Reviews (page 5 of 7)
Ok 2/5
very tepid album. its got great production and he has a good singing voice but the songs themselves are lacking. shave two minutes off of ever song and youve easily got a 3 star album but as it stands its way too long for what the songs have to offer.
2/5
I like The Neptunes/Pharrell/Timbaland as much as the next person, so having those guys probably helped ensure that this album had a good (or least not unpleasant) sound, but . . . these songs are too long. And the whole album is ... too long. And none of it particularly memorable or interesting. I know CDs made it easier to contain *more* music (than record albums), but there's something to be said in favor of keeping albums (even in the CD format) to around 40 minutes. Or, if you're gonna go way beyond that, to over an hour, then there ought to be a good (compelling) reason for do that. And I don't see a compelling reason for that here, where the songs drag on too long, and all sound kind of similar. So I kind of resent the hour+ I had to spend listening to these mildly pleasant, but unexceptional and instantly forgettable songs (that all started to sound kind of the same, after a while). Maybe, if they'd kept just the best 8 or 9 tracks (and/or made the songs more like 3 minutes instead of 5 minutes each), I might have been tempted to give this 3 stars, in acknowledgement of decent overall quality. As it is, though, I have to go with 2 stars, for too much of a not terrible, but not particularly good (and kind of forgettable and same-y) thing.
Removed Album #38 (List: https://pastebin.com/cSThNiK9) From the Vault #33 (March 21, 2026) Back with yet another pre-written review and a tragic removal from the list. I know who Justin Timberlake is, obviously, but there aren't any songs of his which immediately come to mind - I'm pretty sure his success was relegated to a brief window of the 2000s. I'm certain that his style is acoustic guitar music with contemporary pop songwriting and mastering, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see. Here goes. Turns out I've already heard a quarter of this album and it wasn't the acoustic pop rock music I was expecting. Go figure. The first half is decent, but the remainder of this album goes out to lunch. The vocal hooks aren't there and the minimal, contemporary approach to the instrumentation starts to wear out its welcome after a while. The boy band-y vocals aren't my thing, predictably, and the songs are generally longer than they needed to be. An hour runtime with an average track length of five minutes is brutal. Still, I suppose this wasn't all bad. It's certainly listenable with a few good choices of instrumentation thrown into the mix, especially on "Last Night". I've heard "Senorita" before, though I'm not sure if I'm familiar with the original or one of those radio mashups which blend a bunch of popular songs together. In any case, it's a good song. The vocal melody during the chorus is iconic as well as that outro. The R&B/soul instrumental is minimal, but decent. My beloved cowbell makes a prominent appearance, and the organ gives the song a decent level of kick. The song ends on a bit of an awkward note (I would have been perfectly content with the track fading out on the "it feels like something's heating up" segment), but for a five-minute tune the song carries itself surprisingly well. I've heard "Cry Me a River". It's an Eminem song. The instrumental. The vocal flow. Come on - it's nigh-indistinguishable. Anyways, decent tune. Not as strong as Senorita, but that aforementioned vocal flow is rock solid, both during the verses and chorus. I'm not entirely sure if it's an electronic synth or a backup singer doing the slur bombing, but it sounds like someone is saying nigger over and over again during parts of the chorus. That got a laugh out of me, I won't lie. Heard "Rock Your Body" before, too. Man, this thing is full of hits. My brother used to play this song all the time when he was showering. He probably still does. It's the weakest of the big singles, admittedly. Again, the vocal flow is decent and I like the harmony between Timberlake and that female backing singer, but there's just something flimsy about the music. I chalk it up to the instrumental. A tacky pop rock guitar loop, cymbal clashes, a wobbly bass and some contempop flourishes aren't enough to carry this song across the finish line. Time to figure out why this album was removed from the list. Included in the original 1001 lineup and pulled from the 2008 revision. The book entry says that Timberlake was previously a member of NSYNC. That makes too much sense - I felt compelled to comment on the fact that the vocals sounded like they came from a boy band. Timbaland and The Neptunes produced this album, which also makes sense when considering their other albums that I've listened to. "...[he had] pulled off one the biggest transformations in pop history by managing to keep his teen audience happy, winning support from urban clubs and radio stations, as well as being crowned the new king of pop." "The album's success was partly down to his collaborators' skills, and the poor judgment of the previous king of pop." The book relays the rumor that "Like I Love You" and "Rock Your Body" were originally offered to Michael Jackson, whom the book refers to as "Jacko". Like I said in my review of Thriller, do people actually call him that? Just say MJ. So, why was this album removed? Once again, it boils down to it being an easy target. This era of pop music was incredibly disposable and not very good, even if it did shape the foundation for where popular music would head in the following decades. Fortunately, I'm willing to stick my neck out for this album. Like I said in my review of Baby One More Time, I do think the era of late-90s boy bands and teen pop stars is historically significant, and the list has been pretty tasteful in the amount of representation that has been given thus far. I'm pretty sure it's just this album and Britney Spears' debut, both of which were tragically removed from the list. If it's any consolation, I've now brought back both of these albums from the dead. If this really is the best that late-90s boy bands have to offer, then I happily cosign this inclusion.
This is probably fine for what it is (the production value seems good), but this is not my jam at all. I was glad when it was over even though it didn't strike me as objectively bad. I guess I'm really only a JT guy when he's working with The Lonely Island. 2.4
Number: 214 Familiarity: Aware (2) Rating: 2 Before: ======= Oh lordy! I've had a solid run of 2's and 3's lately. I see another 2 or 3 coming, but I'll try to keep an open mind. During: ======= Woops, looks like the opener is going to be a 2. Maybe even a 1. Yeah, it's a 1. So I had to skip through the first 3 and gave them all a 1. The 4th track Take It From Here is not too bad, it might be a 3. I actually listened to the whole thing. Awe, what the heck, 'll give it a 3 since I was so harsh on the preceding tracks. After : ======= I made it through most of the rest of the songs before skipping to the next. There were a few threes in there so it wasn't so bad. Overall, it balances out as 2.
Yesterday I had Michael Jackson, and today it is an album full of songs that Jackson rejected
Aggressively mediocre. The last song is utter garbage.
DNF. I will throw down any day to “Rock Your Body,” a certifiable modern classic. The rest? All the production firepower of Timbaland and the Neptunes, plus Justin’s good voice, can’t elevate this Velveeta. The first four songs all focus on trying to fuck women at the club. Then he goes into sappy mode with slowed-down r’n’b love songs, whereupon I finally tapped out. I’m being generous with my 2
Bof… très monotone…
At first I thought it sounded alot like Michael Jackson. But the more I listened the less I liked it. I guess it might be good to dance to.
The singles are very nostalgic, wor Justin was everywhere back in the day. They are sort of decent songs I think though hard to be objective. Definitely phoned in for the album tracks I'd say, clear drop off in quality. Why are these mega pop albums always do long? Just put out a tight half hour and it's a much better album. So pretty poor.
Sounds very much of its time. Overproduced, and I have no idea what he's singing about. Senorita, Rock Your Body, and Cry Me A River are all pop classics though, so I can forgive the rest of the album being knock-off versions of all three hits. Nothin' Else is just a version of Rock Your Body. Also the album length is inexcusable.
I once liked this, but this is kind of rubbish actually
Ugh, multiple skips needed. One good track keeps this out of the very bottom, but I'm not even interested to look up the title of that track given the minefield the rest of the album is
not my favorite. dated production made it sound deeply of its time. mostly just made me want to listen to Britney Spears - specifically Blackout, lol. I think I listened to all or most of this album when it came out when I was 12 and have not felt the need to reappraise it since. For good reason, it turns out
half of this is really fun and good. half is syrupy and dull
I am very surprised this album is in the book. It's not like critics liked it and I am not sure if any other artist was inspired by Justified. Individual songs on here inspired other artists, but not necessarily the album as a whole. In fact, this album is more inspired by other artists than it does the inspiring itself. It's not hard to tell many of these tracks were written for Michael Jackson, especially Rock Your Body, and you can feel his influence all over this. As early 2000's R&B goes, this isn't necessarily bad. The songs are longer than they should be and on songs like "Senorita" it seems like he's killing time. Most of the "legacy" reviews seem to say, "This is probably the best debut album by a former boy band member," which isn't really the highest of praise. Timberlake does choose good guest stars that fit the songs. Clipse fits perfectly on "Like I Love You," which also happens to be one of the songs that hangs around for about 40 seconds too long. In fact, I would guess almost every song on here has too much spoken word or repetition at the beginning or end of the song which makes it feel a bit cheesy and/or causes the song to stick around too long. Overall, it's not bad. It is good for a former boy band member. Justin Timberlake has done better work and work that has felt less self-conscious than Justified. You can almost hear him begging for the listener to know he's more than a boy band member. I guess it worked. I did listen to this album back in the early 2000's, but it did not age as well for me. Timbaland's production is great, as always. My favorite songs: Like I Love You (Oh No) What You Got Cry Me a River (still a great song with great keyboards) Last Night (And She Said) Take Me Now Never Again
664/1001 2026.07.23 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑
as an nsync fan i had much higher hopes for this album. did not hit the way it used it. a lot of the songs sounded the same. could have been 20 minutes shorter.
This was so silly
He better worship the ground TImerbland walks on because because he's what makes this half listenable. 3/10
Lol my thoughts exactly. Wanna be MJ
Dude sounds like he’s trying to be a white version of Michael Jackson. But so was Michael Jackson after 1987.
Los sencillos son los que resaltan no veo que sea malo pero son pocas las canciones que resaltan fuera de las conocidas lo mejor del álbum es Timbaland
I was surprised at how many songs I recognized. I didn't hate "Justified", but it does sound dated, and it should have been shorter by at least 3 songs and about 15 minutes.
Highlights: Take It From Here, Last Night. In a nutshell: written for MJ, made by JT et al. Yep. Many of these songs were written with Michael Jackson in mind. Jackson passed on all of them. Justin Timberlake and his collaborators rejigged some things and voila- first solo album. Heavy MJ influence remains (with some Stevie Wonder thrown in), but add more beats. Yet Timberlake doesn't quite go full Robbie Williams here as a post-boy-band-divorce album. This has more swagger and less ego. And better producers: Timbaland and The Neptunes (aka Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo). It shows its age, sure. As a companion piece, go straight to FutureSex/LoveSound. This is where Justin embodies the line "funny a few words turn into sex". Overall: 3/10
Jamais écouté avant. Commençons par une bonne surprise : contrairement à ce que je craignais, et malgré une longueur infinie et complètement injustifiée, l'album n'a pas si mal vieilli et les tubes restent des morceaux efficaces dans le genre pop/R&B massifié sous perfusion de Michael Jackson... Sorti de là, Justified est un album symptomatique de ce moment de la pop music où les artistes sont devenus des vecteurs de la vision commerciale de producteurs plus ou moins talentueux. Ici, on a le droit à une alternance entre les prods rhythm-first et les basses baveuses de Timbaland (deuxième album produit par le monsieur en quelques jours, d'ailleurs, après le Missy Elliott, pour un effet similaire : c'est globalement dégueulasse...) et les inspirations disco/soul rétro (et fatalement nettement plus intéressantes) de The Neptunes. C'est d'ailleurs la voix de Pharrell Williams, la moitié du duo, qui en ouvre le premier morceau, preuve s'il en fallait encore de la prise de contrôle des producteurs sur l'album. N'empêche que je n'y aurais pas cru si on m'avait dit, avant de commencer ce projet, que j'accorderai deux étoiles pour la "valeur historique" d'un album de Justin Timberlake... Top : Rock Your Body Flop : Right for Me
Mixed feelings on this album after reading Britney’s memoir. It’s unfortunate that this album is so boring and the only good song is the one he wrote calling her a crybaby post-breakup. Rock Your Body is good, too.
Didn’t like it then, don’t like it now. Ageless cringe. 2 stars because some of the beats are fun
Music for sleazy assholes but some decent enough pop at times, 3/10.
Justified is how Len Houmous described his treatment of Justin Timberlake in 1996. 2.4 8/13 Last Night
Hrikalega boring plata.
I agree it’s one you must listen to, but kind of depressing that this is the kind of thing turn of the millennium American pop culture was vaulting to the top.
corny af but, I have to say - some songs had good background.
This album is boring af,like two good songs and the rest is filler. It's not bad but goddamn there's almost nothing of worth here
Soooooooo, Justified is the debut album of Justin Timberlake after his departure from N-sync. And the record is very all over the place with it's sound. Aside from a few songs in the beginning, this release is nothing special. Timberlake sounds good on some songs, but others he isn’t interesting enough for 5 minute songs.
Not the worst out there, but doesn't catch me in any real way
Look I respect it, but I definitely don’t like it or this era of pop music. I like Timberlake as a person. He’s funny on SNL when he hosts. Not for me. Couple tracks. 2/5
I recognise all the singles. Some of the cringiest lyrics i’ve ever heard.
Listened more than once during work, some hours later I cannot recall a single sound.
Why is this over an hour??? Timberlake is a much better actor than singer
Meh
It’s what his audience wants, but it’s laughable or cringey most of the time.
I appreciate it's cultural significance and some of the songs are kinda catchy. I was never really a huge fan though.
So white dude sings like black chick. 😑 I guess some people like that, I’m just not one of them.
Not a tremendous fan of Justin or this white boy early noughties r &b. Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body are both decent songs, but that’s about it.
Very poppy and quite a Michael Jackson sound, this isn't my thing, but probably one of the best in brand.
sometimes I was nodding my ahead along with the music, I guess it's fine.
I cannot comprehend how a Justin Timberlake album (any of them at all) made this list. You could've just listed any late 90s R&B album and it would've been both Better and More Fun to listen to. I don't want to listen to this babyface talk about wanting to fuck. Nobody wants that. Can't believe how much airtime so many of these songs got.
Came to this with an open mind but it really isn’t for me. Just a bit boring. Super produced. Bit clean. Cry me a river an interesting track. Got some corners in it. (I know what I mean, like something makes you want to listen a bit closer, zoom in, turn the corner to find out what it is. Nice layering of tracks. Yep it’s a hit so maybe there’s familiarity bias. I don’t think I’d purposefully put this on again. 2.5 feels harsh but true.
I think I’ve given 2 stars to every pop album from this era, but maybe this one will surprise me and deserve less. All the best parts of this album feel like things that didn't quite make it onto N.E.R.D.'s debut record, "In Search Of..." so The Neptunes just used them here. Actually, THAT record should be on this list if we want to give The Neptunes some love. They were really cooking in 2002, and the only reason this album has any residual value. If there's an instrumental-only version of this record, I'd like to listen to that. Fitting that this album ends with "Never Again", as that's exactly how I feel about it.
Cry me a River is s good track. The rest of this album is super lazy.
There was a moment, closer to its release, when I would have rated this pretty highly. Timberlake's voice is very charismatic. The Neptunes and Timbaland's production is infectious. In 2002, this felt like a fireball to pop music in the best way, and those SNL stints bought him a lot of goodwill from people who rolled their eyes at whatever N Sync was. It's not aging well, partly because it sounds so 2002, and partly because Timberlake is undermining his charisma and goodwill at every chance he gets. But the honest reason I'm rating this low is that it comes the day after I was served John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," and this is no "A Love Supreme." And when I say it's no "A Love Supreme," I don't mean it in the Abe-D'Catfish-in-Bojack-Horseman-"because-they-already-made-Casablanca-and-this-is-a-different-movie" kind of way.
Wow this is not for me, just hated this album and I hated the delivery/production so much. It’s not the worst album I’ve heard so far. But it’s definitely in the running. I can concede that “rock your body” is WILDLY catchy. I just hate it, I really wanted to give it a chance, and I feel like I did, but this album is exactly what I hated in grade school/middle school, and that just hasn’t changed. One catchy song can’t stop an album from being this shallow. Also I was sort of irritated with JT, here’s why, I didn’t like it at first, but when the song “right for me” got to the rap near the end, I was sort of woken up over by that rapper, but THERE IS NO FEATURE. Like how is the best part of your song not getting credited with a feature? I can also concede that despite hating the production style, the vast majority of the songs are painfully catchy instrumentally, like the song”let’s take a ride” super catchy little beat in that song. Honestly I think this whole album could’ve been great if there was more variety in vocals, or frankly, just no JT. I might really like it more that way. So the album as a whole did nothing for me but the one track I did save was “let’s take a ride”, make of that what you will.
I just don't enjoy Justin Timberlake and find him to be a culture vulture
This is a pop/R&B album with that early 2000s flavor. It was kind of boring to me because the beat was pretty much the same throughout. The only exception was "Like I Love You". That one sounds the most unique and I recognize it as a radio hit, and it's a decent song.
I actually quite like Justin Timberlake’s music, but I find this album a bit monotonous. Two stars...
Took me back to highschool, outside the singles that are bangers, this is entirely forgettable.
I can't handle vocals that try too hard. And this is basically a Michael Jackson album. Rock Your Body is a good song though.
Before Justin Bieber, there was Justin Timberlake. I would award this album 3 stars, however I’m deducting one for what he did to Britney.
Listened to this the day after watching Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping so may be a little jaded but didn't enjoy this. So many of the songs felt like an endless bridge in search of a melody
idk i just am not really a JT girl. he kinda freaks me out......
JT plays the character of scorned fuckboy on this album that brings together the biggest pop/R&B producers and writers of the era. There are some good tracks but Justin's performance feels gross to me.
I thought I would enjoy this more but it felt like the same one over and over.
I remember when this came out, and how it sounded fresh. Maybe due to the latin vibes it still sounds fresh in many ways, although production is very 00's. Ok pop, but no songs that would resonate to me. That's why only 2 stars.
Tää ei taaskaan ollut mun juttu. Kuuntelin läpi, mutta ei tästä jäänyt mitään käteen.
A few good tracks but the rest just sounds like filler from a mediocre Michael Jackson album
Just stick a screwdriver in my ear please! Nothing worse than a rich white kid trying to sound like he grew up in the inner city.
2002 review....I really like it, makes me want to get up and dance. He is so cute and Brittney did him wrong. He has a great voice and the production is awesome. 4/5 2026 review....ummm its catchy, Pharrell really knows how to write a catchy dance song and produce an album. Did Brittney really do him wrong or were they just young kids and he exploited her in a time when everyone thought he could do no wrong? Because your track record of being an advocate for females (justice for Janet) isn't great and would lead me to think you just figured out how to make yourself a bigger star. You are a bomb dancer but so were the other four guys you rose to fame with. Beyond the radio hits, I was bored 2.5/5 2002 Justin didn't know better and was living in a world that helped him thrive and he might not have known it. 2026 Justin is still living in a world that helps him thrive but now he knows it but acts like he (and he alone) are the reasons he is famous. The title of the albums seems to say it all....Justified, he feels Justified and I am not sure he should
I got tired of this album 3/4 of the way through it. Not horrible but monotonous. Two stars.
I tried. But soooo dull, soooo long.
Just seems like a playboy boy, without much depth, and without the ability to transcend like Michael had.
Great voice and production, but, like all the 00s pop on this list, it’s about 2 or 3 songs too long. So much filler.
firi firi
this was definitely cooler back in 2002, not so much these days
You know what. I was looking forward to this one but it really doesn't hold up well. Very dated.
The inclusion of this on this list has aged like milk. Don't get me wrong I like pop through the ages - a good pop single fine, cry me a river and rock your body are ok. But an album, 60 minutes of this, messed up my morning. My thoughts have all been said in the reviews already; M Jackson obsession, popular white boy, competent production. Fairly vapid, paper thin if well made pop, too long to maintain any quality. And as I'm not a fan of Jacksons brand of pop, no, I didn't need to hear this. Edit the book and take it out. 2 Star
Fine
The mixing/production overall is pretty good, and is definitely the main positive of the album. The backing has some real punch, "Right For Me" and "Senorita" being key examples. Musically, the main interest for me comes from the fact that several tracks make heavy use of beatbox/a capella style for pretty much all of the backing. I actually find it quite cringe inducing, personally, but I didn't even particularly notice it when this album actually came out, so that's obviously a modern reflection on the music. Lyrically, it's pretty terrible. The album goes on for way too long. It's boring. Pretty unimaginative. As far as singer/songwriter albums go, it's pretty crap - Justin's voice isn't terrible, but there's only 1 song ("Never Again") where it really felt like it was properly showcased. Production scores some points, but not enough to save it from a 2.
Hade nog bara hört hitsen innan men nä, det här hade jag inte behövt lyssna på.
⭐️⭐️
I will say this: this album made me miss a time when you had to have knockout singing ability to be a pop star. I also admit that I really like quite a few Justin Timberlake songs. None of them are on this album, though. I don’t hate this, but I don’t think it needs to be on here when JT has at least two albums that are much better.
Rating solely based on nostalgia factor. Some of these are soooo cringe, looking back. We thought they were so cooll lolllll
Missed opportunity for him to call this album “justinified”
I’m not listening to an hour of this as my 100th album
I tried, I really tried.
I really don't think this album belong to this 1001 albums list. + Pharrel and Timbaland are clear step up from Max Martin (and *nsync) for me + Senorita, Rock your body and Like I love you are good singles and first 2 were on heavy rotation in nightclubs back in the day. - Other than those few songs, I don't think this is really that good album
Just sort of corny tbh 4.1/10
Rock your body and cry me a river and a bunch of crap
man this is uneven
Pop. Not my thing.
Cry Me A River is a banger. There are also a couple of other good songs on the album. The production is stellar. However, there is just too much filler to justify the 1 hour plus running time. And Still on My Brain might be in my bottom 10 songs ever
Meeh
R&B. Is it Justin Timberlake or is it Michael Jackson? Apparently the producers of just over half of the tracks on this album used songs that were rejected by Michael Jackson. Sounds like any of the other many R&B albums from this period, not bad, but nothing exciting.
Sibling unnecessarily and repetitive, find something else to sing about matey.
Ok, it wasn't all bad. But Jesus Christ that "sexy" voice he does makes my skin want to jump off of my body. This was hard to listen to at times, I'm sure it's just dated, but quit calling me "mami" Justin
I’ve probably said it too many times to bear repeating but the list just misses my tastes again. They could have chosen Timberlake’s very solid sophomore effort, FutureSex/LoveSounds. Instead they choose his lackluster, uneven debut. Admittedly the actual quality of the production is on point. I haven’t looked it up but it sounds like Pharrell Williams and/or The Neptunes at their height of influence. The songs are mostly unremarkable and the last song (Never Again?) is unforgivably cheesy and has no place on this album at all. Try again list.
A collection of well produced tracks with JT singing over them. I don’t love JT’s voice, but he can sing well. I feel like this is more of a “party album” or something than any sort of contribution to the musical arts.
Listening in 2026, this sounds so dated. It's corny, tries too hard with thr "hello ladies" vibe and the Timbaland production is banal. "Rock Your Body" is okay, "Like I Love You" is catchy and "Cry Me A River" is passable pop (if a bit overplayed at this point), but the rest is nothing special. "Take It From Here" is an early nadir from which the album struggles to recover. This is not groundbreaking or even that good. JT's follow up album was far more revolutionary and easily deserves a spot on this list.
huh. the call and response is certainly something. what else does Mr JD have for me? Well i like the way you move. some moments sparked joy. But overall, didnt feel particulary groovy nor tapped into his vibe. A one and done, with rare revisitation to the hits.
There’s undeniably a couple bops in here. Not what I really fancy listening to a whole hour of though.
Just not a pop music person, not something I would actively seek out to listen to, some classic commercial hits for the supermarket aisle
Not bad in places but not good either
not even the neptunes can save this slimy comphet ass album. I'm glad we've left this era behind
Very meh, and unremarkable. Not necessarily bad, but very little that pulls me in. Typical of the time period.
Record feels flat and boring. Also pretty dark sounding. Lacking life.
I'm right in line with everyone on this one. Great production, sounding like MJ but missing it badly, getting dull fast.
I can't imagine anyone other than teenagers actually enjoying this music and I think people usually like JT's early albums like this because of nostalgia from their youth. I didn't grow up listening to this so for me it's just bad. He uses a lot of falsetto in a tone that I really don't enjoy and the lyrics make me cringe a bit. Overall, I just can't take this music seriously and one hour feels very long. The production of the album and backing tracks actually seem decent though. I don't have a problem with that aspect.
Boy, did he have a lot to say on this album.
Listening to Justified now is a real trip down memory lane, but also a bit cringe-worthy. The Neptunes and Timbaland still make some killer beats from that early 2000s era, but the whole album feels like he was trying to be the next Michael Jackson, you know? It did a good job breaking away from the boy band image, but it relied a lot on stuff that already existed. The singles are still bangers, but the lyrics and the whole vibe is kind of embarrassing now, such as the call and response part in "Senorita" and the beatboxing in "Rock Your Body" not to mention the connotations of the whole "get you naked by the end of this song" line and his appearance at the SuperBowl with Janet Jackson... Overall, the album hasn't aged well. It's got a bunch of filler and feels a bit empty, even though it's super polished. It was a big deal back then, but now it just feels stuck in 2002. It's more of a time capsule of radio friendly pop than something that's really special. It just feels like a product.
This sounds like a high priced project with top end producers of its time used to prop up a budding pop star with above average vocals. I guess it’s a quintessential 2000s pop album. Funny note: when they were making this, JT was listening to Earth, Wind and Fire with Pharrell and was like “they never heard a white boy sing like this before”😂😂 With that said, Cry Me A River will always be a pop staple, while Señorita, Like I Love You, Rock Your Body were all big hits at the time (another fun fact: Rock Your Body was originally for Michael Jackson, who turned it down). While there are some catchy songs, this album in general is lukewarm… Justin Timberlake’s singing and dancing always underwhelmed me.
That would have been the best rockbuster if he didn't say river.
While I can appreciate his talent, this is just not my cup of tea. I'd be interested in trying a more recent album to see if perhaps there are any stylistic changes I might like.
Tässä on jotain hassulla tavalla nostalgista vaikka en oikeestaan oo Timberlakea kuunnellut. Pari biisiä tältä levyltä on tosi tuttuja jostain yläasteajoilta ja niitä luukutin sillon paljon 😅 Ei kyl muuten oikeen toimi.
To me it is a pop album which tries to be more than that in a lot of different directions, but failing in all of them as well. The end result therefore is an album with little to no direction. 2/5
Seems more appealing to teenagers
Was never a fan of the guy's music but I won't deny his talent. Still, this is an above-average 00s pop album at best.
A moment to gripe: I've heard five albums by/with women in over fifty albums and this broccoli-headed, genre-robbing twerp lands a spot with Justified? Sigh. I don't really have beef with JT. The production is good, and I respect that he writes his own music. There are lots of reasons to include albums on this list. I suppose if you were feeling uninspired and trawling the Billboard Top 100 for ideas for your exceptionally long list, you might pick this for being slightly more interesting than other popular aughts albums. Timberlake is similar to Taylor Swift in that they both know how to write a popular song and be a star, but their commercial success is not a direct reflection of their musical abilities. Oh, to be a young, beautiful product supported by the machine.
This album is cheese. JT singing about banging for an hour doesn't do it for me. He's kinda whiny on this album and I dislike parts of tracks where he talks to the audience. I know this was a big album back in the 2000s, but I don't think it's aged particularly well, nor is it anything I really want to listen to again. Everyone knows "Cry Me a River" but everything else on this album has rightfully faded into obscurity. 2/5
Didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would but not my thing
The best songs reminded me of boring Michael Jackson songs.
Overall: 4/10 Despite a few catchy songs, I just found this to be way too corny for my tastes. Justin has nice voice and the production is good, but it's very 2000's. Fav Song: Rock Your Body
Meh. But a lot of meh. Almost an overabundance of meh, but it doesn't even do that.
This was amazingly front-loaded. When I saw Justin pop up I figured I would be rating this low. However, the first twenty minutes or so took me down nostalgia alley, and I was even considering giving this four stars. Then it took a dramatic slide to slushy filler for the last 20-30 minutes, and so I'm going with two stars.
Bye, bye byyyyye…. Oops wrong entity.
Sorry JT…
2.5/5
2.1 It's just pretty shite isn't it. It's not too offensive to my ears though, which is why it doesn't keep into the 1 territory. And Rock Your Body is a legit good song, good beat, although the last minute was very unnecessary. Let the song close out man. But the rest... Eesh. Cross between a rip off of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, with a Latin twist. There's nothing really endearing about it. Really don't think everyone must listen to it, maybe as a time capsule of early 2000s pop, but I swear we've had that in doses already (Britney, Christina etc.)
Boy band, solo breakout. Decent vioce for boy band sound. Some good songs. Known for his erratic behavior that’s hurt his career.
This score is justified. 2/5
Some nice moments but in the end not my stuff. Might be nice for people who like pop.
I don't want to listen to this, but I'm going to do it out of obligation. This is a tough listen. Modern pop-y Justin Timberlake is so much better than this. It's really cringy. The lyrics are like what high schoolers when I was growing up would think is sexy. It's really well produced, but if you shine shit, you just have shiny shit. I don't think this is shit, but it's not far off. Favorite Song(s): Still on My Brain
Good for what it was, good dance music of its time. Dated, but those songs kind of hold up. Rock Your Body is still catchy. The slow songs are bad and it would have been a better album half as long without them.
JT was able to gaslight us as a society into not realizing how much a lame dweeb he is for like 15 years and this album was a big part of that. There's a few really solid singles on this thing that certainly helped. But once again, the dreaded CD album length curse rears it's ugly head. An hour of this is a bit much.
Timberlake is okay for pop, but that isn't saying much.
Justified (2002) is Justin Timberlake debut solo album recorded during a hiatus from NSYNC which became indefinite as his solo career took off. When Justified was released he was only 21 but had already released four albums with NSYNC. Justified is a contemporary R&B album, which isn’t a genre that I’m particularly into. Timberlake, who had started out as a child star on the Disney channel was keen pivot his career away from Disney / Boy Band sensibilities into a more mature R&B style. I understand why a 21 year old heartthrob would want to release an album focussed on themes of lust, love and heartbreak and I’m sure his audience lapped it up, but a lot of it is quite cringe. There are two standout singles ‘Cry Me a River’ and ‘Rock Your Body’ both of which reached number two in the UK singles chart. ‘Cry Me a River’ is a whiny, but very catchy song, reputed to be about his break-up with Britney Spears. ‘Rock Your Body’ is the highlight of the album - it’s a very funky R&B track that just makes you want to dance. The rest of the album doesn’t do much for me. In places he sounds like a Michael Jackson wannabe, in others like a watered down Stevie Wonder. Not an album I’d go out of my way to listen to again, but I will pop ‘Rock Your Body’ onto my five star songs playlist. I do feel a bit mean to Jeff Beck in retrospect for also rating his album Truth 2 out of 5. I guess I should explain that I am rating these albums as I experience them in the moment, not ranking them against each other. Disk 1: Señorita - 2/5 Like I Love You (featuring Clipse) - 3/5 (Oh No) What You Got - 2/5; Take It from Here - 1/5; Cry Me a River - 4/5 Rock Your Body - 5/5 Nothin’ Else - 1/5; Last Night - 1/5; Still on My Brain - 2/5 (And She Said) Take Me Now (featuring Janet Jackson) - 2/5 Right for Me (featuring Bubba Sparxxx) - 2/5; Let’s Take a Ride - 1/5; Never Again - 1/5
It must have been hard to justify the inclusion of that album in the book
I really don't see the point of having this here, but hey it wouldn't be the first time either.
Another soundtrack for a early 2000s dance movie.
Don’t mind some JT first half of album is bangers , love you like you do soon as it kicks in with that pharell Williams drum groove immediately funky and catchy , senorita. A clubbing classic , rock your body great hook and bass line but felt the other half fell short of the song quality quite a lot
Pretty cheesy to be honest 1 or 2 semi good songs but it does drag at you after a while
There is something un-enduring about this record.
Wanted to hate it, then thought it was okay, then it got old quickly. Too long, and JT is pretty smooth on some tracks, but extremely annoying on others.
Just cry, not because it was good, but because it was terrible and I hope to never hear this album again.
It's good for the hits, but the rest is dated and unmemorable. Nothing worth going back to.
2/5
It was as bad as I expected.
It's all a bit desperate and the album now sounds dated and like something that's more of a footnote than something that had any lasting impact. Even on its own terms it's not great. The constant aping Michael Jackson just highlights that he's not on the same level. As it goes on the album drags more and more. The songwriting isn't up to much (your out of this world, but you're not green is one of the worst lines I've heard).
What a try-hard
That’s not more than a 2. Boring pop.
Everything about this album being on this list makes me tired. It's another f'ing 2* that I'm too tired to replace. I'm too tired to rate another 2* - it's not terrible, it's not good, and it's not something anyone HAS to listen to before they die. So, it's a 2, and I'm done.
It's fine. Having this against a Michael Jackson album did no favors for my opinion of this one. Not hating but none of his good stuff is on this album.
Wasn’t a fan of this in 2002, and I’m still not in 2026
I don’t feel justified to enjoy this 2/5 because a few of the singles are solid
I don't know anything about '00s music, but my impression is that this style became possible thanks to new computer-based production technology. I would describe it as a fusion of elements from pop, rap, maybe R&B, with a modern-sounding (for 2002) digital polish. However, the shiny cool sound does not justify the absence of actual content. I cannot remember any of the melodies, and the vibe is so bland there is little difference between the love songs and the heartbreak songs.
Well... No, thanks
Surprised how how badly written so many of these songs are, even for the time. It's not 1 star bad, but just generally disappointing. People really heard Senorita and were like yeah, give me 60 more minutes of this.
Generic, radio friendly pop music.
I know why it was here because at the time this album was raved about as a return to classic soul but it comes of like a white dude trying to mimic Stevie Wonder on a lot of the songs. There’s a reason they released the four songs as singles they did, because the rest are not nearly as good. This hasn’t aged well at all, just like Justin himself. I’d probably give it a 2.5 if I could because two seems too harsh but it definitely doesn’t merit a 3 star review, so be it.
Contemporary R&B, as a genre, rarely resonates with me. It is entirely a matter of personal taste rather than a critique of the musicianship or production values, both of which are often excellent, but the genre simply fails to elicit a positive listening experience for me. Put simply, it does not thrill me. The few exceptions occur only when a track veers toward the pop end of the spectrum. Consequently, I find Justified to be a two-star album; it fails to leave a lasting impression and leaves me somewhat nonplussed. While there are a few bright moments, there is nothing here that compels me to revisit the record as a whole. Finally, as someone who grew up buying vinyl, I place a high value on album art. Given the importance of this release, Timberlake’s definitive breakout as a solo artist, is this really the best they could do? It is quite frankly appalling. 1 "Señorita" (2/5) 2 "Like I Love You" (featuring Clipse) (3/5) 3 "(Oh No) What You Got" (3/5) 4 "Take It from Here" (2/5) 5 "Cry Me a River" (3/5) 6 "Rock Your Body" (3/5) 7 "Nothin' Else" (2/5) 8 "Last Night" (3/5) 9 "Still on My Brain" (2/5) 10 "(And She Said) Take Me Now" (featuring Janet Jackson) (2/5) 11 "Right for Me" (featuring Bubba Sparxxx) (2/5) 12 "Let's Take a Ride" (2/5) 13 "Never Again" (2/5) Total - 31 Average - 2.38 239/1001 132/239 albums reviewed were new to me.
#845. All of these Y2K pop albums just didn't age well, did they? 2/5: meh
Lowkey calculated.
‘Cry me a River’ and ‘Rock Your Body’ were the hits here, but many of the other tracks were quite awful. Overlong and a chore to make it through for me, didn’t really have the patience for this. I won’t say that JT has no talent and no business being as big a star as he is, but this album was lacking.
The album's as bland as I expected. Half of the songs were clones of each other. The closer tries to differentiate itself from the rest of "Justified" with a piano accompaniment. Whose idea was it for Justin Timberlake to rap (badly) in "Right for Me"? "Cry Me a River" was the only great song from the album. 2 stars for "Justified".
Former Mouseketeer desperately wants to be taken seriously, so his music is now aimed at teens instead of preteens. This album is competently made, but there's just no soul or feeling. It's white boy R&B made in a lab to be popular. The copy of the book I own is the 2018 edition, which does not include this album, so I can't even try and glean insight as to why this record is included. My best guess is that since it's JT's first solo project, critics found it notable. Unfortunately, there is nothing here that is new interesting if you already listen to other R&B acts of the time. Bush era pop music is a special kind of shallow hell. It's all style over substance and this album is no different.
Overall Rating - 2.46/5 (4.92/10). Forgettable, White-Boy Rap, mostly.
Basically over produced, soulless pop music. Has a couple of catchy songs but for the most part it felt like a $ grab
You put THIS ALBUM and not “FutureSex/LoveSound”?? The album that literally shaped sound of last half of a decade, and inspired direction for pop/rnb in 10s? The album that have 6 huge Top40 singles, 3 of em that known and loved even to this day? I mean… it’s a choice, it’s a choice.
Nothing against JT, only a couple songs from this album really caught my attention. I do still like Cry me a River though
Hadn't noticed the Another One Bites the Dust drumming around midway through Rock Your Body. Nothin' Else: I like the ominous tune of the verses; they also made me think of Paint It Black. "You're out of this world except you're not green" is hilarous too. Nothing too standout aside from the famous ones and Last Night, which has a really cute hook...okay just got to the end of the song...he manages to ruin it in the last five minutes with that cringe haha. Actually a lot of them have good hooks, but the tunes all end up being very similar to eachother. Unexpected sweet, slow, piano, violin last one though! Really nice.
2+/5 There is some great early 00s nostalgia on here, but outside the singles, the album is pretty empty.
This is going to ruin the tour
Does anyone else find the Neptunes’ production just so repetitive and boring?? These overproduced albums with JT squawking away like he wants to be MJ just does nothing much for me. Even the ‘hits’ (Cry Me A River, Rock Your Body) are pretty dull in my eyes. The man is clearly talented, but just not my cup of tea
Die Klassiker sind richtig toll, Balladen bisl meh und vieles irgendwie nervig es fehlen immer die Mitten. Aber die Klassiker richtig toll. Album Brauch ich nicht aber die Singles sind top. Trotzdem nur 2/5 weil Singles Yes Rest no
I know he’s talented, but this isn’t my thing.
3/10 - Meh, bland 2000’s pop.
This is #day521 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… this kind of pop and R&B was absolutely everywhere in the early '00s, when TV and radio were kings. You definitely don't have to hear this record before you die (no wonder it eventually got dropped from the list), unless your childhood years fell in the '00s and you feel like crying yourself a river over being old. This is a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day522.
justin is definitely not doing any heavy lifting on this album like the songs are not bad but they don't fit him at all. i guess it's the effect of the 20 years that have passed since the release the songs are sooooo long too i was bored by the end
Justin has a lot of talent and a good voice. This just personally isn't an album I would ever turn to. I think he does best with the poppier hits vs. the slower ballads. 4.5/10 (2.25/5)
Why is this album so frickin long at least it was better than terrible. An hour of white girl music made by a white boy doesn't get you very far in my book.
2.5
My partner bought this when it came out and I asked her to only play when I wasn’t in! It’s not that bad but not really my bag. I think Trousersnake is a better actor than popstar!
Two really fun songs surrounded by a lot of forgettable and underbaked filler. Has a touch of maturity that is fun to hear, but a lot of the tracks feel like they needed extra production or innovation to stand out more. Not a coincidence that the pop-ier songs stand above the rest. Top tracks: Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body
Hadn't realised be was inspired by Michael Jackson, but upon listening it's clear.
No matter how hard it tries, this album cannot convince me that JT is either cool or sexy
I think we've extended far too much grace to Pharell Williams based on his Random Access Memories appearances, and by we I mean me specifically because this is probably not a widespread problem. at any rate he needs to be stopped the reviews on this site for this album are so smug and pretentious I kind of want to bump it up a point it is not a good sign when Rock Your Body is the best song on a CD and wow it gets even whinier and shittier than Cry Me A River I know everybody waited until Man of the Woods to clown on this dude but we waited too long
Another I had to break down track by track to evaluate: Señorita 1 Like I Love You 4 (Oh No) What You Got 2 Take It from Here 3 Cry Me a River 4 Rock Your Body 4 Nothin’ Else 1 Last Night 2 Still on My Brain 2 (And She Said) Take Me Now 1 Right for Me 1 Let’s Take a Ride 2 Never Again 2 Avg 2.23 Overall a pretty inconsistent album with a weak end. Several bops toward the beginning which were great and I loved the Clipse feature, but not Justin's strongest work (though he made it in 6 weeks which is crazy). 2.2/5 -> 2/5
Passt mir persönlich überhaupt gar nicht. Als Album geht es noch halbwegs innerhalb des Stils. Aber ist auch schlecht gealtert.
Not my thing.
Conocía un par de canciones que fueron hits, pero mentiría si dijera que este álbum no se me hizo pesadísimo. Canción tras canción, esto fue convirtiéndose en una tortura que se sintió como mil eternidades. No era fan de Timberlake, pero ya escuchando un disco suyo completo, confirmo que su vocecita aguda me crispa los nervios. Eso sí, buena producción del álbum.
I like Justin Timberlake and accept that he’s an exceptional performer. That said, the music on this album is mostly forgettable and boring, and him performing it vastly exceeds the experience of just listening to and/or receiving it. Its inclusion here did trigger a thought project for me about what pivot he could have made to improve what is already an established career and legacy. I mean, his DWI didn’t help, but I think he was on a downward trajectory anyway because he has not done anything interested in a long time. I wonder if mining the experience of being a father would have been productive. (Maybe he did, I don’t listen closely to his stuff.) Fatherhood has its own range of emotions, none of which are present here or on any of his other stuff I’ve heard. I don’t know.
Much like Christina Aguilera's Stripped and Amy Winehouse's Frank, this album was only on the book's first edition and immediately replaced by the artist's follow-up in the second edition. So I wouldn't say the inclusion is very... ahem... Justified. Musically, this is pretty standard, maybe slightly above-average, early 00's R&B-influenced pop. Lots of the kinds of beats Timbaland and The Neptunes pioneered, both even have production credits on some of the songs here, while the former would become Timberlake's main collaboration on his next, and much better, three albums. Key tracks: Señorita Like I Love You Cry Me a River Rock Your Body (the McDonald's song "I'm Lovin' It" was also a single at the time but is not on here.)
С нептунсами связка имхо нерабочая. А вот с тимбелендом сочные трэки, и следующий альбом это подтверждает.
Most of the lyrics are cringy. I feel like a creep listening to it. Pharrell Williams salvages this album from being a one. I can’t give it more than a 2 when it makes me feels embarrassed to listen to it.
Famous pop album, but I didn't find anything particularly special about it.
meh
As a self-professed music fan, as crazy as it may sound, I've never deliberately listened to a Justin Timberlake song. Turns out he's not very good. One big parallel can be drawn with Frank Ocean: both artists have a jumble of musical elements that *should* be cause for great music, but then they just... don't sound good. I thought, hoped, that Señorita would be the only offender and it's all uphill from there. Like I Love You is certainly better, featuring a repetitive but nifty acoustic guitar lick and an extremely 2000s-typical vocal delivery. It's nostalgic, it's fun, it mostly uses octave-harmonising (lazy, but passable. A product of the time). Later, Cry Me a River boasts a strong melody and a fun delivery that doesn't kiss MJ's ass quite as much as other tracks. Rock Your Body, the biggest hit here, reads like an off-brand Another One Bites The Dust, but it's also pretty catchy. Never Again looks underappreciated – it's the only track with good piano, yet it has the least streams – so I've giving it a shoutout too. I'm skeptical of a white artist making heavy use of AAVE. It rubs me the wrong way. Some of this music definitely hasn't aged well – just like Eminem's delivery and lyrics from the same period. Though Timberlake is far less egregious than Eminem in the lyrical department. The material on Justified is written and delivered a lot like MJ's 80s material, but unfortunately this guy's clearly not up to the task. Take Off The Wall, Thriller, and Bad... and then Justified. Blech. I mean, it's not actively bad – so there isn't reason for a 1-star rating – but it's so inferior to the music it's trying to emulate that its rating has to suffer by principle. Oh, yeah, and it's about 20 minutes too long. Albums average 40 minutes in length for a reason. 2/5 Key tracks: Like I Love You, Cry Me a River, Never Again
It has two solid bangers and the rest are all over the place
No.
This is an exhausting listen. You get a few singles that remind you this is Justin Timberlake, but the filler is brutal. WE 👏 DON'T 👏 NEED 👏 FIVE 👏 MINUTE 👏 POP 👏 SONGS 👏👏 It’s all style with absolutely no substance. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Cry Me a River - Rock Your Body
Timberlake has a great voice, but this era of music was not my favorite.
This album was not made for me. That said, “Cry Me a River” is a great pop song
Great artist but 2 to 3 songs from him is more than enough. Other than “rock your body” and “cry me a river” it all just kind of ran together
Har jo noen bangers. Men føles dated.
I’m not saying Timberlake doesn’t deserve an album on the list, but it should be FutureSex/LoveSounds. If that one is on the list…well, I’m sorry, but he doesn’t deserve two albums on the list. (Personally, I prefer 20/20 Experience over either, but it should still be only FutureSex on the list)
OK album. So 2 stars. Why not 1 star? I'm going to assume that this is really good for those that like this genre. The production value was there. So was the cultural appropriation. I just don't see how this is one of the 1001. To me, it was a wasted hour.
Not my kind of music, just pure dance pop, completely disposable
Don't really need anything besides the singles off this album. It's well produced but has a lot of boring songs on it. Cry me a River and Rock Your Body are alright, the rest I don't care about all that much. Just really not my thing and not good enough to sway me from thinking otherwise.
some singles were cool, the rest of the album is boooring
Good, but far from great. It’s not a great candidate for this list really. Nothing original going on here, but some catchy tunes all the same. It was everywhere for a while, but not listened to it in a long time. Which says a lot really. 2.5
For those who complain about too much Brit-pop, this is retribution. This has no appeal. It's painfully bland, and cheezy.
I quite liked Take It from Here, Nothin' Else and Still On My Brain. The last two of those remind me of Stevie Wonder. Never Again is quite nice as well. I never liked the hits very much. Rock Your Body is definitely the best one of those.
Pas hyper fan de R&B, toujours un peu pareil et des sonorités qui me touchent pas trop. Cry me a river la plus connue mais pareil j'y suis pas trop sensible
They call him Timberlack. Timber Timber Timberlake. Really? Please don't put me in the ground yet. I haven't heard 2002's megahit album "Justified" by Justin Timerlake.
This is going to ruin the tour
It wasn't a bad album. However.....that's about all that I can say for it. It all sounded the same to me and nothing made it memorable for me. "Dick in a Box" might be the best thing that he's done.
There's a lot to commend about rejected latter-day Michael Jackson tracks sung by a highly punchable douche-bro but you won't find those commendations here.
One great song.
If the album ended after Rock Your Body, it would be considered a decent effort. What follows is 7 songs that sound pretty similar and seem to never end. This album is at least 30-35 minutes too long. Unfortunately, JT is not MJ.
While there are good songs on this, this does not feel like a Justin Timberlake album so much as a "Everyone we can convince to sing with Timberlake to fill out this" album.
2000s "R&B" (heavy on the air quotes) was a crime against humanity. But I'll still give it an extra star because it's kind of a catchy crime against humanity.
I can barely tolerate Michael Jackson so this had no chance. 2 stars or D+.
Maybe a couple songs that were hits, but seemed to be a lot of filler for an album that was over an hour long. Because of this, I will say 2.5 - round down.
He's super talented but this was too much of a Michael copy. Didn't need to be on the list.
"Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body" are both fine, it's clear why those were the singles from this album. The rest of this one is decidedly meh. Every song is 5 minutes long and super repetitive, which I guess is probably good for dance music in a club, but is tedious to listen to straight through. I was never a Justin Timberlake fan, even though I was smack dab exactly in his target demographic when he was at his peak.
Blind album, know the artist by name and his recent DUI lmao. Completely forgot this dude got famous from NSYNC, and then completely forgot that I am not really a fan of him or the band.
Blue-eyed pop R&B with strong whiffs of Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. It’s well produced and arranged, as you’d expect from a guy with Timberlake’s star power, and there are a couple interesting songs. But overall, it feels colored by that vapid tabloid-party nip-slip ethos of its era and feels dated. I was already too old for that scene when this came out and if I’m going for turn-of-the-millennium soul, I’m putting on D’Angelo or Erykah Badu.
Boy band member goes solo. The vocals started sounding similar out of the gate, and reminded me of MJ. I am not a fan of JT overall, but some of the 2002 lyrics gave me cringe. Listened before? Not the entire album, but I am familiar with several tracks Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Take It from Here. ⭐⭐ Didn't hate it. Didn't like it. Saved no tracks.
I like the strings on Take It From Here. Lyrics are meh when they're not cringe. An hour of this is too long. At least I got to skip Cry Me a River and Right For Me because I cannot listen to the mouth sounds. Thanks, misophonia! /s Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
Less welcome soundtrack to my younger years, I like about four moments on the album - feels way too long for a pop album and a little too much 'new MJ' for the noughties. That bridge/hooky extra verse on Rock your body though - magnifique...
Midway through the second song my girlfriend and I said at the same time, "This sounds just like Michael Jackson." And that comparison never stopped throughout the album. As others have noted, there is one very good song and it's Cry Me A River. It's the only one that sounds different and seems to be want to more than just an MJ clone. This isn't a bad album, but it's not one of the ones I needed to listen to before I die. There's a part of me that feels this deserves a three star rating, but the fact that every song is at least four and a half minutes long (way too long IMO) and the album is over an hour long will drop it to a two.
not in 1.000.000.000.000.001
Surprisingly decent, with some innovative production, but should have ended about 30 minutes sooner.
Not my fave.
Сольный дебют ДжейТи — темпоритический бардачок, который пускай и запустит будущую коллабу Тимберлейка с Тимбалэндом, но сам по себе лично меня не увлёк ни продакшеном, ни вайбом, ни исполнением.
Alright so this album has one actually perfect song (Cry Me A River, obviously) and Pharrell sure knows what he’s doing. Otherwise it’s probably the worst era of Justin Timberlake and feels kind of shallow and slick.
I legit fell asleep halfway through this. What did I miss? Probably nothing, I felt like I was having a stroke with those songs near the end.
Very dull as an album but, although they're not my cup of tea, the singles are competent pop songs I'd give it 1.5 if it were possible but 1 feels harsh
This album is overlong and the songs are pretty derivative of early 2000s pop R&B. But it doesn’t have a raft of huge hit singles and solid pop production. Not my cup of tea though
JT gets a high 2 from me I loved the 4 singles, some of the pop music I loved even in my early twenties which was rare and sounds just as good today. I only liked 2 of the album tracks, leaving 7 which passed me by or actually annoyed me. This album is a great example of why I struggled to get into pop music in the 2000s and early 2010s, I’m firmly an album person and pop stars just weren’t delivering full albums of good music
2002 - when the producer was king. 20 years on this feels very overcooked.
very 2000s
Why is this on the list? Almost all of this music is completely disposable. I will say, the production’s pretty good and I do like Rock Your Body, but most of this is subpar songwriting with a singing voice that constantly teeters between decent and insufferable. All the spoken bits make me want to slam Justin Timberlake’s face into a table, I can’t stand his speaking voice. I could feel my brain turning into mush towards the end of the album. The record isn’t entirely unenjoyable, but the parts I like are few and far between. 2/5
Not my cup of tea, it sounds like a dirtier version of Michael Jackson with lesser beats. The kids must have loved it at the time.
This wasn't that bad. Perfectly good for what it is. The singles are obvious highlights, but the album soon becomes quite samey and directionless. Not necessary to hear before death, by any means.
too long, -1
shut up ramen boy
Man, for a dude who was probably getting laid plenty, he sure sounds in this one like a dude who's desperate to get laid.
There are some jams on here from a production perspective, from Timbaland and others... I feel like this album dates itself moreso than the one with SexyBack on it.
2/5 kind of annoying pop.
Some of the songs are catchy, but there's a good amount of cringe in here too. Enough that it makes me uncomfortable listening. It's not as good as Madvillainy.
not even his best album. Fuck this, what the fuck, who needed to hear this?????
I prefer the FutureSex 20/20 stuff
It’s a pop album. It’s fine.
If a cumsock came to life and decided to make an album, this is the album it would make. Except even a sentient cumsock would probably think 63 minutes was taking the piss a bit.
The album starts strong but whimpers off.
Good producing, not my style as I can't stand R'nB. But kuddos to the guy for bouncing up after his boy's band and the carrer that we know.
Lol… seriously? The only thing saving this album is The Neptunes, they carried the production and wrote half the songs, like “Rock Your Body.” Meanwhile, I’m just wondering why N.E.R.D’s In Search of…, which dropped right before, isn’t on this list instead. Way more deserving. Without them, Justin’s debut would have been pure generic music. With them playing Cyrano, though, he ends up with one of the best pop records of the early 2000s. On his side, Justin looks good on the cover and dances well in videos, which is basically what people expected from him anyway.
I found out I don't really care for JT. Apart from "Cry Me a River", not a big fan of the rest.
The only Justin Timberlake album that deserves to be on here is FutureSex/LoveSounds, which is legitimately a 5 star album. It really did something and influenced pop music in a big way at the time. His debut, in comparison, is boring. Even without comparing it to future albums of his, this is nothing special. It's way too long, and "Cry Me A River" has not aged well. The singles are okay, but beyond that nothing stands out. It's all kind of corny and cringe. Really not sure how this album ended up on the list.
What a whiny dork this guy comes across here. Another prime example of how so much from the early 2000’s should just stay in the early 2000’s. Yea, sure his voice is fine and some of the beats are ok but there is so much filler on this. People bending over backwards telling Justin just how great it all is and then we end up with an hour of mostly bullshit. Just Take it From Here is the steamiest pile of garbage I’ve ever heard. “I wanna be your Broadway show on review. “Why?” So I can act out how god was when he made you.” Almost had to pull over and barf on the side of the 401 when I heard that song. I get R&B isn’t for me, I mostly hate it but this is trash right? I want to give it a 1 but I’ll be fair bc the best on Dork Your Body is pretty good. 2 stars
I've never been much of a fan of Justin's music. In fact, I've always said that he should have concentrated on comedy, where I think he is really truly talented. But, keeping an open mind while listening to this, I have to concede that he (along with the Neptunes) does indeed have some good songwriting chops. "Senora" is a very catchy tune, "Like I Love You" sounds a bit like something early N*E*R*D might have come out with, and "Rock Your Body" has some questionable beatboxing in it. On the better side of pop music, and at least it's not completely manufactured nonsense. The standout is "Cry Me A River". Catchy and intelligent songwriting, it's genuinely a great song. Unfortunately the rest of the album is filler. Justin is trying his best to emulate early Michael Jackson in a more-RnB-than-disco setting, and it all feels quite bland. It's the songs where he's not trying to sound like something from "Off the Wall" or "Thriller" that show some of the talent he has. But, ultimately besides a few decent songs, and one great one, I'm still hoping he concentrates on his comedy career.
Cry Me A River is fantastisch, sommige andere nummers ok, de rest matig, of slecht.
Rating: 3.5/10 Why is this on the list? It's not even the best Justin Timberlake album...
I despised this on release, my wife, then GF was a fan though and actually met him. As a result I heard these songs, mainly the singles, a lot I’ve mellowed to it these days and there’s undeniably some bangers on here but as with many pop albums, especially of this era, there’s way too much filler and it’s very dull stuff! So don’t mind the singles but I’m content to never hear this again
On the one hand, I enjoy pop music and am glad the genre is included on this list. On the other hand, meh. Never a big Justin Timberlake fan. The album is too long, but the real sin is that it's boring. Same rhythms and same sentiments repetated for an hour. There's two standout tracks, and you've probably heard those a million times if you were alive in 2002. As I was not a teen girl then, very little about this resonates. My nostalgia is untriggered. Brittney was better, and it's not close.
De naam alleen al roept weerstand op. Zet je het aan, dan krijg je slap, klef gedoe met een R&B-sausje en een vleugje Latin. Met grote letters staat overal 'COMMERCIEEL' op gekliederd, en hoewel commercieel heus niet per definitie fout is, ga je je bij een plaat als deze wel afvragen waarom hij dan in de 1001 moet. Bij tijd en wijle doet het denken aan Michael Jackson, met de gilletjes, het gehijg en de hoge stemmetjes. Maar dan zonder de strakke ritmes die het softe gedoe van Jacko optilden naar iets echt goeds. Pere Ubu had niet gehoeven, maar dit ook niet.
Ondanks dat Justin ruim voldoende muzikale creativiteit in zich heeft, had Pharell een grote rol bij dit album. Zeker iemand die iets heeft toegevoegd aan de muziek. Maar zoals eerder geschreven ook iemand die mij zelden weet te bereiken. De hits van dit album dragen ook zijn klanken. De (duidelijk) opvullers zijn heel wat saaier. Is dat dan de echte Justin? Ik kan mij goed voorstellen dat de pop-liefhebber dit album sterk waardeert. Zelf heb ik hier helemaal niets mee.
Ik heb even niet op mijn netvlies hoeveel boybands en afgeleiden daarvan we in deze lijst hebben. Het is natuurlijk best een lange periode in de muziekgeschiedenis geweest, 90s en early 00s, dat de hitlijsten werden gedomineerd door dit soort artiesten. Al hadden we daarvoor misschien ook al wel mensen als Lionel Ritchie en Diana Ross, die solo gingen na eerst onderdeel van een groepje te zijn geweest. Of dit soort muziek in een snoblijst als deze thuishoren blijft wel de vraag. Ik zou er geen nacht minder om slapen als ze er uit waren gelaten, maar zoals ik al zei hebben ze best een aandeel gehad, misschien niet zozeer in de muziekgeschiedenis, maar wel in de muziekindustrie. We horen het populairste jongetje van N-Sync hier, met hulp van producers, rappers en andere zangers/zangeressen. Er zit R&B in, wat rap, wat dancehall. Het is ergens wel een aanstekelijke mix van stijlen en het is (te) goed geproduceerd. Wat dat betreft kan ik er wel naar luisteren, maar het beklijft allemaal voor geen meter. Heel vergeetbaar dus en dat betekent meestal een 3. Maar ik vind het eigenlijk niet goed genoeg, het is te vergeetbaar, te nep, te overgeproduceerd. Het is meer alsof hij iemand anders nadoet (Pharrel bijv). NERD vond ik op zich best leuk hoor, maar dit voelt totaal zielloos. En dan mag hij nog blij zijn dat hij 2 sterren van me krijgt.
*shrug*
Annoying music.
3/10
This could have stayed in 2002.
This is a good example of the problems of this format of media — a book documenting the “best” of an ever-changing artistic landscape. As soon as 2006, when Justin Timberlake released FutureSex/LoveSound, this list selection became completely invalidated. FutureSex/LoveSound is better in almost every way than Justified, with much more creativity in its musical elements, more pop-power, a wider range of sonic influences, and staying power and influence on music as a whole….but this book was originally written in 2005. It got me thinking that this list is quite outdated. One could argue that music as a whole since 2005 has produce more must-hear albums than the entirety of music before 2005. There’s been an endless multiplication of genres into ever more niche sub-genres that’s accompanied the explosion in musical availability via streaming platforms. Combine that with the many online communities which enabled increased discourse in more precise pieces of the musical culture and unparalleled access to resources to create your own music, and you get ample opportunity for anyone who wants to create music to create music — good music. How can a book, a static ranking, possibly provide a lasting slice of the culture? As long as the culture is changing, and as long as the boundaries of what’s possible are being pushed, it can’t. So while I’ll continue to do the list, I’ll do it out of a desire to discover the past, and not out of a craving to find the best, since, as we see in the selection of this album, this book and all future books like this, will never have the best.
Cry me a river and Rock your body are the only two songs I remembered from this album. It turns out that those are the only two worth remembering.
Mewling approximation of singing with little regard for instrumentation, pandering to lowest common denominator themes of sex and dance without achieving sexy or successfully making your body move. This exists to market a washed up boyband member and has nothing to say.
not really my style of music, but there are some songs you can enjoy, but overall not that strong of an album. Bonus point bcs it covers a lot of different genres, and contains both upbeat and also ballad like songs.
When did albums start being an hour long? We can travel back the filler and sound over substance back to that moment. Before the CD age bands had to really want to make a double album. At this point there was nobody saying ‘stop’ and throwing out the 5 pointless mood pieces. This might have been a solid single album. Instead it rambles on with songs that lack any form. Though maybe I’m right and modern r’n’b is the worst music form ever created. It steals the name of one of the bedrocks of great music too. Doubly criminal.
Nawp
Fairly bland white boy soul. Robbie Williams is miles better than Justin, I'm afraid.
Ok
The falsetto on the first song to mimic a female voice is pretty cringe. Really, the who Michael Jackson from Wish affectation is pretty off-putting. The music is great but can't overcome the frontman. Cry me a River is a classic though.
I'll give it 2 stars for purely the nostalgia of going back to this one, and Cry me a River, but otherwise very generic sounding nokia ringtone R&B.
Two hit songs, that’s it.
Holy bloat
The "humorous" opening track was utter shite. All the sighs and whispering got really old super fast, I don't enjoy the über falsetto bits much either. While this album is clearly aimed at teen girls and young women, showing off vocal techniques on record is annoying, not to mention easy to finetune and can easily sounds very tacked-on. I love r'n'b and soul, just not the bastardized versions. Justin is a very technical singer, which he has been able to demonstrate later in a much more tastefull manner. I just wish this album had more good music, it feels like most of this album is fad chasing, committee designed, hit song emulating pop music running after the trends of last 2 years and trying to figure out what the future would bring. Majority of the tracks the Neptunes produced for Justified were originally intended for Michael Jackson, but after he turned them down the tracks were Justinized. All in all, it's trying to portray big r'n'b and soul vibes, slap on some modern hip hop and dance fads, only hitting the spot on few tracks for me.
HAHAHAHA!!!! This is hilarious! This album is definitely not something you need to hear before you die
Yuck Favorite songs: Rock Your Body, Like I Love You, Cry Me a River Least favorite songs: Take It From Here, Nothin' Else, Still on My Brain 2/5
A few undeniable bangers, a lot of awful lyrics and a great album title. Sadly it really falls off after the back to back of cry me a river>rock my body so it can’t be higher than a 2.5 imo
In case you have any questions about how bad this is, I've provided a lyric sample: You're out of this world Except you're not green I rest my case. 2/5
There are a handful of great songs on here (Rock Ya Body is a great Disco-MJ song) but only Cry Me A River is genuinely different and interesting. The rest goes by pleasantly enough but leaves no trace
not really for me
i’ve just had enough of him
I can see why 15 year old girls loved it. But I thought it was generally just a small step above awful. Rounding up to a two because I only felt it necessary to fast forward through two songs.
Did not stand the test of time.
Some good runs, very party-able, but the vocals can get annoying at times.
Justin tæmmelig-lækker, er ren nostalgi for mig. Boogie tiden, og alt det drama som var omkring ham. Musikalsk er det solidt R&B, men hits er hits af en grund. Det virker som et filler album som pakker en EP ind.
4 bangers og resten er ligegyldigt fyld. Klassisk tidlig ‘00 pop. Det bliver aldrig mig.