point, you have to stop caring what other people think so much! plus, there are some undeniably amazing songs on Justified, pop or no. the bulk of the material on here was produced by legendary hit-making duo The Neptunes, including several songs that were originally offered to Michael Jackson. if MJ was offered "Like I Love You" (featuring Clipse!) or "Rock Your Body", he's insane for having turned them down. along with the aforementioned "Cry Me a River", one of four songs on the album produced by Timbaland, you're looking at three of the finest pop singles of their era! catchy melodies, great lead and backing vocals from Timberlake, and some fantastic session musician performances all abound. those drum pockets! can I also just say I appreciate the use of distinct bridge sections on a lot of the tracks here? Neptunes-produced records like "Take It From Here" or "Let's Take a Ride" must be why Tyler, The Creator's always going on about bridges, those special moments in songs that only happen once. unfortunately, not every song is a major hitter, and the B-side definitely shows that. after "Rock Your Body", the bag becomes much more mixed. however, I'd like to give special mention to the closing ballad "Never Again", a Brian McKnight production with some electrifying, dramatic chord changes that deserves a reevaluation. strong 6/10.
Album #1,021 Some harmless, danceable pop music with good beats. There were some super cringe moments, notably in Never Again and Take it From Here. Oh, and what is with that laugh at the end of Senorita after he says "Ladies, good morning?" We get it, you slept with them, so you see them the next morning. Why did you have to make it creepy and weird? I recognized that one song that got him and Janet Jackson in trouble at the Super Bowl.
“Bet I’ll have you naked by the end of this song.” Well, what’s the over/under? Do you take DraftKings credits? I’m a little too young to remember the true Timberlake heyday, but I’m old enough to remember when he was almost universally well-liked. That goodwill has seemingly run out and this era of R&B is not usually my cup of tea, so I really had to level my expectations and open my mind before getting into this. The production is absurdly polished and lush, and I’ll concede that Timberlake has a smooth, flexible voice. It’s all pretty good and sturdy. It’s also a victim to the common time period pitfall of simply being too damn long.
MJ vibes off the top. Singalong section in the first track, interesting choice. Clipse? Niver heard of them, but sounds like Mase to my late 90s ears. Cry me a river, banger. Overall too long though.
listened to again it's a great debut with some hits, but something about it i can't wholeheartedly love
hey sometimes i guess you just gotta listen to some shitty 2000s musics man. everyone look away y’all ain’t catching me vibing to this. okay i really enjoyed that more than i thought i would LOL.
definitely a nostalgic album. the singles go hard but it really does feel overly long. i feel like a few of these songs should have been shelved for a future b-sides album.
Had this album when it came out. Have to say I think it’s very self indulgent - some of the songs just go on for too long 😂 but it was fun and Cry Me a River is a banger
The album starts off pretty hot, first 6 songs made me think 4 stars was almost a given but the final 7 songs are underwhelming and made me forget about the hot start. Solo pop artists are interesting if they don’t specifically have one of the best voices. They need a great beat behind their vocals for the song to be any good. Feels like a “rich get richer” where once you become a top pop star, you work with the best producers. You can unmistakably hear the Pharrell and Timbaland songs in the album, which is personally the part I enjoyed. You take away the elite level producers, I’m not sure this album can be any higher than a 2 and most likely 1, but they are on the album so I’m going with a 3.
100% agree with everything Dakota said. First half bangs, feels like thats mostly the production. Timberlake is clearly a star but with Pharrell and Timbaland, it feels like their identity is the dominant musical force. Mostly enjoyable 2000s R&B, wish I could go 3.5
Classic JT
i'm only here for timbaland 🤷♀️ justin's corny tho
3.5
3.0
Some undeniable bangers on here, but not my fav JT album. I don’t think Latin music is his style.
Actually I didn't mind this as much as I thought I would though I still don't really care for it. Music like this used to kind of irritate me a bit back when it was big nowadays aught pop is a bit wallpaper to me. Which is why this kind of hits me in that middle spot. Honestly the first half of the album was not that bad it wasn't anything I wanted to write home about but for Millennial pop it was pretty decent. I will have to say that "Rock Your Body" is a total bop, and nothing else was actually kind of a nice little musical nod to Stevie Wonder. It kind of reminded me of some of his productions in the late seventies or early 80s. And there was an interesting little nod to the 70s dance hit "The Hustle" on "Last Night" (even though I didn't care for it much) But I think what really brings this album down below my thumb sideways is the last four songs three of which were just to me were just awful tracks. And then you get to the final track which I'm guessing at the time showed his sensitive side but given the reassessment of the Britney and Justin relationship of late it's rather freaking cringy. I'm sorry I just could not stand behind that one at all. (5.85) ★★½
Much better than I expected, I am not really into pop, but this was kind of a bop. 3.5 stars
The first half of this album is pretty cool, and there's some really cool production courtesy of the Neptunes and Timbaland. I think the hip-hop style production mixed with JT's pop style created something even the biggest pop skeptics could dig. However, I think it gets a little tired on the back half and there's just not enough quality material here for an hour long album. Still, the singles from this pretty much rule -- "Senorita", "Like I Love You", "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body" are all great pop songs. 3.5 stars.
3.5
Top notch production. The Neptunes were really operating on another level in the 2000s. It’s weird that Cry Me a River was the big hit from this one, that song was unavoidable when it came out. I never liked it, there’s way better songs on here, Rock your Body was another single that did well but I remember River was the big one. Production aside there’s some cool songs on here and some major duds. I feel like it’s a high 2, low 3 but I’ll give it a 3 cause I’m in a good mood today.
Has some really big pop songs of it’s time but there is some filler
Good album Just not for me
Has undeniable bangers, you can really tell he wanted to be the next Michael Jackson but uffff ALL the songs could have been 40 seconds shorter... They all trail off and repeat the same thing for FAR too long, also "Right for me" is atrocious.
I think Justin Timberlake is a very talented and diversified artist, but I think his music is derivative and not that interesting. That said, this was a pleasant enough listen. Just not my kind of music.
Justin probably is the most talented solo artist and entertainer out of the NSYNC/Backstreet Boys bunch. There are also a few really enjoyable songs on the album - I will never forget the cool ending of Rock your Body. Overall a little too long, slow and similar sounding.
It gave me some nostalgia to the 2000s but not a huge pop fan
There are some great pop songs in here, but there's also some nauseating r&b and a good amount of filler too
Decent
As shallow R&B infused pop it’s fine, but it gives me the feeling of a teenager trying just a bit too hard to exude sex appeal and just coming across as desperate.
Ein paar Banger auf dem Album, allerdings auch einige Filler. Zudem musikalisch nicht übermäßig gut gealtert.
Sehr frontloaded mit den Hits am Anfang. In der zweiten Hälfte kommt nicht mehr viel Spannendes, vor allem zu viele Balladen (hätte niemals gedacht, dass die alle von den Neptunes produziert wurden, so kraftlos, wie die zum Teil klingen). Gerade die Timbaland-Produktionen reißen hier einiges raus, auch wenn mir nicht alle Songs gefallen. Er hat einfach so herrlich weirde Einfälle, auf die kein anderer Mainstream-Produzent kommen würde. Aufgrund der ersten Hälfte gibt's aber trotzdem 3 Sterne. Die Hits klingen immer noch zeitlos, das Clipse-Feature auf "Like I Love You" ballert (früher nie zu schätzen gelernt) und "Cry Me a River" ist ein Alltime-Pop-Classic. Aber in der Liste ist das Teil fehl am Platz. Da muss der Nachfolger hin.
Das Album ist als Pop Album halt richtig gut produziert und hat auch seine großen Hits. Aber es ist auch ein Kind seiner Zeit und heute würde man die Hälfte der Songs vermutlich auf die Hälfte der Zeit stutzen und das täte vielen Songs vermutlich auch gut. Aber ja, da ginge mehr, aber schlecht ist es deshalb nicht. Vorallem für die Produktion geb ich hier 3 Sterne
6/10
Time hasn’t done Justified any favors. I was mildly taken with it in 2002. Not in an I’m-in-love-with-that sort-of thing. But in a hey-that’s-some-respectable-R&B sort-of way. But I haven’t returned to the album in years. Why? There are tracks full of silly voice/boilerplate that just aren’t any fun to listen to over and over again. And there are tracks where Timberlake seems to be channeling some other singer/voice. In 2002, that might’ve seemed like variety. But now I’m pretty sure Timberlake just didn’t know who he was. Does he now? For the record, “Cry Me a River” is still awfully good.
Aight
Banger
Every time I hear Senorita, I think of a skit I saw pointing out that the intro sounds like Pharrell Williams is stalling for time because he's forgotten Justin Timberlake's name. Anyway, I think at the time this album benefited from being a lot better than anyone expected from that bloke out of NSYNC (see also Timberlake's acting career). When you include it on a list of 1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die though, that maybe raises those expectations too high for what is a decent but patchy pop album. Rock Your Body is still a banger though.
It was okay.
Great pop album. Real sexy vibe at times, sultry at others
i can’t call this good and i can’t call this bad
Believe it or not I used to be quite the Timberlake fan, especially this particular album and really it’s that like you song last four minutes of that song has this weird breakdown that I’ve always loved even tried to remix it when I was 16… drums! Anyway, my thoughts on Mr. Timberlake have changed after I listened to Britney Spears‘s audiobook. Her version of Justin leaves the sour taste in my mouth. Amazing pop songwriter lotta good stuff under his belt, but I’m personally not putting on Da Lake anytime soon this album was pretty epic back in the day though
Some great r&b hits and hidden gems, as well as some corny ones. Woulda got 4 stars if they had cut the 3-4 worst songs.
Man, the 2000s were a trip. This still has a bunch of bops but you need to separate the man from the art...
It was certainly listenable, but not the type of music I’d want to listen to often. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Timbaland-produced tracks, but the rest was okay for 2000s pop music, I guess. I’m not the best judge of pop music from this century, though I will admit that “Rock Your Body” Is a banger.
I’ll admit I groaned when I saw this was my album for the day. And I wanted to hate it, so I went in with a bias and hate in my heart, but JT, or more likely Timbaland and the Neptunes, won me over in the end. I wasn’t a boyband fan, as maybe you might have guessed. It was my most loathed music, besides nu metal, once I realized nu metal was cringe. So when Timberlake went solo, I celebrated, not because I had faith in him, but because it meant whichever boy band he was in was over. MTV was still a thing back then, so I saw the videos from this album, like the one in which he put Britney on blast for being a cheater. I didn’t really think that was fair, but whatever. When I saw that Timbaland was his producing partner, I thought, “He might be on to something.” Timbaland is brilliant and beyond producing fat beats, as the kids say, I love his voice. It was so different from other rappers at the time. When Timbaland pops up in the mix, it gives me a boost of nostalgia, and at 51, sometimes nostalgia is all you got. I’m bopping along, coming out of my hate for JT, grooving at the desk, then he starts talking sexy. I’m back to hating. I hate talking during songs. I think it started with Bret Michaels, then Shania Twain. I hate it. I also hate it when an artist uses their name as part of an album title. It seems a little much, but that’s just me. Later on, JT and Tim get me back grooving and then I think the song Nothin’ Else sounds a bit like Reach Out I’ll Be There. Then I start hearing The Hustle in another song. Did JT and his producers take well-known songs and interpolate them into new songs? I hate the word interpolate. It basically means you took a good song and just re-recorded it with minor changes, and you now sound like a genius, rather than a thief. Yeah, I’m talking to you, Kid Rock. All Summer Long is trash, but Werewolves of London and Sweet Home Alabama are really great songs. I digress. As I finish up the album, I can say that I enjoyed it more than I expected I would, but I’m a sucker for a good pop song, of which there are many on this album. Other than it being JT’s debut album, I’m not sure it’s anything groundbreaking. I’d say, maybe you should listen to it before you die, but many of you probably already have, as this was a monster in 2002-2004.
Sounded surprisingly fresh. Holds up well.
This will Rock Your Body.
I was thinking wow he must have a black producer or something and then I learned he was singing songs originally written for Michael Jackson and it all made sense
i did not expect to enjoy this as much as i did
La primera canción recuerda a steavie wonder
This was good, actually…
I was never super into his music and this isn't really better or worse than most of it. With Timbaland and Pharell on the beats the lineup is quite impressive and the production is very well done. A lot of fun, banging rhythms, sexy jams and jus creative beats all around. Vocally the album is not as impressive, a lot of pretty average performances and most of the songs are around 5 minutes long which is a bit much too.
Pop isn't a dirty word if it's done right
Front loaded album but decent
Ol
actually pretty fun, wouldn't be mad if it came on
RIP my Spotify algorithm. Only heard a few Justin Timberlake's songs so interested to listen to a whole album, he obviously has a great voice. A bit cheesy pop for my taste. It's okay I guess, I'll give it middle of the road 2.5 starts.
This sounded pretty good. The production and features are the highlights but JT is charismatic and brings charm and style.
neptunes and timbaland carrying this guy.
This album is really defined by the producers, because while Justin is a decent singer, it would be a pretty average white boy rnb album without all the backing. This is a Neptunes album featuring Justin Timberlake on every song, I think. That real instrument feel spliced with some synthetic stuff is really characteristic of the production teams involved and it's a highlight. I think Justin Timberlake is a decent singer, obviously very influenced by Michael Jackson, and has a lot of range, but that's not what makes this album interesting. I'm not going to dig in to the rest of his catalogue because this isn't my kind of music really, but I wonder what he sounds like without the guys in the studio.
I kept forgetting I was listening to this album.
The hits carry this album.
A respectable pop album that made me understand why Timberlake is popular, even if it’s not my thing
Too many sneering reviews getting high and mighty about this record. Don’t take it seriously, it’s a decent enough pop record with some bangers on it, perhaps a bit longer than it needs to be, but by no means terrible.
vocally, he's between Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. But his music just doesn't have their groove, so it just feels watered down. 3/5
Nooh aika perus poppia, en nää sillein ihmeellisenä. Pari isompaa hittiä toki. Parhaat: Rock Your Body, Like I Love You
As usual it's an early 2000's pop album which is way too long for it's own good, which is a shame cause a tighter track length, with the four fantastic singles, and I'd be giving this a higher score. Plus Justin Timberlake has a really punchable face. 3 Stars.
naja, schon etwas weichgespült. easy listening, R&B, good times.
Gut gemacht auf hohem Niveau. Einfach nicht meine Musik.
I only know Sexy Back. I think that’s how I’d like to keep it.
Some good musicianship here. JT is pretty much doing his impression Michael Jackson here. Last handful of songs could have been cut from the album. The last song is sooooo sappy lol
It wasn’t terrible, but it makes no sense to be on this list. At times I felt like JT was just going through the motions of making a pop album and some songs lacked any type of personality or emotions. Often times the singing isn’t even that great, and while I’m not the biggest JT fan, I know he can sing better than this. 2.5 / 5
Still surprised this is on this list. Meh with some shining moments that stop me from knocking this down to a 2
Every song on this is about a minute too long That being said, the call and response section of Senorita is so fun
The early 2000 Neptunes and Timbaland beats are great, too bad it's ruined by Justin's singing.
Solid R&B album with lots of nostalgia. Still holds up, though. It suffers from a common CD-era problem: overstuffed runtime to get as much on the disc as possible. With some editing this would be better. A soft 3-star.
The Neptunes and Timbaland era of pop music had a lot of really great tracks. Case in point: Rock your body. However there were zero (as far as i can recall) really great albums. Case in point: Justified. When it’s good it really slaps, but there are too many weak points with stale beats and uninteresting singing/lyrics.
Is this the best album ever? No. Is this the best JT album? Also no. Is this album good? Yeah, I’d say so. Not sure why we have this here over FutureSex/LoveSounds. Production is good, the singles are catchy, great feature from Clipse. Favorite songs were Like I Love You, Cry Me A River, and Rock Your Body.
Was enjoying it for a while, but it went on too long and became a little too cute.
I guess it was better than *NSYNC, but that’s a pretty low bar
Being a stubborn jouster of the ever-revolving pop music windmill, I'm surprised to like this. More organic than the icy "Sexyback" material with which I'm more familiar, kinda like a pre-Thriller Michael Jackson, it still feels over-caffeinated for these weary ears. I might feel different if it was 2002 and I was 23 on the prowl.
This was fine. Enjoyable mostly!
This was fine but doesn't move me much.
Hmm jüstin case das mir mal uf e holzalbum treffed würi sege, wie mer ne kennt eis 2 riese tracks und de rest normals gedönse Hed mi nöd vum hocker ghaue Muss mich ez da au nöd rechtfertige: Three timberlankes
Decent pop. Love Timbaland
Was best geinig
Really didn't know much about JT except in passing over the years. Didn't expect to really enjoy it at first but it did surprise me in alot of ways.
Best Song: Rock Your Body. It's just a great dance song of the era. The call-and-response of the chorus is especially good. Worst Song: Never Again. What a strange choice to end this pop-dance album with a weepy ballad. Overall: Some catchy pop hits here, but there's also something grisly about the duds that never made it big. Something about this style/era of music, which is all about shooting for mega hits, that makes the failures somehow feel even more bleak.
I mean, it isn't very good. Rather bland, but definitely some pleasures that i listen to on the regular
Great album from my youth, surprisingly fun to listen to the hits again. JT can be seen as just a pop star part of the machine, but I really rate the first half of this album. The back half fell away, so not perfect but still worthy of the list.
There were some good songs on here, and I love his voice. But, some of the songs were kind of whiny and crying, sappy.
The most common yardstick I judge a pop album by is its hit rate, and by that measure Justified is firing on all cylinders. The first half is chock full of singles that kept the radio waves busy for the decade following its release. It is a huge step up from his output in *NSYNC and confidently sets out his stool as a solo performer. I enjoy how multi-layered and ridiculously over-engineered the production is at points, with extra little details flying at you with gay abandon. It's a maximalist presentation and the clicky percussion never gets boring. I don't mind that he is essentially proving a 2000s, modernised version of Michael Jackson's sound - its a solid approach. On the more low key second half it’s Justin is more in lounge entertainer mode but it works nicely. It's a smooth, enjoyable experience that rarely flags.
I think I’m gonna not listen to it but give it a three
Obviously some great pop on here but the rest of the tracks were bla
If it wasn't for Pharell, this album would be trash
This has some well known songs and a good sound. JT is talented for sure but this is not monumental. I think it is on the 3 side of a 3.5.
listened to this while translating 12th century Japanese yōkai stories about demon spit, invisibility, fire protection incantations, and a sick princess. It was a unique experience
high 3 low 4, lost me a bit near the end there but some MASSIVE bangers on here, unreal prod Fav song: Senorita
Is it over yet? Long and similar
Going in, was not expecting much. But found a couple songs other than the two hits that were listenable. Some dated songs but overall fine. Would probably give this a 2.5 if I could.
justified stupid ass title def not a must hear album but im pretty fond of cheesy radio rnb from the 2000s. also if the neptunes are in the credits than the album instantly gain points for me. i lowkey loved the second half of the album ngl
This is a fun, dancy album with lots of bangers. Unsurprisingly, the singles are the best part, especially "Cry Me a River," one of the best revenge songs of all time that I would always crank up on my Saturn's SL2 radio back in 2002. The rest of the album is basically nondescript. Top tracks: "Cry Me a River," "Rock Your Body," "Señorita," "Like I Love You"
Extremely talented squeaky clean guy pretending he has grit and failing. I like his music a lot more since he stopped trying to be the dude version of Christina Aguilera.
I like this because its a album of my teens, but objectively, its not very good, it's very front loaded and really tails off at the end
3/4
Nothing surprising, exciting really. Some songs are very "catchy". 3/5
Basic pop
I like the pop
This album serves its purpose well as typical pop music aimed at teenagers. It's neither exceptionally bad nor remarkably good; rather, it falls into the category of average, somewhat annoying listening material with an R&B influence. While it merits more than 2 stars for not being terrible (not as bad), it barely justifies a 3-star rating due to its lack of standout qualities (not as good).
This album did a good job of catapulting Justin Timberlake to solo stardom after leaving NSYNC. Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body absolutely dominated the airwaves when this album came out, so I'm long since familiar with those. The rest of the album doesn't feel as interesting to me as those two songs are.
mid
There are some fantastic pop/r&b songs here, the biggest tracks are somewhat cheapened by their ubiquity but four HUGE singles is impressive. Nothin' Else is a great Stevie Wonder parody, but after that, the album really starts to lose it's way - the final seven tracks send us into the weeds with them ranging from non-descript half baked single ideas to the straight up uncool.
odeio o que ele fez com a brit, mas gente... que album BOM. a produção das faixas impecável. infelizmente, ele brilhou muito. e obrigada brit pela gaiada que tu deu nesse corno fazendo com que cry me a river existisse. 3,5.
Perfectly fine pop album. Not his best. Other than the hits nothing struck me as particularly great
It would be tough to explain to a 20 year old how big of a star JT was in 2002. Justin being MJ crossed with Jimmy Fallon didn’t age well but this album actually does. Pharrell is the real star of the album in retrospect - those Neptunes beats stand the test of time.
3.3 I have tried to listen to this over the past few months. Im just going to resign myself to the fact Im not going to get through it all. The first half is very good pop music, with all of the bells and whistles money can buy.
No sé si ha envejecido como el vino o como la leche, pero sé que todo el mundo estaba escuchando al menos una canción de este disco.
68/1001 :: Justin Timberlake - Justified Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: 6 Fav Tracks: Cry Me A River Listen before you die: No Best thing about this album is the production. Timbaland, Pharrell and The Neptunes, Scott Storch all have their fingerprints on this thing and it shows. Justin acts as the vehicle to drive their songs and frankly he’s doing a very good job at it. When this album popped up I thought it was gonna be a tough get. It wasn’t. Lotta toe tapping and good singing. Just not really my bag…
Super poppy, loved how old it made me feel.
Couple of decent songs on here - enjoyed it more than I thought I would - but there are a lot of duds too! If this had been 20 mins shorter, it could have been a 4.
One of the first albums I owned. Can’t remember if it was a request, or it just seemed like a present an 8 year old boy would like with his new portable compact disk player. There’s no denying the bangers, but there’s also some absolute dogshit on here as well, the final track for example. Why make an hour long album if your bangers would make a very good 30 min album. Anyway, still a solid three. Cry Me A River into Rock Your Body is genuinely up there with the best back to backs on the list. Simpsons: Yes
Loved the first half of this,, especially Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body, but the ending was a little disappointing.
Started strong, ended dull. Some bangers but not a strong album
Some great pop songs accompanied by some naff and some crap.
I keep confusing these Justins {Bieber|Timberlake}. I had fond memories of just one song of Justin Timberlake and was excited about the album. Well, what I heard was very, very pleasant pop music. Too boring. You can hear the musical similarities to his former band. About as exciting as a Beyoncé album. I'll do with this album as announced in the last song: Never Again. 3/5
After being so pleasantly surprised by Christina Aguilera, I was ready to like this album. A couple of the songs have such great hooks (Cry Me a River!, Seniorita). But there's also more sappy pop than I can handle in one sitting (I'm looking at you, Let's Take a Rid and Never Again).
a collection of either competent pop songs underwhelmingly executed or underwhelmingly written pop songs competently executed.
JT can sing; Neptunes can produce. Timbaland writes interesting songs. I mean- it’s hard to fault this. As pop music goes this works. It’s just - it all feels like Michael Jackson cosplay. MJ was still alive when this was recorded. Was he not available? Justin has copied nearly every single MJ vocal mannerism and I’m only half way through this thing. The vibrato, the dynamics, the phrasing- everything is MJ. At least we get some Stevie Wonder sprinkled in here every once in a while. But where’s Justin? He hasn't quite figured himself out yet, which is fine. Some of his best songs are here, even with the awkwardness of youth so fully present. But yeah. This reminds me of looking at someone’s high school year book, or their baby pictures. It’s fine. But hey. “You’re out of this world except you’re not green”…..who wrote that one, guys? Who’s taking credit? THREE STARS
Before he became the poster boy for all things white boy cringe/privilege, before he was seen as the purveyor of sleek, silky love sounds, Justin Timberlake was yet another boy band puzzle piece looking to wiggle away from rigidity and break out into something larger and, with Justified, he largely succeeded in that mission. Tapping into the then-innovative beats of the Neptunes and traversing through their inner circle, Justin sheds his tightly wound skin and lets loose into the man he felt destined to be; the swaggering, visually staggering sex symbol that can covet the ladies as quickly as he can dismiss them all while the aspirant men admire him. All the praise and hype given to this at the time was justified and whatever influential capital it wielded remains strong to this day, possessing the type of vibes that would not ruin any tour. Favorites: Senorita, Like I Love You, Take It From Here, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body, Last Night, Still on My Brain, Let's Take a Ride.
You can hear The Neptunes’ fingerprints all over this record—those clipped drums, the rubbery synths, the hyper-clean rhythm-first production. And it works; they were at their peak in this era. But even with all that talent behind him, this still feels like Timberlake in a transitional state. There’s a very self-conscious “don’t see me as a boy-band kid anymore, I’m edgy now” energy running through the whole thing. It’s not bad—far from it—but that posture feels a little forced, a little premature. You can sense the talent, the charisma, the spark, but it’s like he’s trying on personas rather than inhabiting one. It wasn’t until FutureSex/LoveSounds, where Timbaland had far more control and the sonic world got darker, stranger, and more confidently adult, that Timberlake really snapped into place artistically. That album felt lived-in; this one feels like an audition. Still: Justified is a solid debut, a clear upgrade from his *NSYNC era, and a blueprint of what was coming. It’s not the best work of Timberlake, The Neptunes, or Timbaland—but it’s where the evolution really started.
Aila tylsä ja tuli sellainen tunne että tyyppi teki kaikki biisit eri tytöille joita yritti hurmata(en tiedä onnistuko). Välillä melkeen nautin mutta sitten en kuitenkaan. Pinnallinen. En kuitenkaan sanoisi ertä oli huono.
Pretty good, definitely a 2000s album
the main problem with this album is that it's too bloated - there's quite a few pointless tracks here and there. the tracks besides those are quite a vibe though. overall, probably around a 6/10?
Meh - this didn’t age well. Not sure if it was even good to begin with.
Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body are still solid. The rest of it...is fine. Well-produced and catchy like you'd assume, but not overly memorable. Also, the whole thing is too long. I got tired of listening to it near the end and just stopped.
Possibly entertaining pop music
Звук какой-то спартанский, не чувствуется попмузыкального блокбастерства. А может, я просто не понимаю.
Neptunes/Timbaland production is what makes this album shine. The main singles are pretty great for what they are and the era, but the rest was almost painful to listen to. Timberlake is definitely talented but nothing about his vocals stands out on this album to me.
Gentlemen good night, ladies good morning. I'm pretty sure I caught a STD listening to this.
Turned out to be quite good. Solid 3.
No surprise the production on this album is spectacular (Pharrell owned this entire decade). The hits are recognizable as being all over the radio. JT is clearly an entertainer. He can dance, and can sing. Like other said, he is no MJ, but he also doesn't need to be. He knows how to make music for various generations to agree on, but I won't be there to join.
I enjoyed hearing the hits again, but in overall this album is a bit too smooth/overproduced for me.
I’m not immune to the pop hooks from Mr. Timberlake.
That was okay
Run of the mill early 2000s pop album
3.5 pure nostalgia
Definitely listened to this when it came out in 2002. A few genuine bangers on this album gets it from 2->3.
If you are into this music at all, I think this has to be considered the state of the art. Produced by The Neptunes dudes about a year after N.E.R.D. put out that In Search Of... record. Timbaland Janet Jackson Clipse - both dudes All guest features. The little talking bits he does on some tracks, where he puts on his vaguely African American sounding, soft and sexy voice is quite hard to listen to, but the rest of it is not bad considering what my expectations were.
Was sadly underwhelmed by this. This album has some of my favorite JT songs on it, probably up there with best pop songs all time, but then has some stinkers. Sort of feels like every song is a single and isnt part of a larger piece of work.
Not to say JT is a bad performer, but I think Timbaland and The Neptunes did a lot of the heavy lifting.
This is very of the times. It doesn't land as well today, but, I know it was a BOP when it came out
Didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would. Actually some decent stuff on here
This was my first time listening to Justified all the way through. While I was already familiar with the big hits, I’d never given the full album a proper spin—and I was curious to see how it holds up. I’ve always had a soft spot for tracks like “Rock Your Body” and “Cry Me a River.” They’re undeniably catchy, still sounding fresh today, and serve as prime examples of early-2000s pop done right. Other highlights include “Señorita” and “Like I Love You,” which showcase Timberlake’s early promise as a solo artist breaking away from *NSYNC. Vocally, the Michael Jackson influence is unmistakable—especially in Timberlake’s falsetto and phrasing. The production, courtesy of The Neptunes and Timbaland, is a major asset, delivering tight, danceable beats with a slick, futuristic edge that defined the era. That said, the album loses steam after “Rock Your Body.” The second half is weighed down by forgettable ballads and filler that lack the energy and charisma of the first half. Tracks like “Still on My Brain” and “Right for Me” fall flat, and “Never Again” makes for a surprisingly dull closer to an album that starts off so strong. Overall, Justified is a solid pop debut with a stellar front half and some truly iconic singles. It just doesn’t quite sustain its momentum all the way through. Favourite track: “Rock Your Body” Least favourite: “Still on My Brain,” “Right for Me,” and “Never Again” Summary: Tracks 1–6 are great; the rest, unfortunately, feel like filler. Album artwork: A clean, iconic cover—perfectly suited to Timberlake’s solo breakout.
The production on Justin's debut album is star-studded with Timbaland, Pharrell, and Scott Storch. Pretty insane lineup. That said the end product feels pretty bloated. Not many bangers outside of Cry Me A River and Rock Your Body. Like I Love You was lowkey good too. There are just songs here that feel fake or inauthentic, like Senorita or Take It From Here, where Justin is trying to pull off this sensual singer vibe and it just doesn't land at all. I land at 2.5 stars but think there's enough quality to bump up to a low 3 despite the overall blandness and bloat of the album.
Obvious Neptunes production out of the gate on Senorita and Like I Love You. Senorita is a fine song in its own right. Can safely say I did not expect to hear Clipse on a feature here -- Like I Love You jams and the last little bit sounds like something Odd Future would produce. Sonically, this is fine, but 4 songs in I already feel like songs are individually longer than they really need to be, making it feel like its dragging a bit. Cry Me a River is a solid track with great production. Rock Your Body is also solid, featuring an extremely bright Neptunes beat. Definitely dragged for me through the back half... I'll say that this has some really bright points -- especially in the union of Neptunes and JT. Standouts for me were Like I Love You, Cry Me A River, and Rock Your Body. Outside of those bright points, I didn't find a ton to love. It was fine, but ultimately too drawn out for my tastes. I'd say this falls into low 3 territory.
Another late 90's/early 00's pop album that is an hour long for no reason. Maybe they were still on the high of changing from cassette to CDs? I've heard of blue-eyed soul. Is this blue-eyed R&B? Rhythm & Blue Eyes? Not bad, but didn't really enjoy it. Low 3? 2 feels a bit harsh.
fun
I wanted to like it way more than I did. “Like I love you” has always been an absolute BOP I can listen to on repeat. The rest of the album had the hits, but many didn’t stick as I’d hoped. Keeping it a 3 to return to this for another full run through.
Good if you like this sort of thing!
the non-hits really did not hit
Definitely not my jam, but there are some certified bangers on here amongst the filler.
Before listening, my immediate thought was "If we have to have Justin Timberlake on this list, can't we have the wildly superior 'Future Sex/Love Sounds'?" Instead, here we are with his debut, released while he was still a boy band teen idol. But in the spirit of this challenge, we need to keep an open mind. With this in mind, it was better than expected. Timberlake scores some unused Michael Jackson songs and excellent production by The Neptunes (as well as Timbaland on a handful of songs). There are some undeniably catchy songs here and they're clearing trying hard to emulate Jackson's best stuff. It hits a lot of the right marks and if you keep your focus selective, you can definitely understand why people would think of this as MJ for the new generation. "Rock Your Body" in particular is a stand out track, with "Cry Me a River" not far behind. Both will be in my head all day. The energy of the first half of the album dies out quickly though and the ballad-filled second half is fairly weak. While "Justified" clearly shows Timberlake maturing from his NSync background, there's still room for improvement in the music, and the very adolescent lyrics are best ignored. But when the album works, it definitely works. Whatever you may think of Justin Timberlake now, he did at least make a handful of great songs in this era. I was almost tempted to award 4 stars, but there's a bit too much filler on here for my taste.
I felt like this was a solid debut album! It felt like this was Timberlake’s way of trying to establish his own sound and voice after *NSYNC. Obviously there are some track standouts such as Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body. I enjoyed this album but many of the songs sounded similar and had a similar vibe so it’s hard to distinguish them from one another. Still a solid album listen!
I don't know that I've ever heard an album more dedicated to women as this one.
Great production, but at end of the day it’s Justin Timberlake
Justified - Justin Timberlake ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I bet I would look pretty good on the dance floor shaking my butt to this music! JT has a great voice and a tight band. It's a fun album with a couple great songs on it but the whole album is more in that good maybe very good category rather than great. Not a thing really wrong with it. Would sound great at a club or wherever but it's not some masterpiece or anything like that. Not much to add really, it's just dance-y pop music & sometimes nothing sounds better at a club when you are wearing a cute/sexy new outfit nursing a cocktail and dancing/flirting the night away. As Thom Yorke says, 'Everything in Its Right Place' ... to the dancefloor!
I mean, this sucked but it's also fine? I'm not a tween girl so I didn't care for most of the lyrical content. But it's the fuckin' Neptunes producing most of the album. It SOUNDS great! But it isn't great at the same time. I'm just not the target demographic for this music. I also fucking cannot stand Rock Your Body. Worst single J Timbers ever made. I guess I'll give this 3 stars.
This album is loaded with some of the best hits of the era. Great production.
Outside of the singles this doesn’t offer a great deal. In fact apart from the singles this is just a sub par MJ LP. Extra star because the singes are very good
This was more challenging to get through than I thought it would be, and I was surprised how many songs on here I’ve never heard. Points for the songs on here that were undoubtedly successful, but didn’t really enjoy this.
Some primo JT dooooshbagness. But gosh darn it if my head doesn’t start to bob when cry me a river comes on. And my booty shakes with rock your body. The rest is very generic and meh. Didn’t really need a full album of this. 2.5 and rounding up for nostalgia.
Def sounds a bit cringe nearly 25 years since its release…but was a pretty fun blast from the past. Several certified hits and gotta love that early 2000’s Timbaland production that was everywhere at the time. Not a great album and lots of fluff, but still much better than many other albums we’ve had during this exercise. I’d take this over another Steely Dan any day of the week. Fight me. 3/5
Muy buenos grooves. La producción de los temas se siente un poco ecléctica (la elección sonora entre temas varía mucho, como si fuesen un conjunto de singles metidos en un disco) pero el estilo se mantiene consistente, por lo cual no arruina la experiencia. La voz de Justin es muy buena para este estilo pop a la Michael Jackson. Sin embargo las letras son extremadamente genéricas y por momentos un tanto cringe.
Flawless prodticion. Wasn't too impressed by the singing. Would've been better if it was less than 40 minutes. So many filler songs. "Cry Me a River" is an undeniable banger. Rest are forgettable. The 2000s cheese does give it some charm.
whining a bit, but not so bad after all...
7/10
This album would get 5/5 aside from the facts that I don't like JT, or RnB, and it's too long.
this sure is a snapshot of a very specific time. and for all his shitty behavior and terrible personality, his tenacity really shows on this album. the producers he got to do this album and the "lets just try anything and see what sticks" feel of this album proves he wanted to be famous at any cost. I guess he got what he wanted? the music is hokey and dated but isn't that what pop music is?
There’s magic in there somewhere
It's May, it's May, it's Justin Timberlake Day. This album is fine, for a white guy appropriating black cultural forms.
I love the 20/20 experience and Futuresex/Lovesounds. I've never listened to this album in it's entirety. "Senorita" certainly is a JT song. He could have released this last year and I wouldn't know. Is that a bad thing? Maybe not, but he certainly hasn't strayed far from his wheelhouse. The audience involvement section at the end is genius, and I'm sure was fun at all the concerts. The beat swap at the end of "Like I Love You" goes hard. "(Oh No)" and "Take It From Here" are both kind of boring. "Cry Me a River" is iconic. This song is sick. The beat bangs, JT's vocals are dope. I used to regular play a youtube recording of Johnny Craig from Dance Gavin Dance covering this song in some attic. It's still up, I just checked. "Rock Your Body" is another amazing song. Awesome beat and vocals. If I've got a few drinks in me and this comes on, I WILL be dancing. The rest of the album was a little boring for me, and it was too long. The three songs I like get an 8 or 9, but the album as a whole is too much for me. 6/10
Solid nineties dance pop and r&b balladry. Neptunes and Timbaland are really the stars here.
Not bad. Decent pop from the early 2000's. Too long tho. 3.5
Not my vibe
Par æradefinerende hits her. Dessverre er alt rundt veldig monotont og kjedelig.
Obviously, I have mixed feelings on the artist. But if we are judging this without taking that into account, "Senorita" is obviously amazing. What a great song. And to start the album off with it. A provocative choice that I support. Let’s see how the rest of the album goes. "Like I Love You" is next. Another absolute heater. I thought "Take It From Here" was weird. “Cry Me A River”, Brittany NOOOOOO. She deserved better. “Nothing Else” sounds like elevator Muzak. I think the only reason I like some of this album is because of Timbaland, I'm pretty sure he produced a lot of this. I like a few of the tracks but overall, I would rate this middle of the road, 3/5.
Seems like a typical pop album on the surface. There's a lot of R&B/Soul/Funk influence. It's very well produced and that's probably the highlight. Without The Neptunes and Timberland it definitely would not be as successful. Not bad, but nothing amazing.
Slickly produced, I will grant him that. Timberlake was dubbed "The Prince Of Pop" at one point in his career. You can tell where he gets that from, as so many of the songs have a Michael Jackson kinda feel to them. Heck, the producers even said their intentions were to create music that was similar to Jackson's work without "recycling them". The opening song... I hated the whole "I'm gonna do something right now..." banter. You do that on a live song, not a studio song. I think "Let's Take A Ride" would be better as the last song, it would show the potential JT could have. So it's not a bad album, but the majority of it is so derivative of artists like Michael Jackson and EWF, it's hard to be so into it. Top tracks: "Cry Me A River," "Nothin' Else"
This album is not much better than his ex-girlfriend Britney's debut album. He did get better producers, though I feel like Timbaland did a little better with his sophomore album. The hits are still super catchy - Like I Love You, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body - so credit to JT and Timbaland and The Neptunes for that. But the other songs? Some of them are awful - Senorita (ugh that last 90s), Take it from Here (overdoing it, just like recent Bruno Mars stuff), Right for Me (what is with his voice?). What You Got (buzzy) and Never Again (sweet) are solid. The album also felt like it crawled along. I was at song 9 or 10 thinking alright, it's about over. And still 3-4 more songs to go, with a total album time over an hour. Too long for pop, or R&B if you want to go so far as to call it that. He showed he was the most talented of the N'Sync boys (strong vocals and range) but it was still tough to hang on for a whole album. A 2 seems too harsh. But not higher than a 3.
5/10
pop city, but fun...
3.5 - Super nostalgic.
Probably my least favourite of JT's, but a killer solo debut regardless.
There are three or four killer dance tracks on here. But the rest is just really boring filler. The rating is down to those toe-tapping ear worms.
It’s a very good pop album.
Pharrell and Timbo songs are great. The rest is just Michael Jackson imitation.
Surprises here in the jt woods or whatever he was trying to do a few years ago. Some good pop here. Not a huge fan of his voice and inflections but the music itself is solid. Though it does oddly remind me of a bunch of different songs at points. Like mayhe I head another pop song in the way a synth is done or a guitar riff sounds like a Zelda song very strange and maybe it's nothing and just a me thing but maybe this is just a victim of the preset era. Either way it's decently good. The hits are hits for a reason and the b sides are still decent. Crazy to give it a 3 but I'm gonna
The production here is really great. But it's not at the heights of FutureSex, which to me is a 5/5 album. There's a couple really strong songs here, Cry Me A River, Rock Your Body, but it's mostly a mid pop album. Which makes sense since it's his first solo outing.
Some classics on here.. but also a good amount of the songs show their age. Overall average, with some bangers.
Honestly? It's better than expected, at least at the start. But I absolutely despise every song being about the same thing. Justin repeating his name every song. This is an album wasted on being too pop, as Justin's voice's good, the music is enjoyable, even though it's too-ADHD, switching every few seconds at the start. Just a lot of wasted potential.
Enough good pop songs to keep the album moving along but sure there are hundreds of similar albums in the same genre and out at the same time to warrant inclusion in the 1001.
2.9 2x
Sorry, but I didn't like this kind of pop in 2002, and I don't really like it now. However, I will say that Pharrell is a great producer, and the songs were... the best of this kind of music. I'm going to rate this more kindly based on it not being actively hard to listen to and me even understanding why my ex loved it.
Well, I even was at one of the live shows at the time (actually great) and yes, Neptunes and Timbalanbd made many great records in the early 2000s. And JT isn't a bad singer. But apart from some of the hits, the album is a bit forgettable and their churning out tracks by the dozens hasn't made Neptunes and Timbaland production credits a guarantee for great music. So, for "Justified" is a mid-record with a huge hit-footprint, so basically a 3 star affair.
Great beats too much high falsetto from JT. Lucky he had timbaland and pharrell
Neptunes and Timbaland production carry this one far on early 2000s nostalgia.
Too long but fine enough.
JT seems to like to sing about himself a lot. A couple of good songs with a lot of fillers.
Why on earth is this album on the list but so many other (objectively better) albums are nowhere to be found..? This album isn't bad, but it's just a mediocre pop album by a mediocre pop boy. Nothing crazy and certainly not something you need to hear before you die.
March 5, 2025 (late nite) HL: "Señorita", 'Cry Me a River", "Rock Your Body", "Let's Take a Ride", "(Oh No) What You Got" 3.5 Caught between a 3 and a 4 with this one. There are some great cuts, and the Neptunes brought their A-game, but the second half was a bit disappointing compared to the first. I'm looking forward to listening to FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), as just based on my age, and when I started paying attention to pop, I'll probably vibe with that more
Other than two singles I remember from back in the day didn’t leave much of an impression.
The whole boy band era slipped by me as I had kids to raise. My previous exposure to JT consisted of his voice acting in Trolls. Being fair, a very nice voice and well produced as an album
Señorita, Like I love you, Cry me a river and Rock your body are great songs. Rest of the album is bland. Except for the second track. That one is so bad it made me cringe. I would easily give this a 4 but I can't forgive him for what he did to Britney.
Pop pop pop! Good stuff, has a nice voice, but not as good as his collaborative work with Andy Samburg. This is no "Dick in A Box" It's a 3 but not a bad 3.
It is so easy to look back at early 2000's pop and cringe. Cringe at the fashion of the day, the hair styles, cringe at the trends, the technology, the things we thought were funny back then. Funnily enough, one thing that hasn't really aged all that poorly is the music. In general, I find early 2000's music to have aged better than expected. That's probably because it's the music of my late childhood and early teen years, but still. I cringe at the rest of the stuff from back then, but not the music. Well except for this. From the title, to the production, to the whole club music aesthetic, to the idea that a white boy from a boy band was going to come out here and produce an R&B album. Let's look at those elements one at a time. The title. Yeah we get it. His name is Justin. It's called "Justified." Is that it? It's not more clever than that, is it? The production feels like the people in the studio thought they were showing restraint but still over did it in some places. All the vocal interjections from Timberlake, the excessive flourishes in the beats on some of the songs, and the parts of the songs where he just talks like he's talking directly to the listener. Pull it back, man. You don't need that much. The idea that a white boy was going to go from an all-white boy band and then produce a more mature R&B album has not aged well. I'm not saying he can't do it for cultural appropriation reasons (if I did, I'd have to levy the same criticism at Elvis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eminem, etc.). I just mean that I don't think it's that easy to take him seriously with this album. He went from doing choreographed dances and singing "Bye, Bye, Bye" to something like this in less than a year. The longer he pursued his solo career, the more believable he became. But with this, I just don't think I can take him seriously. I also just don't like him, nor do I care for the genre much. He has a track record of being kind of a dick. Namely with how he took none of the blame or suffered any consequences after the Janet Jackson Super Bowl incident, while she took all the blame and suffered because of it. There's more than that (his treatment of Britney Spears, for instance) but his image has taken a dive in the last few years and I just don't want to like this. So here we are. I can acknowledge that, as a pop record, this is well-produced (for its time) and probably one of the better albums of the its decade. I can look at it and tell you that I know that. But I didn't like it as much, and so it's getting three stars. I wanted to give it two, but I think that would be underselling it a little in terms of its impact and how good it is for its time. Standout Tracks: Senorita, Rock Your Body, Let's Take a Ride
Timberlake's debut contains a couple of huge hits (mainly Cry Me a River and Rock My Body), the rest are less interesting r'n'b/pop songs, and it's quite a long album with over 60 minutes. My 3 stars go to the excellent production that was put into this album by Pharrell Williams and Timbaland. It makes the album fresh even more than 20 years after its release. Overall it is not something I'd revisit but I have to admit that it is 2000s r'n'b/pop at its best.
Came in with low expectations but was surprised that it was actually pretty good. Not something I’ll revisit that much but a solid 3 stars
The popular songs are good, the back half was a bit flat for me
Huh. I like Justin Timberlake as a celebrity and I know a few of his songs but was pretty "meh" about this album. I don't know? It was like kind of boring in a way. Not sure why or what made it that way, but it never grew legs for me. Some musicians that I really like can fall into this occasionally, where they either put out an album or a song now and then that is just... produced. Maybe that is it. I felt like this was a safe and well produced album made for the masses and not really heartfelt. I could be wrong. But it didn't feel that way while I listened.
Lol why is this an hour long? Cry Me a River is the main reason to listen - a huge earworm. The rest is fine. A bit too much content about how all women want to have sex with JT. This is going to ruin the tour.
Ok pop music but pretty lightweight. He's a good entertainer but I don't need to hear him sing.
First I'll say that this album was a fun and welcome change from our usual candidates. Sometimes you just need some fun pop to dance to. Havign said that, this was the wrong JT album to pick. Futuresexx/lovesounds or 20/20 experience part 1 would be better choices. While this album starts with a bunch of strong Neptunes production and catchy melodies (Senorita, Like I Love You, and Rock Your body are all bangers.), the album really drags in the middle, and the back half is really boring. Shocking that Janet Jackson is featured on here given what would happen between them shortly after at the Superbowl. High 3.
Nostalgia. Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body were classics. (Oh No) What You Got is also a very fun little song.
Bra skiva, lite ojämn kanske, inte riktigt min grej överlag men Rock your body är ju onekligen en jävla banger. 3/5
The singles are great. The album tracks are fillers
The sound of this album is consistent throughout, seems well produced. I don't think I'd care to listen to it a lot but it had some moments I enjoyed a lot. Solid 3.5
why is the minecraft villager noise on the first couple songs
Justin Timberlake has always been a dweeb that thinks he’s way cooler than he really is, but the fact remains that he hoodwinked some very talented people (The Neptunes, Timbaland, Clipse, Janet Jackson (yikes)) into helping legitimize his cosplay, and the hits stand as a reminder that sometimes great pop music can come from inauthentic places.
Much like Destiny’s Child, which I had recently, when this album was released my 18 year old ears couldn’t stand it. But today, 23 years later, I find it listenable and even enjoyable. Quite a few recognizable, radio-friendly hits. I enjoyed Like I Love You which I don’t recall hearing before, I liked how it was mostly made up of a single chord.
The look of a guy about to do a wardrobe malfunction
First half of this is great, second half is wick
Impeccable production. This album has 4 truly great pop compositions and the rest are pretty mediocre early 2000's filler that are elevated slightly over other pop filler by Pharrell and Timbaland.
You can really hear the Pharrell all over this, it’s kind of wild how distinct that sound is. Anyway, I don’t now that I needed to hear this before I died. Cry Me A River was the only song that stood out and even that was ehhh
Pretty good pop album. Definitely has some notes of MJ and there was a song that sounded very Wonder-esque. 3.5/5