cletta1201's Full Review: Justified by Justin Timberlake
Justified was probably one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2002. Whether you couldn’t wait to hate on it or whether you were an NSYNC fan doing your duties – the album had a major buzz long before its release date. Fresh off a breakup with the girl everyone loves to hate these days, Britney Spears - Timberlake’s stock as “a white boy with soul” was pretty high – but would it really be Justified? (damn, that was clever, no?)
- Track Listing -
01. Senorita
02. Like I Love You
03. (Oh No) What You Got
04. Take It From Here
05. Cry Me a River
06. Rock Your Body
07. Nothin' Else
08. Last Night
09. Still in My Brain
10. (And She Said) Take Me Now
11. Right for Me
12. Lets Take a Ride
13. Never Again
First things first, everyone needs to cease and desist with using The Neptunes [for those living under a rock or who are just plain unfamiliar, The Neptunes are a production duo who have had a strangle-hold on radio, television and music in general all year long, they produced hits for EVERYONE, ranging from Beyonce to Britney] as their producers for more than one track per album and from here on it – said song MAY NOT be the single. Just a little break from their sound – please. Said sound permeates “Justified” through and through and honestly – it hurts the overall appeal of the project. The album’s lead single ”Like I Love You” while infectious, does little to showcase Justin’s abilities – and most of you know that he is a capable and talented singer. There’s also the matter of the corny as hell ”Seņorita” which doesn’t remotely manage to be the least bit Latin or even good for that matter.
”Cry Me A River” and ”Take It From Here” are perfect examples of the material that Justin should be doing. The former is a Timbaland produced jam that wrings every bit of emotion from Justin’s seemingly tortured soul: ”You were my sun/ You were my earth/ But you didn't know all the ways I loved you, no/ So you took a chance/ And made other plans/ But I bet you didn't think your thing would come crashing down, no” Well now then. ”Take It From Here” sounds like an old R&B throwback and is a very charming song. There’s also not much of that falsetto that Justin has become known for doing – here, his voice is even and smooth – very nice.
”Rock Your Body” reminds me so much of 1988 that I can’t listen to it without thinking of gold ropes and break dancing and the jury is out on whether or not that’s a good thing. ”Still On My Brain” actually surprises musically. It’s very mellow and subtle, Justin sings in almost a hushed tone which adds an interesting depth to his vocals. ”Right For Me” is the ultimate example of a good producer gone wrong. While I can appreciate Timbaland’s work – “Right For Me” has a staccato beat that is just wrong. It sounds like Justin is singing just behind the lame a s s beat and what little music there is – overpowers all of the vocals, very bad.
”Let’s Take A Ride” reminds me of Usher for some reason. Here, I must give credit to The Neptunes for adding yet another dimension to Justin’s vocals that make him sound completely different than anywhere else on the album. The Brian McKnight produced ”Never Again” sounds just like that – a song that Brian McKnight wrote and you could picture singing – very piano driven and vocal focused. That’s not to say that Justin doesn’t do a good job with the song that smells like it could be about his doomed relationship with the princess of pop.
- Final Thoughts -
While I do think Justin Timberlake is fully capable of carrying an album on his own merits – his choice in producers often overshadows his talent and voice. I understand trying to work with the “hottest” producers – but when they have a static sound; it can lead to the music sounding monotonous. Having said that, the biggest flaw to be found in “Justified” is production – too much of it. Strip down some of the busy sounds and turn up the vocals next time around and you’ll make a believer out of me.
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