I don't anybody was really expecting this album to be one to change the face of music forever, especially since it's not all that special in all actuality. After a four year hiatus from releasing music, pop princess Justin Timberlake came back in 2006 with Futuresex/Lovesounds, an album based on catchy electronica beats that would go on to spin-off a slew of more successful albums that more or sounded the same: Red Carpet Massacre by Duran Duran; Loose by Nelly Furtado (this record's sister album); Hard Candy by Madonna; In a Perfect World by Keri Hilson; Scream by Chris Cornell. Some of these records are very good-- namly Madonna's. Most of them are generic and stale, creative the new millennium's first major time-stamp. The brand of Timabland/Timberlake (codename: Timbo-lake) hip hop beats were fresh at the time of release, but at this point, I think just about everybody is fed up with them re-releasing the same crap over and over again. One of the few times Timbo's production didn't mimic his past work may have been Björk's Volta, on which she was the one to drop the ball. But back to the topic. Justin's release, in hindsight, is 80% fantastic beats and 20% really, really, really stupid lyrics. If it took him four years to create the sludgy mess on this album, then I just wonder what it would sound like if he had pulled a Kate Bush and took an entire decade off. I'd have to say that musically, this is one of Timbo-lake's best moments; lyrically, it's a nightmare. Unfortunately, Timbo had more to do with the overall feel, and I wonder how much input Timberlake actually had...or if he's just Timbo's bitch puppet.

Featuring a slew of guest spots from Timbaland himself to will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Futuresex/Lovesound is more interesting to dance to than to sit down and listen to. For all intensive purposes, I do enjoy this album, and I do enjoy Justin Timberlake-- the boy has attitude and he has style. That said, this record leaves me a little non-plussed when I think of alllll the guest spots he's done since. That new track with Ciara is way better than just about anything on this album, and I don't see the musical relations to Michael Jackson that a lot of others see. Not the blockbuster people may think, I first got a hold of this album when a friend let me borrow it, and even since it was pretty easy to figure out what I liked and what I didn't. The hypnotically fascinated electronica beats are phenomenal, stacking a hip-hop sensibility and slamming it together with something sounding like Kylie Minogue. Back when Timbaland was still fresh, these beats held up very well. And in 2009, this album still has some of Timbo-lake's best work. My Love is one of the few songs that is the complete package. It's a good example of Timberlake's attitude, singing in a Prince falsetto that's actually pretty good. The beat hits hard in front of a rolling synth, while Justin spits out: "Because I could see us holding hands / Walking on the beach / Our clothes in the sand." It's everything that I want in a pop song; the hook's great, and if the only issue is a rather useless interlude from T.I., then fine. I can deal with that.

The quality is not even close to being consistent, though (as cohesively hypnotic as this record is): if you bought this record for something better than Sexyback, then you're going to be disappointed. This track falls in the class of dumb and repetitive, but the beat is undeniable and for its time, it started musical trends then that are now being murdered today. Essentially, this is the disco, and I think we're all waiting for the backlash to happen-- I've got my hammers ready. Anyway, this is the perfect driving song, the perfect pop song, the perfect dance track...it's just got it all. I can't blame it for being overplayed, because, as dumb as it is, the hook is too catchy for words. You can't help but at least tap your foot. Lovestoned is an overly long dance song with a useless interlude tacked onto the end of it. The beat is great, utilizing a Jackson-esque beatbox, but the lyrics are sooooooo stupid: "She grabs the yellow bottle / She likes the way it hits her lips / She gets to the bottom / It sends her on a trip so right / She might be goin' home with me tonight." In just one verse, he lowers the bar pretty low with wonderful lyrics of having no standards and taking some drunk skank home because he's a gigantic manwhore! Wonderful. It's a very dance song, but if you try to find any merit in it, you're mistaken. Pop songs don't need to have the best lyrics in the world, but if anything, they shouldn't be intrusive and embarrassing. Period.

What Goes Around is Middle-Eastern inspired and has a nice melody...because I've already heard it before! Oh, yeah, this is more or less Cry Me a River from his debut record, except it's not as good. I mean, it's a pleasant listen-- don't get me wrong. That said, it's just not that interesting when you realize how similar it is to a vastly superior song. Lame. If it annoys me when Madonna does it, I don't like it when he does it. Chop Me Up is a more generic track featuring Three 6 and Mafia that kind of reminds me of an Eminem song beat-wise. It's got that troubling feel to it, and it's okay..but it's more annoying than effective. Between the guest vocals and then Timbaland's breakdown (that last way. too. long), this song has almost nothing to do with Timberlake. As the record goes on, you'll want to turn it off because it's a pop album disguising itself as a concept album. This is annoying, because they took some good pop tracks and extended them out too unnecessary proportions and tacked on some useless interludes (What Goes Around, much?). Oh, and the concept is sex in case you couldn't figure it out. Sexy Ladies is one of the better dance tracks with a darker beat and catchy melody, and I like the astro-feeling of the title-track. What I don't like is the Prince/James Brown knock-off Damn Girl, which has embarrassing vocals and almost nothing original or specific about it. The production is neo-soul, and it's nice, but the way Justin takes away from it is abrasive. will.i.am's random interlude is actually way more interesting, as it suits his style way more than Timberlake's. The bossanova beats and 70's vibe click with will's unique vocal delivery-- during his section, it sounds like a really good Black Eyed Peas song!

Summer Love is awesome. I love the warped synths and awkward production that's so slick that's a little rough around the edges. Justin's attitude seeps through the disc when it plays, and his vocals are much more suited to stuff like this: "I can't wait to fall in love with you / This just can't be summer love." Of course, as with most songs I like on this album, it doesn't end on its own; rather, it gets another ridiculous interlude that would be better suited for a remix EP. Until the End of Time begins with a drowsy and wet melody featuring some random Prince-1999-era drum machine samples. I like the overall feel of it, but the melody flatlines almost instantly, and it's not super fun to listen to. Also, this track featuring The Benjamin Wright Orchestra on the break...though they aren't featured. I guess it's not cool to give credit where credit's due. They aren't as fly as T.I. The album closes on Losing My Way, a spacey and depressed track, and Another Song (All Over Again), which begins with an American-Idol-solo-project piano and slowjam beat. Neither are all that great, but Losing My Way is at least interesting musical with its eerie quality. And then, the record's over. It wasn't awful. A lot of good pop songs, but really? This is the one that started it all?

VERDICT
It's okay. It's not the worst investment you could make with a CD, especially if you only shell out a few bucks for it in the used section. In making a cohesive record, Timbo-lake delivered. But in making one that's consistently enjoyable, they failed. It's not the cutting edge concept album they thought it was-- it's a dance album. Chop off the interlude and fix some loose ends, and this would probably garner a higher score. And I think the "concept" idea came about when they realized Justin's lyrics are a bit one-note. Anybody else?

**As usual, interludes/"preludes" do not factor in scoring.**

01. Futuresex/Lovesound [4.5 Stars]
02. Sexyback [5 Stars]
03. Sexy Ladies/Let Me Talk to You (Prelude) [4 Stars]
04. My Love [5 Stars]
05. Lovestoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude) [3.5 Stars]
06. What Goes Around.../...Comes Around (Interlude) [3 Stars]
07. Chop Me Up [2 Stars]
08. Damn Girl [2 Stars]
09. Summer Love/Set the Mood (Prelude) [5 Stars]
10. Until the End of Time [2 Stars]
11. Losing My Way [3 Stars]
12. (Another Song) All Over Again [2 Stars]

Best: Summer Love and My Love
Worst: Chop Me Up

SCORE: 3 STARS (3.4- )

Recommended: Yes