Monnie1976's Full Review: Justified by Justin Timberlake
Very rarely in history has a boy band member struck gold on a solo venture. I mean a few have had hit singles and moments in the sun but overall their post boy band activity would register a possible three on the pop richter scale. I can only think of a few exceptions. The first is Michael Jackson when he stepped away from his siblings in The Jackson Five. The second is the various members, especially Bobby Brown, of New Edition. And now we have Justin, who has had four hit singles off his first solo album, aptly titled Justified. This album definitely proves that he has a lot of potential and talent. This album is a decent start and where he goes from here is what is going to make him or break him.
The very first single "Like I Love You" kind of has a radio friendly intensity that immediately grabs the listener. The Michael Jackson comparisons were pouring in when this was released and musically I would say that is a compliment. This song definitely will remind the listener of the pelvis rocking days of the King of Pop and songs like "The Way You Make Me Feel" or "In The Closet". Timberlake wields that falsetto like one of those caveman clubs with spikes on it but it works. The whole breakdown towards the end and the guest rap make this an unbelievably catchy jam. Even all this time later this song is one I enjoy listening to. When you hear this on the radio its always a stand out. 5/5 Timberlake immediately followed this with the moody and brooding "Cry Me A River". The sound was really interesting and the atmosphere of the song takes it a little deeper than the lyrics do by themselves. Combining beatboxing, gregorian chant and giving it a Timberlake stamp for good measure, the production on this song is stellar and unique. Towards the end he does some falsetto ad libs that once again will bring on the comparison's to Jackson. 5/5
"Rock Your Body" was the third release and I always loved this song from the first moment I heard it. It has this 80's feel and it makes me perk up everytime it comes on. The hook is very effective and it just flows well from start to finish. I really enjoy working out to this song. A girl guest stars on this song by the name of Vanessa Marquez and he thanks her in the credits for lending her beautiful voice to the project. While I wouldn't go that far, she definitely sounds decent and her part of the song is pleasant. This is probably the first song off this album I didn't immediately think of Michael Jackson so that's a positive as well. 5/5 "Senorita" is an interesting song with it's latin flare and more laidback vibe. The break where he has the ladies and men sing separately is kind of weird thing. Someday’s I think its fun and I sing along, other days I am annoyed and think it’s two cutesy. I am sure most of you fall somewhere on that continuum.
If you are looking for a Stevie Wonder style song with fifty percent less calories then I would recommend "Nothin' Else". This song sounds like something you would find in somesleazy lounge somewhere in Las Vegas. It definitely has some of the phrasing concepts and keyboard elements that remind you of Wonder but it's nowhere in the same league. This song is best described as tolerable and it's pretty long and repetitive. 2/5 "Last Night" is another track that just doesn't work for me. It has the retro 80's vibe but it doesn't really have any personality and lacks a hook. It is better than the previously mentioned track but only marginally. 3/5
"Still On My Brain" is the first ballad on the album and it's a definite throwback to the Michael Jackson/Stevie Wonder sound
The vocals remind me of Michael Jackson era but the music reminds me of "My Cherie Amour" by Wonder. I really like this ballad and it works nicely for Justin. There is a shimmering quality and the phrasing just sounds wonderful with his voice. 5/5 Timberlake teams up with the wonderful Brian McKnight for another beautiful ballad that ends the album. It definitely sounds like a Brian Mcknight song and as far as I'm concerned that is a good thing. Mcknight can always craft a great ballad. There is a really nice key change and bridge that is accompanied by some beautiful strings. The piano on this song is really expressive. 5/5
I didn't like "Let's Take A Ride" the first few time I heard it but it did grow on me after awhile. It works nicely when your taking a ride in the car and it's summer time (go figure) and it does have an interesting choppy sound to it. I think Justin sounds more like his bandmate JC Chasez on this song because his voice is lower and aggressive. 4/5 "Right For Me" falls in the same category. He REALLY sounds like JC on this song and this song would probably be more at home on JC's eclectic album Schizophrenic. This song features redneck rapper Bubba Sparxxx and I like his appearance on this song. 4/5 "(And She Said) Take Me Now" feature his partner in crime Janet Jackson and features them getting a little naughty long before the Super Bowl incident. This song actually isn't one of my favorites on the album because I feel like its repetitive and not overly interesting. 3/5
Overall, I feel Justin released a very strong debut and considering he is one of the few solo acts from a boy band to have real success I think his track record shows he is justified for now. I expect him to grow musically and really takes his talent in new directions. It would be easy for Justin to tread water endlessly in the pop market until age cools him off but he can be so much more. His performance on last years Grammy's proves that he really has only scratched the surface if he chooses to go deeper as an artist and leave his boy band status behind. I am definitely curious how his follow up album will be and what directions he might go. I definitely recommend this album. If you didn't like the singles though you are not going to like the rest of the album.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.