Reviews (page 7 of 8)
In 2002, the only person doing a cheaper imitation of MJ was Jackson himself.
Hmm nah! If it was all as good as Cry Me A River then sure but this was mostly falling way below.
Is this the smallest man that ever lived? 🤔🤔🤔🤔 album did not age that well.
Pretty good.
I always enjoy but never seldom him.
not offensively bad but i feel like it could have been way better?
This album is better than I thought it would be. I am still not crazy about it, but when everything aligns it can be fun. Rock Your Body is easily the best song here. My 3 biggest problems with this album: 1. Some songs are just cringy, or have cringy lyrics. 2. On some songs it sounds like he is trying to impersonate someone else, especially when he tries to show off 3. The album is just a little too long and some of the similar songs could have been cut. I would give this a high 2.
I’m a poptimist in general and there are JT/NSYNC songs that I do like, but this is just not for me.
This album is a reminder of how he was the heir apparent to Michael Jackson. I forgot how good and listenable his songs are from that time.
Just boring over produced pop crap. Same thing that’s always put out.
Album 407 of 1001 Justin Timberlake - Justified Rating : 1 / 5 I just didn't care for this, at all. Nothing for me here.
Groovy
Hahahahaha This list is literally taking the piss out of me now. 2nd Christina Aguilera album in 4 days yesterday, and this today. Can I have a normal record please? Immaculately produced pop music without an ounce of originality. There's not really any point having this record in the book when Michael Jackson is already in it twice, Janet Jackson is in it once, and Chic is in it thrice (if you count Sister Sledge, which you should). Oh a Stevie Wonder knock off has just come on so add him to the list. Second Stevie track now. Jesus this is really something. What's the point in this record? Well yeah, $$$$, but besides that, nothing. Cry me a river made me feel a bit queasy for some reason. Rock Your Body is the best song, though it's basically an identikit Chic style song and I think it reawakened the Rogers Kraken to take over pop along with Mark Ronson for the next 15 years. The song Never Again is absolutely sickening, lyrically and musically, and is a fitting message to end the album with. Christina won me over with her inventive second entry. This did not, because it's shit. It's also incredibly irritating.
cry me a riverrr wel grappig om een keer te luisteren Leuk hoor
Adult version of Sesame Street music.
This is purely for a certain percent of the population to which I don’t belong. Well, maybe on a dance floor with a great volume of alcohol…
This was never for me. I'm not sure how the rest of the album compares to 2002, but the singles feel extremely dated. Forgettable.
This is not music meant for me. Maybe it's really good at what it is, but I don't like any of it.
JT's probably all I can handle in pop
OK, so hear me out (ha-ha)... Taken for what it is, it's OK-ish RnB / funky pop crossover, with charismatic vocals from Timberlake and immaculate production. On the downside, the lyrics are dreadfully cheesy (prbably by design to appeal to teenage girls), and it's probably a bit overlong for a debut album, but I suppose fans of NSYNC were chuffed to get 60+ minutes of playing time. Most people would have preferred it if the running time was cut by half. But I didn't hate it, the vibe is positive and Timberlake is likeable so the results are middling.
Er… no
If all the 90s American boy bands were to have a baby with a 50 year old Micheal Jackson, it would not only defy reality, it would spawn something akin to this. A sound that kills the soul and drags you into a very specific hell, an endless, waiting, souless, meaningless Hell.
For all the great production, you absolutely cannot polish a turd. Laugh out loud awful ('I wanna be your lighthouse when you get lost, I'll light a bright and shiny path to help you get across'). This is a new low for this list, henceforth to be known as Greg's 8 million albums of death club.
Perky pop vibes. Very manufactured
Yet another ex-1001 album!™ http://1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie.wikidot.com/album-artists-a-z-ex I read at the time that most of the tracks were written for Michael Jackson, but he wasn't interested. When I eventually heard this album, all I could think about was, is Justin Timberlake doing an impression of Michael Jackson? It turned out well for Justin Timberlake, album was a success. I can see why it originally made the 1001 list with all famous people involved behind the scenes, and I can see why it was removed. It's a fleeting thing, moments lost in time, like tears in the rain... cry me a river, FFS!
Solid pop album with some timeless hits, I’ve gotta admit it. We could’ve cut out a few songs, Justin, but not bad!
Rock Your Body is his best song, ever, and it’s still a great party track. I have watched a room full of music snobs genuinely dance their asses off to this song. Still slays. This song deserves a 5, but the rest is a solid 3.
I don’t know why this is here but some tracks are still good pop music. But I wouldn’t consider it a must listen too.
How do you separate the art from the artist? No need. They both suck.
1/5
It's more about the Neptunes than Timberlake. JT is no MJ
Not my favorite type of music but I did know a few of these songs.
Some very catch songs, but overall I'm not the target demographic of this genre.
A couple of good songs and a couple of godawful ones. I hate the falsetto singing. He doesn't do that all the time. Weird how right after Cry me a River, which is a genuinely great song, the next song is the atrocity that is Rock Your Body, with the singing in a different key than the music. What the hell. Favorite song: cry me a river.
Underestimated.
Some bangers here and there for sure, otherwise decent. And why are JT’s albums so damn long?
Inga hits ens... de hä va int bra
5/5 for Cry Me a River, which is only a good song, but is linked to many good memories from 2000s. Rest of the album is way below average though, so I think it's only fair to give it a solid 3/5 as a testament of a banger from my childhood.
Day111 - really talented, a good debut album with at least 3 classic early 2000’s pop hits. i’m sure they would go back and tone down some of the pharrell slickness if they could
Thoughts before listening: I've seen Justin Timberlake live. It was pretty good although it was so overproduced it felt more like watching a Broadway musical than a concert. Anyway, I respect him as a singer, and I'm sure I'll recognize some songs on here, but pop music in general just isn't my thing. Review: This sounds very dated to the early 2000s which is a time I was VERY into music and VERY much opposed to stuff like Justin Timberlake. I am having flashbacks and an immediate negative reaction to this. "Cry Me a River" is the best song here, but I really don't like the rest of it. Sounds like Michael Jackson with less vocal talent. It all just sounds so bland...and the lyrics are embarrassing. 1-star
The production, while solid, ages the record quite a bit, and I think FutureSex/LoveSounds was a much stronger album melodically. Justified blends together a little, except for the singles, which I don't know if they stand out because I've heard them so much or because they're more upbeat. I don't think I'd pay much attention if I heard this at a party or something, but listening to it alone at home while working is...a weird experience getting to notice all the details lol.
I know this was Justin's first solo album, and even if I didn't read that I could tell because every song reeks of desperation to define a brand. Some of these songs sound fine, but pretty much every lyric is so basic and bland that I can't get behind this album. I'm sure the target market in 2002 would have loved it, but hearing him sing a whole album basically begging to sleep with girls sounds really tragic and offputting in Y.O.O.L 2024.
I actually wanted to be surprised by this one, but it was not to be. Every song on this thing inspires cringes, aside from the one outstanding track 'Cry Me a River'. There's a weird horniness to this one that gives me the ick, and a strange clinginess. The production is limp. He wishes he was his lover's mother at one point. Even one good track can't really redeem it.
Oh, yikes. I gave this a 2 only because JT does have a good voice, although it’s a bit too slick and breathy for me in these songs, and the album is competently produced, but seriously, this is the album David Silver would've put out on Beverly Hills, 90210, if we’d ever heard an entire album from him. Soulless cheese. I couldn’t listen to any song all the way through. Never Again did have a promising instrumental opening but even that didn’t pan out.
good old school
Never expected such an unabashedly slick pop album from an ex NSync to be on this list. Bonus points for being fun and nostalgic. He definitely managed to shed his boy band image with Justified. Second half feels like fillers.
Starts out decent to great (mostly on the instrumental front) but drops off quite a bit in the second half. For being a JT pop album I could hardly recall any song from the backside except for the one that sounds EXACTLY like a Stevie Wonder song (random). 5/10
Noh... Eihän tämä ihan hirveetä ole.. mutta jooh..
2.5
I was looking forward to this but it was short lived. So many noises.
Had to do a double check to make sure we weren’t accidentally listening to a Janet Jackson album. JT musta been hugely influenced by her and MJ. And this was a couple years before the wardrobe malfunction… Soft pop (2.1*s)
This album is typical early 2000's pop and I'm not really the demographic for it. There's some good beats and the production is fine, you can really hear the Pharrell, Timbaland, and Janet touch on a lot of it. I thought it was ok, nothing stood out and was a bit long. I like some JT songs but they weren't on this setlist. The slower boy band songs scattered throughout are too cheesy and take it down a notch.
A solo album from a kid breaking away from the boy band. Side A&B are strong. Side C is weak and very skippable. Side D tries to make an effort to get back in it but comes up short. Multiple hits but can't stand the cheesy, slow songs. Buy this album and throw away the 2nd disc.
It's fine freshman entry for JT as his breakout from the boy band. A couple hits but doesn't hold up over a 60+ minute listen. Its's fine but nothing special, even coming from a big Timberlake fan (both musically and from his extra-curriculars). I'm sensing a theme as a handful of 1st solo albums from former band members appear on this list. Maybe there was some importance in the fact the JT established himself as more than a N Sync boy band member but I personally think all of his other albums belong on the list far more than Justified does. Unless they show up later on the list skip Justified and listen to FutureSex or 20/20 Experience. Far more interesting albums in every facet. 2.65 stars
A few classics but he is a tough hang for an album that isn’t thriller
Some great stuff, some boring stuff. I have no idea what to do with something like "Take It From Here," for example. I guess it's for sex or something, if 20-year-old white boy is what does it for you.
Just a great pop album with so many bangers
This rating is based on pure nostalgia
Ahh high school... Nope.
Studienzeit Erinnerung.
In my memory this R&B abum was much better than when I listen to it now. It contains some good songs (Cry Me A River, Rock Your Body), but also a lot of filler. If it was stripped down to 45 minutes it ould have been a 3.5 star album, but the current collection of songs is hardly worth a 3 star rating.
I think he's got talent, but this isn't it.
Few songs were okay. Dragged though.
Justin has some very catchy songs and clearly has talent. I had really only heard one or two of the songs prior to this, so it was interesting to listen to the whole album. Rock Your Body is, of course, the one most people have heard. But I had not heard Cry Me A River which I also liked. I do wonder, though, if Nothin' Else sounding, well, exactly like Paint It Black is a bit too obvious.
Sorry bro I just read Britneys book.
Felt like NSYNC version 2.0. I didn’t like that boy band and same holds true for this album.
If you are a big boy band fan, this is for you
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮. This was abysmal. Point the first: Every song sounds the same, there is no originality or variety across this album, it's just Justin singing about girls THE WHOLE TIME. Point the second: This album gives the impression that this fool is just a total womanizer. Point the third: "Cry Me a River" is just not a very good song. It simply isn't. Lyrically it is the exact same as all the other crap on this album but it has the added bonus of terrible beatboxing in the background to try and make him seem like he's all that cause he got beatboxing on an album. Point the fourth: His voice is not that great. It sounds dumb and plastic. Point the fifth: WHY ARE ALL OF THE SONGS OVER 4:30 MINUTES LONG. I don't want to listen to any pop song that long, let alone this drivel. Absolute bunsssssssss.
the instruments on some tracks were nice & enjoyed the funkier/soul sound on a few tracks. but just not a fan of JT's voice, the autotune sound, the falsetto, or the attempts to sound like Michael Jackson
I now understand why there was such a comparison to Michael Jackson. So much of this album is derivative of MJ.
listen it’s good but i think i’m not usually in the mood for 2000’s nostalgia rn… but its good like i know for a fact if it was summer time i’d be going crazy over this, but right nowwww no thanks
Alright
Mostly goofy fun from the overly slick fuckboi extraordinaire himself. Fave track was Lets Take A Ride. I found it to feel the most personal or coming from an artistic place as opposed to a 'what will get these birds out on the dancefloor' which, to no ones surprise, and most peoples delight, this album has in spades. Can't lie, heart of hearts, this isnt really my kinda jam, just a little 'light' lets call it. But I recognize good rhythm and strong performance.
Теперь я чувствую себя так себе за то, что влепил Долли Партон и компании единицу буквально пару часов назад. Настолько ли это плохая музыка? Нет. Музыка в этом альбоме норм. Но... Этот альбом инкапсулирует все то о музыке начала двухтысячных, от чего я так счастлив человечество сбежало. Кроме того... Час с чем-то? К тому моменту, когда мы дошли до ультрахита, я ощущал вес полноценного поп-альбома начала двухтысячных на моих плечах - а ведь это только середина... Хит, как бы я не хейтил его в детстве-юности, тем не менее отличная песня. Лучшая песня - Cry Me A River.
Elite bops abound but the filler is very filler, and he can’t decide whether he wants Latin pop, r&b, or boy band energy
4/4 dance w me
Fun album, Timbaland nails it as a producer.
Soundtrack to a wardrobe malfunction? I like a lot of the JT you hear in the radio and his SNL and Tonight show skits are great, so had high hopes. Unfortunately, they were not met. The strangest thing happened to me with this album. Twice I put it on, was digging the opening sounds of Señorita, and then later on noticed that I had completely ignored the album like as if it wasn't on. It completely deflects my attention every time I try to to listen. I wanted to like this more but when I could force myself to pay attention it was pretty terrible. Whoever wrote the lyrics to the last song, Never Again, should heed its title.
I don't think I've ever listened to a whole album featuring Justin Timberlake (either solo or in a band), so there's a bit of novelty here. I do wish this 1001 albums project didn't have such a fixation on debut albums, because there's no way this is his best album (or at least I certainly hope not). But that's not Justin Timberlake's fault, I suppose. This isn't really my cup of tea, so I'm not sure how to rate it. I feel like he's got a style going on here, and it seems like a pretty well produced album, with an impressive number of collaborators and guest artists and the Neptunes' involvement, but I can't really say I enjoyed listening to it, and it doesn't sound all that distinctive. It's pretty funny that this seems to have been widely considered as Michael Jackson's album to take or leave (or he apparently left it). I'm also bummed that we didn't get songs like "All These Things That I've Done" which he lip-synched in the "Southland Tales" movie (and Justin did a solid job as a bit character in that movie too, I would say); but since that's actually by The Killers, and not by Justin, and is in no way R&B, I guess that would have been asking too much.... (2)
I thought this would be a lot better. I mean, I thought I probably wouldn't like it but I had no idea it would be this bad.
If all the tracks had been produced by the Neptunes and the lyrics weren’t written by a horny 16 year old, this would have potential
i grew up wiht this playing on MTV and the singles getting a lot of radio play. this was my first time listening thought the album. and honestly Its not for me. Timberland has a big influence and that cuts though the sugery sweet artificial flavour of the bubblegum pop this album was set up for. but you can feel the tonal change in the album compared to the pop music of a few years earlier. the feel is darker even in more light hearted songs. you can truely feel the change away from the happy pop of N'sync and the backstreet boys or even Britney spears and Cristina Agrilaria that I consider the peers of this album, even though they were before 11/09/2001 that event changed the world around it to a point where it could be felt on this album. more minor keys in the music, less majour keys slower tempo. Over all this album is less happy than you would expect of a pop album and more sober feeling. yes its not for me but taking teh album into acocunt for its time and you can almost see it as leading the charge in pop music to be less bubblegum and more serious.
Album Nr. 74 Für denjenigen, welcher RMB mag ist das betsimmt ganz OK. Ich finde das aber eher langweilig. Wobei ich überzeugt bin, dass Timberlake besseres auf der Pfanne hat.
Overly long album with overly long songs with overly long outros. And that's what Timberlake was all about in 2002, and I'm pretty sure still is a bit now. Did I mention I like the tunes?
Thank you for bringing sexy back
Banger after banger! Me to my youtube algo. You don't know me!
It’s no Trolls
In 2002, I had a two minute conversation with JT on the phone without realizing who I was speaking to. I LOVE Timberlake and I think this album is SWAG fam, but it does not belong on this list. Color me surprised by Justin Timberlake twice.
if you couldn't get laid with this CD on in 2002 you probably soon turned to roofies. The first half of this record is fire, but the second half is such a snooze fest. never tall anyone i like this record or there will be blood.
Some bops but ugh JT
Justified Don’t really need to listen too many times to come to a conclusion on this. Señorita - I like the organ and drums and the chorus is fine but ultimately all a bit forgettable. Justin’s intro is cringe. Like I Love You - Great pop song, Neptunes to the fore here. (Oh No) What You Got - Percussion is good, rest is a bit dull. Take it From Here - Very poor. Musically, lyrically and melodically insipid. Cry Me a River - Great, great pop song. Rock Your Body - another good pop song, a nice disco pastiche. Nothin’ Else - a Bad-era Jacko rip off and not a particularly good one. Could definitely hear Paint it Black in the outro too. Last Night - just about elevates itself above the rest of the non singles. Still on my Brain - just feels a bit pointless. (And She Said) Take me Now - better, has a bit of drive and dynamism to it. (whisper it but Timbaland produced this one) Right for Me - the melody is ordinary although I like the little flute. Justin talking sexy isn’t that convincing to me. Let’s Take a Ride - Forgettable. Never Again - Ditto. Really dislike the classical guitar. Like I Love You, Rock Your Body, Cry me a River are great pop songs and stand out a mile, the rest is all a bit characterless, and there is no justification in it being over an hour long. I don’t think Justin’s voice is that great or particularly interesting and if you took the Neptunes/Timbaland production and sonic nouse away there really wouldn’t be much left. Thinking of it as a pop album if 3 or 4 tracks were trimmed off it it might make a solid 3, but there is a lot of insipid R&B in between the singles and the odd ok album track, so it’s a ⭐⭐️
Kind of THE transition album from boy bands to mid aughts top 40, with timbaland and pharrel starting to shape the sound that would define their biggest hits and the broader sound of pop radio in the following years. Dig the singles, but not quite as much as the ones from 20/20 a few years later. Just feels like this album has a few great sounds and they kind of run dry. A couple friends wrote and sang me a happy birthday parody of 'like i love you' in high school so it will always be a little special.
Nostalgia glasses for middle school and high school party tracks.
I have a hard time hating Timberlake’s music here. Never liked the boy band stuff. But the heavy influence of Pharrell Williams’ production and composition is what makes this a successful pop album. It’s that early 90s r&b style that truly compliments his voice, really highlights his strengths. It’s an hour-long “Dick in a Box”. The inherent lack of seriousness works to keep it light and fun. Just really well-constructed pop music. IMHO this is his best work. But, ultimately, Pharrell gets all the credit. Rock Your Body is his best song, ever, and it’s still a great party track. I have watched a room full of music snobs genuinely dance their asses off to this song. Still slays. This song deserves a 5, but the rest is a solid 3.
LOVE
Aside from some catchy earworms, this is an incredibly dull album.
Nope
review def inflated because of rock my body but tell me that song isn't a banger !! 5/10
I’m a sucker -6/10
Outside of the 2 hits, this album is extremely mediocre. The rest of the songs don't sound bad but are so bland. They are like packing peanuts that only serve the purpose of filling space on the tracklist around Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body.
As a celebrity I really just cannot stand Justin Timberlake… the whole Janet Jackson thing, that song from the trolls movie, his face, etc… I haven’t listened to a bunch of his music and like I feel like this album isn’t that good. Seems like he’s got a lot of ideas and the execution is not very admirable. Think my hate of jt might be influencing my rating, 3.5/10 side note, that one movie w him and mila kunis is pretty good but that’s despite his presence not bc of it 🤷♀️
Started out ok I guess but started to feel super cringe after a few songs. Justin Timberlake was younger than I am now when he released this (which is not necessarily reason to dislike it but for some reason makes it feel unauthentic to me. Idk why cause I don’t feel that way about some other albums released by young artists.) Also the super shiny production of his voice is weird and annoying. Not a fan at all. 2/10 Side note, I’m finally caught up on albums post spring break!
3.5/10 - Why did Justin say he wants to be my mother. Stop trying to sleep with me please. Not that bad musically but I did not enjoy the lyrics most of the time.
This album was bad and I didn’t like it. The lyrics were cringe, the beats were bad, and it was boring 2/10
Justin Timberlake is one of my least favorite artists of all time. He’s one of like 2 people on Spotify that I have the “don’t play this artist” turned on for. Why he has an album on this list is fucking beyond me; yeah he’s famous, but there are so many better r&b/pop albums from the 2000s to today. Honestly, I’d rather listen to just about any album than this. Plus, it was like an hour long. Also, what's going on on the album cover? Where is he? The moon? 1.5/10
Pas ma came
I mean, it’s alright I guess. Even if Timberlake has a voice of silk, this RnB-influenced pop has never been my thing from its early-aughts incarnation here through to the Bruno Mars era of today. This LP feels too glossy, while Justin may dip into the raunchier side lyrically there’s nothing in the instrumentation to latch onto and it all feels quite homogenous by the end. There was a definite period in the 2000s where every artist was putting out hour-long albums, and JT didn’t really need to be among them.
It’s fine, definitely dated
I hated every second of this album. Don't get the appeal at all.
Timberlake is clearly a very talented entertainer. He’s a musician, actor, he’s funny. I respect him despite this not being my type of music. However, a lot of credit is given to Justified because he was just a guy in N’Sync before it. It’s fine, a couple of hits, Cry Me a River, which I like and Rock Your Body, which I don’t. I don’t think is a lot special here, future Timberlake is a different story though 5.2/10
What I really like here is Timberland's rhythms/hooks. Justin himself has a good voice. The content is "meh" for me. Still, I like 3 of the tracks: Senorita, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body. So, that's good for a 4 star.
The singles hold up, and a few of the songs I wasn't familiar with feel like Off-The-Wall era Jackson making a cameo on a N.E.R.D. track, which isn't a bad thing. It's like a concept album where the concept is hooking up with someone at a club.
Though Justin's reputation has not held up over the years, it's hard to deny the catchiness of his debut. Appreciate the tracks where the Neptunes and Timberland obviously played a part, vs when he's trying to harken back to Isley Brothers style ballads (Take it from Here, Still on my Brain.)
lahmer 00er pop
Its fine I guess. Still to pop for me but it was better than the N'Sync stuff. However being a straight male I am pretty sure I am not the target audience.
Si apre con 'Senorita', non male. Anche 'like i love you', 'cry me a river' e 'rock your body' sono belle, in generale tutti i singoli famosi.
Meh
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Senorita, Like I love you, Cry me a river, Rock your body, Nothin’ else, Last night
not bad, however JT told me I’d be naked by the end of the song on Rock Your Body with 2 minutes left - I didn’t like that.
I want to give this a one but that would be unfair to timbaland and the neptunes
Great album
It's a banger of an album. Nearly beginning to end is pop perfection with great beats, synths, and obviously the production of Timberland. Maybe the best pop album of the 00s.
Not even going to try to listen to this. Garbage
A trip back into time
All songs too long. CMAR is ok; not much else.
I wasn't expecting too much from Justified but i just found it so absurd that it was actually pretty fun to listen to. The absurdness of this album comes in many forms from the lyrics, the music videos, and all the way to Justin's vocal scatting (don't know if its that or beatboxing). However, it never really got too annoying. The songs are pretty long with each of them clocking in at above 4 minutes so that is a bit of a drawback for some people. I still loved the absurdity enough for me to give it a 3.5 (You know the drill at this point). Best Song: Let's Take A Ride Worst Song: Still On My Brain
Death by beatbox.....
I really enjoyed this one and will listen again.
Two good songs, and a lot of really not good songs. Plus JT is a slime.
Voice is a little annoying but songs are surprisingly creative
Justified had it's time and place. At that time, Rock Your Body was everywhere. You can just tell how much he admires Michael Jackson.
Surprised myself when I bought this when it came out - teenybopper groove. Mainly for the opening couple of tracks - but this is really Pharell's record, not Justin's
I really did not think I would find much to enjoy from a Justin Timberlake album, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a pretty consistent pop album from start to finish, though the tail-end does dip a bit in quality in my opinion. Probably not something I'd have on regular rotation but I'd definitely give it another listen or two.
"Justified" by Justin Timberlake, released in 2002, showcases Timberlake's transition from his boy band image in *NSYNC to a solo artist with a more mature sound. The album features hits like "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body," which helped establish Timberlake as a solo artist. While "Justified" was commercially successful and received critical acclaim for its production and Timberlake's vocal performance, some critics felt that the album lacked depth and originality. The tracks, while catchy, can feel somewhat formulaic and derivative of R&B and pop trends of the time. Overall, "Justified" is a solid pop album that served as a successful launching pad for Timberlake's solo career. However, its lack of innovation and occasional lack of substance earn it a 2/5 rating.
I know a handful of Justin Timberlake's songs, but this is my first time listening to a full album of his. I wasn't excited to have this album come up today, but it wound up being a little bit better than my expectations. I don't think that JT is a particularly great singer, but his vocal chops are just enough to get by on this album. Lyrically though, this album sound like it was written by a sentient Ryan Gosling 'Hey Girl' meme. "Hey girl, I saw you from across the club, and I think you're fine. Would you like to come back to this suite of mine?" See? I could easily write 60-70% of the lyrics on this album. However, "Cry Me A River" is absolutely fantastic. It's sultry, the rain sounds in the intro really establish the mood, and the horn sounds couple with the rhythm section and JT's falsetto create a perfect R&B pop sound. This is the one song on the album where everything really comes together perfectly. On the rest of the album, it's Pharrell and Chad's production work that do all the heavy lifting. Musically, this album is pretty good, and it has a wide variety of arrangements that kept me somewhat engaged. Culturally, I can see how this album made the list. Like him or not, JT has been a massive force in music and pop culture in general. Sure, he might be a gaslighting piece of shit, but it hardly feels like his reputation has taken any damage at all these last few years, despite what Britney Spears has alleged about him. But I digress. This album is fine, and as easily the most successful former boy band member of the nineties to launch their own career, JT's solo debut is worth one listen, but maybe not more than that.
I didn't like all of the songs but I liked a selection of them, including Senorita and Cry Me A River.
A little soulful in parts but overall bland, wouldn't listen to again
3/5. A much better album than I was expecting. He really has that frontman skill, even through studio recordings. A diverse, mostly serious, and sexy album full of high quality R&B songs. Although not my favorite genre, I can respect the songwriting skill through this album. Not an easy feat to make every song not-skippable. Good stuff.
I actually was expecting better. Only a couple good songs on this album, the rest was meh at best.
Nah Pretty boring impression of MJ
I don’t care what anyone says. Bangers on this album
And so the holy trinity of The Micky Mouse Club is complete- first Britney, then Christina and now JT. People lost their damn minds comparing JT to MJ, due mainly to his singing falsetto and some talent as a dancer. Of course, Timberlake is nowhere close to Jackson’s level - but he has created a decent album, notable for the choice of producers. This is just as much a Neptunes album as it is JT’s and marks the moment hip hop went fully mainstream- the charts were now all hip hop producers and , to remain essential, pop stars now needed a track from Pharrell or Kanye or Just Blaze or Scott Storch or Timbaland - whose own contributions to this album include album highlight Cry Me A River, a twisted, unsettling, stalker track with crazy beat box percussion. Plenty of tracks are forgettable but the likes of Like I Love You are truly memorable and still sound impressive today .
I know that Justin did much better in the following years. This one is just the most generic pop from the 2000s. Easy 1-star
Oh boy. Now we’re getting into uncharted territory. Ok, I didn’t hate it. It’s very much not my jam, but I was able to groove along with some of it. Certainly no stand outs to me and nothing to revisit but it was just kinda dorky and innocuous. Just went back and forth between thinking of Trolls movies and being mad he did Janet dirty.
Not too bad. A bit long. Some real bangers though.
Current events made this a little difficult to full appreciate, but it is good none the less
Obviously a well constructed pop album. Two questions: who's sitting down to listen to over an hour of this? and how is this impactful enough to take a spot on the list?
Hate to admit it...it's damn good. Way to go JT. 4.5
Some of the songs are not bad, but this kind of pop is not really much of my jam.
This dude has a killer voice. Tunes are on point Well done all around. Easy to listen to. 8/10
Unmemorable. Lift music. Nothing caught my ear but it’s not actually offensive either so 2
More tolerable than I expected, probably thanks to the production. However his voice isn't actually that good, is it? I went and found the video for Señorita and ... I just don't get it. Why is he such a big deal? Anyway. It's ok. Unconvinced it belongs on this list.
First of all, what’s with the album name? It’s stupid and clever at the same time. And what about the songs? Well… I listened to this album after making a terrible mistake of giving ‘Purple Rain’ a two star rating, (Website-wise it’s a day later, but in real life, I listened to Purple Rain first, so…) and this didn’t help me lift my mood. A generic album, with generic songs… did not enjoy.
I've never listened to this album, despite it being very on my radar and popular with friends. White man rnb wasn't my thing and it still isn't. Interesting that it's been bumped from my copy of The Book. I got bored and put some drum and bass on
Das ein oder andere coole Lied dabei. Es hat einen speziellen Vibe. 5.5/10
Turd
I was kid when this was popular, Never want to hear again. That being said, It's alright
Lightweight and largely forgetable
Pop comercial. Rollazo. Un 2.
En serio, ¿uno de los mejores 1001 discos? ¿EN SERIO?
Not my style
Ну типа слушается приятно, но мне не нравится тематика -- пати гёрл пати секс пати пати гёрл сэд сэкс гёрл. Понятно, что срез эпохи, но имхо две звезды. Дослушивать альбом не хочется.
Some well-known and enduring gems (cry me a river, rock your body, never again) hidden among pretty indicative examples of early 2000s pop. Not much on here was overly listenable for me, but I tried to give it a chance. The repetitive electronic beat got on my nerves a bit. Okay, wouldn't listen again.
Old school. More soul than the brothas!
in generale mi piace R&B inizio anni 2000 e justin ha una bella voce. Oggettivamente, la sua canzone più famosa in questo album mi ha colpito ("cry me a river") e conoscevo già "rock your body". Okay posso dire che diverse canzoni (maggior parte) non mi piacciono, sembrano un po' tutte uguali e sono noiosine... Inoltre non so ma cerca di ricopiare lo stile di Michael Jackson con la voce, non è molto originale su questo. In generale l'album non mi è piaciuto, non lo riascolterei mai.
Like most Pop albums I’ve reviewed for this the hits are good and fun. The rest leaves me uninterested. There’s a lot of trying hard to replicate the Michael Jackson sound that just doesn’t work.
This one is littered with classics. Would rank it higher if not for a couple songs that don't quite reach the heights of the singles. Great album regardless.
2.5
some notable tunes amongst a sea of average. not his best at all, much prefer later stuff
If Michael Jackson wasn't going to make Michael Jackson records anymore, then someone had to, one supposes. And this definitely a good Michael Jackson with a few shockingly sweet tunes and some certifiably groovy bits, too. "Take It From Here" and "Cry Me a River" are tops. Not really one's thing, but hard to deny oneself its easily digestible and extremely well produced charms.
A couple bangers but overall an annoying reminder from Justin Timberlake that he definitely has sex.
C'est ça qu'on veut mon Justin.
Je n'ai jamais aimé Justin Timberlake, et cet album classique n'est pas pour me faire changer d'avis.
I really do enjoy some of these songs and the hits have always been favorites. I don’t think that I really needed this whole album, though.
I had not ever listened to a Justin album and have never felt compelled to do so. Nothing out of the ordinary, but somehow I assumed it would be a bit more upbeat than it was. Pretty straightforward pop music. It was just fine.
I can't believe I'm about to say this but...I think I'd rather listen to Slipknot? I'm surprised but I didn't find any track on this album to be particularly catchy or interesting. I just couldn't relate to it at all. I do like Sexy Back, though, which I guess is why this is so surprising? Where's the Sexy Back of this album?
I listened to this album when it first came out and was surprised at the contents. It’s a lot more funk and R&B influences than one would expect. The production quality is high. Listening again today after quite a long hiatus I found it still reasonably enjoyable if a bit long. “Take It From Here” and its ilk were on the schmaltzy side for me and I could have done with a bit less of that. I’m not sure I needed this to be 50 minutes.
Good
I'm of a certain age when these singles were fucking everywhere - probably like the man himself (fnar). The production of Neptunes and Timbaland make these pop songs have that extra something. He may never be the King of Pop but with this album he was definitely the prince for a while. The only tracks that drag are the slow jams/ballads. I may feel like an old man shouting at a cloud, but if only pop nowadays was a varied as this is. The album cover is atrocious though. Best Tracks: Senorita; Cry Me A River; Rock Your Body
I just can’t get into this version of JT
Some real bangers. Not 100% quality front to back but a worthy listen. 3.5/5
Quality music driven by a modern crooner. As good as it might be, who wants to be caught listening to Justin Timberlake?
Heard of the guy but never really listened. Pop album from 2002. Some pretty vibey songs to be fair, would enjoy on a night out. Not completely for me/library though.
Remember that YouTube video of the shirtless teenage boy saying “Hey baby girl, it’s okay baby, I love you more than there are grains of sand on all the beaches…?” This is the auditory equivalent of that. This album sounds like 2002, in a bad way. “Cry Me A River” is a good track, and the album is well produced, but the whole thing oozes with this awkward, performative “sexiness” that is hard to take seriously.
There's only been *three* reviewers giving a 5/5 grade to this LP. Not because *Justified* is an "artistic" failure for the sort of commercial music it attempted to sell to the masses during the early naughts. The album *isn't* an artistic failure, it does exactly what it intends to do, and this in every "objective", reasonable way you can assess the music on it. Justin's voice is excellent, even if it doesn't reach the Michael-Jackson-level heights it tries to reach in many songs. And the production values are state-of-the-art for the time period, thanks to experts such as Pharell Williams / The Neptunes, or Timbaland--experts whose imprint is unmistakable on certain tracks. Take those funk-rock rhythms played on acoustic guitar for The Neptunes, or those lush, bass-heavy r'n'b shenanigans for Timbaland. Besides, there are a lot of arrangements that make listening to the album at least once worthwhile. And finally, "Cry Me A River" is a stellar earworm worthy of the best torch songs / break-up songs out there... THAT SAID, let's repeat it: there's only been *three* reviewers giving a 5/5 grade to this LP. And there's a good reason for this. This is the sort of album that was never aimed at people interested in the *big picture* when it comes to modern music genres ("modern" taken in the largest sense of the word here). And this as open-minded as a lot of the people on this app try to be sometimes (me included). Because "Justified" is first and foremost a mass consumption product, and a "music album" later. Everything else is secondary. The fact that, overall, said album holds out far better today than, say, Britney Spears LPs, doesn't make it less dated or more artistically relevant than the latter. If only because Britney left a more impactful cultural imprint than Timberlake through her *singles*, at least--as lame and cheesy as her albums were as a whole... Let's face it: the vast majority of people who bought *Justified* in 2002 will never have a phase where they will try to find what the 1001 most essential albums of all time are. They just go from one trendy pop craze to the next. They're just consumers, not music buffs. "...music buffs like most of us on this app", I'm tempted to add. We all have very different tastes in here, obviously. But I believe that what unites us is that we take the album format very seriously. It can't just be a "product". It has to speak to our "soul" somehow. To be clear, saying this does not come from an elitist stance. I'm certainly not judging Justin Timberlake fans--all of us here are also consumers to an extent, it's part of the music business overall. I'm only trying to be realistic. As a consequence, I consider it's just plain weird or ridiculous to include *Justified* in a list like this. Because this inclusion doesn't really mean anything to *most* of those Timberlake fans, who would never use this app for instance (or probably give up after 20 or 30 albums...). This realism I'm trying to apply here is the one that music sites such as Pitchfork have consistently failed to apply since the mid-naughts, because of their readymady "poptimist" philosophy--a quite artificial, shallow posture *fully* pandering to the worst parts of the music industry (PR shenanigans, label business plans, the heavy and quick "formatting" of up-and-coming artists and performers not lucky enough to have the means or entourage to defend their initial artistic integrity--at least if they had one from the get-go). I'm 100% sure that the way such poptimist stance has led "the most trusted voice in music" to condone so many cheesefest records has already returned to bite them in the ass today. Absolutely no one believes Pitchfork is "the most trusted voice in music" today, lol. Of course, business is part of our music habits, as it is part of the life of *any* "professional" musician and artist. Even the staunchest fan of "independent music" and niche genres should be aware of this. But business also "pollutes" everything it touches. Just like it does for nature. Good music is an ecosystem, you see. And including *Justified* in this ecosystem does it more harm than good. I like "pop music", I really do. But good pop music in the album format has to elevate or challenge you, even if it does it very subtly or discreetly. And in retrospect, it's clear that *Justified* does none of that. It's just a goddamn product, as well-manufactured as it is. Just bought a Britney Spears greatest hits compilation for three euros online after listening to this Justin Timberlake record. If I have to be a consumer and a "manufactured product buyer", I'd rather give up the pretense of an interest for "genuine artistry" altogether, and bob my head quite mindlessly to the more memorable Britney singles with a half-ironic smile on my face. It won't prevent me to enjoy off-kilter-yet-100%-sincere-and-"authentic" acts such as Robert Wyatt, Daniel Blumberg, Big Thief or Crack Cloud on the side. I can enjoy a burger once in a while, even if I prefer more soulful food. But I will never pretend that a Burger King product is akin to the best "cuisine" out there. Everything in its right place, please. 2/5 for the purposes of this list of essential records. Which translates to a 7/10 grade for more general purposes (5+2 - not so bad after all, huh?). Next, please. Number of albums left to review: 319 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 304 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 167 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 221 (including this one)
a čuj, ima par klasičnih pop pjesama na ovom izdanju
Added a star for surprise bubba sparx appearance
The few tracks were excellent dance-worthy pop. After Rock Your Body (one of the best pop tracks of the early 2000s in my view), the fun of the album kind of faded for me. The ballad-style tracks (other than Cry Me A River) were particularly weak. Some serious highs and lows, has to be a 3 ultimately.
Cry me a River is not enough to save this
Yuck.
Starts off strong and has some bangers. Wish I could give this a 3.5.
JT!!!! This is a genre of music that I've never gotten into. I didn't listen to it growing up so I don't have the nostalgia like so many other people do when they listen to this genre. Starting with Señorita, it's fun, catchy, and I like that he's okay being silly on it. The bit where he was telling the ladies the part they were going to sing was funny. Even though this style of singing isn't really my jam it's very easy to recognize how good of a singer JT is. He really did have me nekked by the end of Rock Your Body. Several times during the record I noticed some record pops. I'm curious the recording process for this record. I'm wondering if they recorded, pressed to vinyl, and then recorded the vinyl playing. Or if it's just like artificial record pop dubs. This record is too long. I started getting over it with like 4-5 songs left.
It's hard to objective about an artist that I would have punched myself for listening to as a teenager. I did, however, find some fun gems on this record. Mainly, towards the end of the album. Notable songs: "Rock Your Body" "(And She Said) Take Me Now" "Right For Me" These songs had the most interesting composition, vocal melodies and beats. I also enjoyed the latino influence on a few songs, and the overall blues R&B aspect of the album. Things I did not like: the drum machines are sooooo bad. They truly sound like a Window 98 computer with shit plastic speakers. There's also some weird mixing, where beeping noises just go on throughout the song. Once you hear it, you can't stop. Its brutal. It actually hurts my brain. All that to say though.. Its hard to hate JT. He's got unreal charisma, and it shows through his music. Especially in this album.
The fresh faced JT on the album cover has doubled in age since this album was released. The record has aged with far less style and grace than its creator. The inherent risk of going for a cutting edge sound is that your record ages horribly, as has happened here over the last 21 years. Rating: 1.5/5 Playlist track: Rock Your Body Date listened: 08/01/24
I tried. I listened to all of it. But no. I don’t like it. At all.
Good
Heerlijke early zeroes pop sound, doet me terugdenken aan het groep 8 eindfeest van de basisschool. Grote hits als Like I Love You, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body, en Senorita, worden afgewisseld met iets te "dertien in een dozijn" popliedjes met een gepoogd Michael Jackson gehalte dat er niet helemaal uitkomt.
Bad Pop.
Out of my comfort zone this smooth music, but that is why 1001 albums is nice, discovering new music. .. Well not this one, sweeter than 10 kilogram of honey, utterly annoying. One of those for which 1 star is more than enough.
Cry Me a River was my jam in the summer of ‘02 - and that’s me sounding old AF for the record. Might as well give me a spittoon and a gold pan. Seriously, this album sounds deceptively like an MJ album. I guess that makes sense as most of the songs were developed for the Gloved One. It’s nice to see Timberlake on here as he seems such an earnest artist and a huge fan of R&B. I’d give it 2 stars but I’m feeling generous post-holidays - I’ll give it a boost.
Utter dross. Spectacularly dreadful.
Well this was a real blast from the past. It had slipped my mind how much of a megastar JT was back in the early 2000s, as he shook off the boyband innocence of his N*Sync days and embraced post-Britney manhood. That there's a lot to like here for me is largely down to the heavy influence of the Neptunes and Timbaland, whose own signature beats make the bulk of this album incredibly catchy. The slower, more R&B style tracks weren't so much to my taste but the big bangers catch fire in just the right way.
Stukje nostalgie. Toffe plaat
Grammy of the year my ass. Classic Timbaland over-the-top production is representative of the overly-commercial lounge sound of the early 2000s. A stress on beats and inserted sound effect samples. I can hear that stupid sparkle effect in "Still On My Brain" that's in every pop song from the era. I hear neo-soul, bossa nova, and dancehall / reggaeton. It highlights Timberlake's fame and high-register voice, trying to impress audiences with how versatile his vocals could be. But what's most insulting is that it just feels like Timbaland makes something he thinks is cool, and Timberlake sings to it. It feels disjoint. The first six songs are a mixed bag but overall ok, but "Last Night" is the only song on the second side I thought was decent. Everything else sucked really bad. Especially with that exhausting hour length. Favorites: Senorita, Like I Love You, Rock Your Body
Из овог жанра кида, 9/10
Oh I am so not listening to this sonic garbage. Heard way too much of it in high school against my will when it was all the little Britney and Xtina clone wannabes were forcing on me through speakers in gym class, at dances, over loudspeakers in the hallways as “hurry up, get to class” muzak. So I can confidently say it is bonafide crap. Plus, I hate this smug, smarmy asshole for all his male privilege and toxic behaviour towards women. Jessica Biel, you gotta drop him like a sack of dirt, girl. Not gunna be giving this talentless little prick a royalty check in my watch.
Waarom is dit hier hahaha Senorita is heel cringe Like I love you is saai Take it from here is wel smooth, wel veel te lang
I feel like any praise for this album should be redirected to the Neptunes. The production is perfect, the lyrics are a little lacking, and Justin is fine. It’s also a bit long.
Featuring some of the hottest talent in music from the last 25 years and Justin Timberlake. Justin delivers a decent Pop/R&B performance. The real stars here are in production. Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo are pure legends.
Perfectly executed, beautifully produced insubstantial pop music. A genre that for which I have little appreciation. If there was even one organic sound and one unprocesed vocal recording I might give it a half star more. But there isn't, so I won't. 2 stars
It's not Bad and then neither is it a Thriller.
Not a huge JT fan but I can appreciate the appeal. Some really catchy tracks with some less than tracks
Can't deny the singles are banging on thos record
The spirit of MJ is strong in this one.
Misaligned
I see what he did there
Another one bites the dust... and another one gone... and I'll have you naked by the end of this song... Girl, I'm gonna get you too... naked by the end of this song... Yep, that's my mash up. Because it's a blatant rip off.
Cry Me a River and Rock Your Body are good. Unfortunately the rest is a pretty rough listen for me. It is all saccharine sweet waify boy singing. I know Justin Timberlake is cool now, but this is not even interesting, just a lot of samey singing over somewhat connected electronic beats.
My immediate reaction though is that this album is just boring. There are a few singles that I remeber from back when it came out (Senorita, Cry Me a River, Rock Your Body), but if a song didn't feel dated it felt slow or just not about anything. I keep finding myself checking how much time is left in a song only to discover that most tracks are roughly 5 minutes long and that the album is somehow over an hour! Mostly the music just isn't interesting to me. Nothing really catches outside of the singles, and for an album where Justin's actually solid vocals are the primary focus there are some really dumb lyrics to highlight them. Maybe this was sexy when it first came out, but for an album old enough to hit the clubs it talks about, it doesnt feel that way anymore. There are 3 or so decent, fun songs but the rest of this Hit-Clips era album is just filler. I just don't get the hype.
Had dit album niet verwacht. Niet helemaal overtuigd en niet iets dat ik zelf veel zal draaien maar niet afgrijselijk.
i’m getting really tired of these aggressively dominant metrosexual fuckboys - 4/10
Ultra-polished R&B-flavored pop. The hits are good and the rest is at least passable. Album’s too long. Doesn’t hit me hard but worthwhile. Best song: Rock My Body
Ehhh I like rock your body
Possibly the Adele of his time, while he has a decent voice and can entertain, my god was he overplayed during the time this album was doing the rounds. Not a fan, and I have to say hearing those main singles again just brought me back to the loathing I would feel everytime they got played back in the day.
Shit, didn't realise I was that far behind. Caught up now. What can I say about this? Typical modern pop. Uninspiring nonsense. Not unpleasant, but equally not really worth the effort of listening to it. 1
Much to my amazement I enjoyed the start of this album, but it really faded (or just became samey) after the first 5 tracks. Thought I was listening to Michael Jackson at times. I’ll give it a mid 3 based on how much I enjoyed some of earlier tracks and wasn’t offended by any of it.
Should I admit that I like Mr Timberlake? 'Cry me a River' is one hell of a song, I adored it when it came out 20 years ago. Back then I downloaded it from some dodgy Internet source and played it far too many times, loved the rhythm and his voice, although very high, he can hold a tune as well as put feeling into it when he needs to. The other great single - 'Like I love You'- how to make an acoustic guitar sound good! However, I've never listened to this album in its entirety, the album tracks seem like run-of-the-mill R&B stuff, but as the album progresses it gets better. Currently listening to this on a nice relaxing Eurostar journey (after a shit alfresco Weatherspoon’s dinner on a rainy night in December with a few glasses of wine), even the really overt R&Bness of some of these songs are leaving me feeling chilled (in a completely different way to my dinner). I'd forgot 'Rock Your Body' was on this too, simply a great tune to think about getting up to dance to. For the singles alone it's a 5, the rest is not too shabby, especially 'Last Night' and wow! Love the JJ collaboration '(And She Said) Take Me Now' a definite highlight, surprised that wasn't a single. 'Right For Me' excellent vibe and rhythms sounds so simple and complex at the same time. A high 3, or can I give it a 4? Its a 3, because the last song didn't do it for me, a piano ballad doesn’t seem to be a good fit.
It’s a classic early 2000’s pop album. I remember this album and hearing it everywhere. It’s a good album but I’m giving it a 2 because of what I now know about Timberlake. He doesn’t deserve more stars.
Meh
This is the epitome of early 2000s pop. Apparently most of the songs were written for Michael Jackson to sing, and that definitely comes through. However, this just isn't really my style of music. I'm not an R&B guy. Just isn't my cup of tea. Most songs sounded the same, although there are a couple of notable exceptions. "Cry Me a River" has some interesting Gregorian chant mixed with Arabic kind of influence. The last song "Never Again" is a nice little acoustic ballad. But everything else on the album is kind of the same.
Horrible.
Meh
This brings back great youth memories, this came out about the time I decided to stop been an angst teen and give pop music a chance. I do remember the singles fondly but, I did found out quite a while ago that this record is only the singles and should’ve been cut to less than half an hour long. Some of the track are just awful and quite lame. Nevertheless? I’ll give it a 3 just for the massive singles.
Very poppy. Too much for me.
The drums are incredibly tight. The title of the album I begrudgingly appreciate the utter depravity of the pun on display. Really great pop production. Timberlake does a solid Michael Jackson impersonation. I don't care for this style of pop.
This was from his prime "hair looks like ramen" days. I did not love it.
Above average funk pop album. 3.5
crap
I liked cry me a river but overall meh
A Timberlake Thanksgiving was well received. Also, I can tell he went through quite a breakup. I feel you, man. I've been there.
Actually liked this a lot less than I thought I would. The whole vibe of the album is creepy and off to me. It does not have the charm of the Britney Spears album I listened to and very little interesting music stuff to go on. And his voice is dull. Standout Track: Senorita
It's 2002. Boy bands are OUT, but contemporary R&B is still IN. NSYNC has, correctly, decided to cash out and Timberlake is the only one continuing to pursue music as a solo act. Bold move, Justine. Let's see if Justified earns it's name. About half of the album is aided by Pharrell Williams. In fact, the guy introduces the album to vouch for Timberlake. This is off the heels of some stellar work with Jay-Z, ODB, P. Diddy, to name a few. Despite this, it takes a while for the album to kick in. This includes the boring ballad Take It From Here; I prefer to watch paint dry. Cry Me a River has more to offer, thankfully, and it's pretty catchy aside from the off-putting beatboxing that bubble underneath the surface of the actual beat. Timberlake used to actual beatbox at shows and, God, I would want my money back if he did this on stage after I pay full price to see him. Good thing I didn't pay any money to see Justin Timberlake, except for that time I saw The Social Network in theaters where he plays the guy who founded Napster. Timberlake is actually a pretty good actor. This album shows it's age and not in a good way. Rock Your Body is a certified jam, but some of those synths...after the two singles the album just meanders on. It's more like Timberlake and Timbaland are just messing around than actually making songs. Either that or boring ballads. I'll lay it out straight: Justified was a misfire. Actually it was more of a warmup that seemed like a misfire. Timberlake would bring his A-game on his followup Futuresex/Lovesounds. Please don't be hard on yourself if you skip this album.
Está bien, me alegro de que no haya ni una sola balada (excepto la última canción)
A cool pop r&b album, a number of known tracks. and worth a listen.
I guess one thing this album has got going for it is that I'm hearing it one day after suffering through Limp Bizkit. So I'm feeling generous... to a point. Okay, so let's set the table here. Justin Timberlake wants (needs, really) to be taken seriously as a solo artist, so he brings in the Neptunes and Timbaland among others to help craft his debut album. On that level they generally succeed. Production is pretty excellent, if very much of its time. There are some solid pop hooks and a few pretty danceable bops. I imagine this was top tier pop 20 years ago. So what's missing? For starters, songwriting. I'm not coming to Justin Timberlake looking for well crafted lyrics, so it's hard to ding him too much for that. But it's really not helping his case that these songs just feel really brainless. I'm losing IQ points talking about it. It's like eavesdropping on a dumb conversation in the club, interspersed with the occasional heartbreak song. Blah. What else? The vocals, seriously the vocals. I keep seeing reviewers describe Justin Timberlake as a great singer, but he's really not. You guys need to listen to more actual soul music. Try as the Neptunes et al might to dress him up, this is a pretty soulless album, and that's fully on Timberlake. He tries to channel Michael Jackson here in his vocals and he almost gets there, but the ultimate effect is that this feels like what would have been a lesser Michael Jackson album. The backing vocals for the most part are also terrible, which only highlights Timberlake's own deficiencies. Even Janet's brief appearances, which I barely noticed, don't really add value. Why bring someone with her level of talent in, if you're not going to use it? Far from the worst thing I've heard, but this is a 3 at best. I suspect 10-15 years from now, these songs won't hold up well at all. Fave Songs: Last Night, Rock Your Body, Cry Me a River, (And She Said) Take Me Now
Music as a cash cow product, rather than music as a genuine soulful experience. JT can sing, no doubt, but this feels like a commodity rather than an artistic sonic experience. Also, not the demographic this music was aimed at.
I personally thought this was awful. This just isn't my style of music, but even objectively it's hard to find the merits in this record. The songwriting is generic and bland, and it feels overproduced and tacky.
Seems like a nice Pharrell album with solid guest vocals by Justin Timberlake. Seriously though, it's not my thing but it's very well done for what it is. I was expecting the Michael Jackson impersonation, but not as much the Stevie Wonder vibe, which I can appreciate. Way too long though. 2 stars.
This album sounds just as dated and "of its time" as any of the 60s albums I've reviewed, but since this time is *my* time, these songs cause an absolute flood of nostalgic dopamine in my brain. I used to sing some of these songs to my wife when we first started dating in 2002, the year this was released. It's funny that the album from the *NSYNC kid was considered more as hip-hop than pop a the time, thanks to his collaborations with hip-hop icons like The Neptunes and Timbaland. My walk down memory lane aside, this album is stuffed with bangers. It is "of its time" in all the best way, like a musical time capsule stuffed with early '00s pop, hip-hop, R&B, & Latin-inspired grooves, with a splash of disco and a heavy dose of Michael Jackson worship thrown in for good measure. There are some weaker moments on the album, like the formulaic Take It From Here, and the messy Let's Take a Ride that keep the album from being an all-time classic. But honestly, even the lesser songs are pretty catchy, and overall this album is stuffed to the brim with certifiable radio hits and club bangers that will have you nodding your head and swaying in your seat. Easy 4 stars.
I appreciate this next progression of Michael Jackson pop music
This takes me back to, like, middle school dances. This is a scenario about which I have many complicated feelings. Trying to divorce my feelings about that time and about the actual music is a challenge. I think this is all just fine early-2000s pop music, I guess. It's been stuck in my head all afternoon so I'll give it that.
The whole world sure turned on him after it was widely revealed that he was a cheating dick to Brittney Spears while they were both dating as young twentysomethings. And it turns out that he's white, which isn't exactly a huge plus these days. But I'm telling you, at the time, Justin Timberlake made women swoon, and some corners of the pop world thought he could be the next Michael Jackson. But let's be honest: Most of that goodwill stemmed from the fact that women wanted to fuck him. Take away all of his extra curriculars and just focus on his music, and it's just a big shrug. JT was never going to be MJ, let alone Bruno Mars. Maybe all the negative press he's currently getting serves as a makegood for over praising his work upon release. I find Timberlake to be a more compelling screen presence than pop star. Fifty years from now, JT will likely be best remembered for playing Sean Parker in The Social Network. No one will give a shit that he encouraged Brittney to get an abortion. Or listen to "Cry Me A River".
This website is sinking into unprecedented lows
Yeah this was like pulling teeth. I don’t get it.
Just not my type of music plus I don’t like his voice.
not gonna listen to this
The first half is great, the second falls a little flat.
Some good songs, plenty of hits, though Margaret recognized more of them than I did. The only one I very clearly remember is Rock Your Body. Commits the CD era sin of just being too long, and there are some obvious candidates to cut in my opinion. He's clearly a great singer and his sense of humor comes though here and there. Hearing this made me wonder why NSYNC and Backstreet Boys don't appear on this list, yet here is JT, and we've listened to multiple Christina Aguilera albums for example - something against boy bands? Not that I want to hear those albums again but I think it's a fair question.
It's when he does that breathy spoken word shit which completely prevents me from enjoying this, or even taking it seriously. Particularly when they stereo pan it all over the place. Almost sounds like self parody at times.
Oh 2002, what a time. I would have been a sophomore in high school. A Senorita, Cry Me a River, and Rock Your Body were played EVERYWHERE. You couldn't escape Justin Timberlake if you wanted to. While I don't like it, it was very successful at what it was going for. It's almost kind of cute now in contrast to pop music these days. Can't deny that he can sing either. Strong solo debut. Interesting some of the tracks were intended for Michael Jackson but he turned them down. But yeah, definitely don't wanna listen to it except maybe at a party for nostalgia and then it's just kinda funny.
Blisters with influences everywhere. Disco, pop, funk and latin all tinge throughout this solo debut. JT is bringing it even if the party seems uneven in stretches of this. You’ll definitely shake your whole ass when this spins.
Buried pretty far below the lede on the Wikipedia article for this album is the fact that most of these songs were intended for Michael Jackson and subsequently rejected by him. That makes this album make a hell of a lot of sense, since several of the songs sound very much like MJ songs, especially Rock Your Body. I don't think this is a bad thing in any way, since Timberlake did a great job with these songs and has the voice and charisma to pull them off, but it also undercuts the narrative that features more prominently in the Wikipedia article, which is that Timberlake was writing these songs while on hiatus from N'Sync. Both can be true, but it feels weird to emphasize one so much over the other I wasn't excited to listen to this album, but the fact that it's produced by the Neptunes makes everything better. It's good that they are represented on this list, since they formed such an integral part of the sound of the early 2000s, along with Timbaland, who is also on this album. I don't know that there's much to say about the actual songs. They are all at least fine, with some of them being great. It's a pop album, but I think it would be fair to say that it was also THE pop album of this period 3/5
Noooo
Not really something I'd listen to a whole album of.
It's fucking sexy. Great debut from JT with some absolute bangers on it. One hell of an R&B classic
At last a decent album to listen to. Easy 3*
No, just no. Over-produced, cynical stuff. Nostalgia for my old clubbing days almost made me give it a 2 but no....
Was never a big Justin Timberlake fan. This album goes on way too long. I recognized a couple of songs that I had not thought about in close to 20 years. I was fine with not thinking about those songs. It is better than other albums on this list and no need to revisit.
FREE BRITNEY
: /
I'm not a Justin Timberlake guy but I did enjoy watching my wife dance to the album, and that adds a +1 for me.
Listened Before? N Not too bad. Very, VERY early 2000s USA vibe. It's kind of a fun nostalgia trip. There are a few amazing pop bangers here, and the mix of beats and instrumentation is fun. I like this one. The main negative I have is that the second half of the album kind of drags. He would have done well to switch up the style a bit and this may have been considered an all-timer. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist - Senorita, Cry Me a River
I am not the target demographic for this record, I'm sure it would have been better if I were in a club looking for action. Best song for me was Cry me a River, which is a sentence I never thought I would write.
So pop and so good for its time but it does not stand the test of time. Still good to go back and listen to cry me a river, which is still a classic
Hate the man but he makes great music
This is one of the less expected ones for me to say I own on vinyl. Original pressing. There was a rumour at the time that this album is made mostly of tracks Michael Jackson rejected for his comeback album. It rings true. This is high end pop. Timbaland and The Neptunes at their peak and giving their all for the singles, all of which pop. The back half of the album is less good, sadly. I have a worn first disc and a spotless second one...
Not my cup ot tea but I understand the appeal. Great production and some of the songs are genuinely nice. He sounds like a discount Michael Jackson but not unpleasant.
Better than I was expecting it to be, never something I would choose to listen to again. Ultimately, it is perfectly well produced disposable pop. I doubt anyone would miss its passing.
My usual soul / R&B dislike for high pitched male vocals applies again. By the 2000s I can only listen to this if it’s fused with something cool. The fact it’s a new genre for JT does nothing for me.
"Rock Your Body" is a great pop-hit that doesn't grow old and Justin's delivery is bang-on. That and a couple of other barely bearable tunes save this from a 1.
Its shocking or depressing that a couple of the songs on this album each have over half a million listens on Spotify. What does that say about our society? To me it just sounds like a white guy trying to sound like Michael Jackson, sorry Justin that boat has sailed. The inclusion of this album on this list is not Justified.
I had never listened to this album except catching the odd track here or there in public. It's catchy. I'm not sure it merits the fame, but it's definitely catchy. I'm probably too old for this?
Was excited for this, but then learned it doesn't include 'Dick In a Box' and also it's not very funny. JT sounds like a '00s reincarnation of Color Me Badd.
JT is in the news this week for what ex Britney Spears wrote about him in her memoir. Was Timberlake justified in his actions in his relationship with Spears? Was Timberlake justified in exposing Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl halftime show? Was Timberlake justified in calling an album "FutureSex/LoveSounds?" Was "Justified's" inclusion on this list justified? Well, I can answer the last one at least. Nope. At least the later removal from the list was justified. "Cry Me a River" may have been quite the shot at Spears (who now alleges he was the one guilty of infidelity), but regardless its certainly an earworm. With the exception of the next track ("Rock Your Body"), all the tolerable tracks on "Justified" are the ones produced by Timbaland. Pharrell Williams is great, but much of his work with Timberlake is boring. And some of the lyrics are awful (including the Timbaland-produced "(Oh No) What You Got"). But at least the beats are interesting?
I think the album is supposed to make me feel like sexy time, but it just makes me feels old. The album sounds dated and some of the lyrics are just terrible. JT can sing but what’s the point if words and music are mostly meh.
This is a fairly generic sounding R&Bish album for the most part. I like Rock Your Body the most. I know Cry Me A River was a big hit, but listening to it again I hear nothing spectacular.
Kuuntelin kaks biisiä. Voi vittu
ei mitään sanottavaa
Tiesin kaks nii annetaan kaks.
Omg yes! This album makes me feel so good. Very upbeat & fun. Has you singing & dancing
There are some well written songs on here, even if its a bit of a meme. The weaker tracks aren't awful either
Pop comercial. Rollazo. Un 2.
Tja, niet best dit.
C'est en partie le genre de musique que je déteste mais la production est bonne et il y a quelque hits dont je me soubiens la sortie donc il y a peut-etre un peu de Nostalgie. La moitié de l'album semble comme si ce n'était pas écrit pour Justin Timberlake. j'ai vriament pas aimé ca
Oh no. Ok, lets do this. What the jank? Holy autotune Batman. ugh, it's like cringe thirst trap personified. It's weird that every song opens with a different style of music, like it's trying to fake you out before playing the exact same thing. Feels like radio bait.
Very shiny, expensive sounding, great production and vocals, but an awful lot of filler outside of the big hits. Not for me, but a solid 3
Boring…
I like his stuff from this album more than his current stuff he's making. This is peak JT coming off of N'SYNC and showing everyone why he went solo. This album is clearly justified and if you think otherwise you can cry me a river (dear lord that was a terrible pun)
Immediate 5. Justin Timberlake's vocals are phenomenal. paired with the two best producers of all time... this album has no choice but to be amazing.
Decent pop album from the early 00's - Standouts include Señorita, Like I Love You, Oh No What You Got, and Cry Me A River.