Justin Timberlake is one of the few modern day pop-stars that I actually really dig.  He’s handsome, is a fantastic dancer and although vocally limited, he makes up for it with some seriously great songs and a genuine desire to entertain his audience.  I’m no fan of boy-bands, in fact I find them nauseating so I (probably along with many) first discovered JT when he released his debut solo album Justified in 2002.  Not only was I instantly smitten but I appreciated his style and for some reason his music sounded fresh and edgy when so many of the R&B/pop artists of the day were turning out generic cliché-laden fluff. 

When listening to Justified today the thing that first strikes me is the obvious influence that Michael Jackson had on this kid and how well Timberlake was able to weave those sounds that MJ made his own into his own music, however subtle they may be (“And She Said (Take Me Now)”).  It’s also evident that although JT was still part of ’NSYNC at the time, he was not only testing the waters, but hell-bent on creating a sound and career for that matter of his very own.  Even on the love songs, the young JT never sounds mushy or out of his depths, he actually plays the romantic quite well as evidenced by songs like “Take It From Here” and “Still On My Brain.” 

A lot of credit for this record’s ultimate success must go to Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams who co-wrote most of the album with JT and its their understanding and guidance that no doubt made these songs as great as they are.  Some of them became big hits on all sorts of charts and deservedly so because they are insanely catchy and well crafted pop songs.  A case in point is of course the dace/pop gem “Rock Your Body” which is about as perfect as modern pop can be.  It’s got a great hook and funky bass-line that makes it impossible to hear and remain still at the same time. 

Another hit single was the album’s opener “Senorita” which is a mid-tempo, Latin-inspired dance song that still sounds contemporary.  The most experimental moment of the record was another hit for JT and remains one of his finest moments to date in his short but illustrious career.  “Cry Me A River” is a absolute gem with which the team unloaded their full bag of tricks on and it worked a treat.  The layered vocals and subtle orchestration would go on to form part of the sound that would turn JT’s next album FutureSex/LoveSounds into one of the defining pop albums of the decade. 

There’s virtually no filler here as even the album tracks offer something unique and fresh.  “Last Night” is probably the best of them as it finds JT pushing himself in the vocal stakes and it also sports one of his sharpest lyrics.  “Nothin’ Else” is also great and although it’s a straight forward love song, again they have worked it into a slick and beautiful sounding track that is topped off with some more layered vocals to compensate for JT’s limited lower register. 

There is not much more I can say about this one except for saying that I cannot for the life of me understand the harsh criticism that is too often directed at this young man.  There’s more to Justin Timberlake that good-looks and the media’s obsession with his private life.  Justified is a mature, well-crafted pop album that was a huge success for that very reason.

Rating: A-

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