Justin Timberlake is not an artist I have not known of very long. I did not really know of his music until his third studio album The 20/20 Experience came out. Justified is his debut album and it put him at the top quickly. I knew of Timberlake from his film roles. I forgot to mention that he is a former member of the boy band NSYNC. I honestly did not know about this band. It was not the kind of music that I listened to. I never liked any boy bands and I could barely stomach a few of the popular girl groups. When I say girl groups, I am thinking of Destiny’s Child and the Spice Girls, but I never liked either. Also, in full disclosure, I am not sure if I have ever heard anything from the Spice Girls.
As I listen to this album, I sort of recognise a couple of the songs. I have heard “Cry Me a River” and “Rock Your Body“, but not often. I think I heard them in series like X Factor and American Idol. I have not heard them on The Voice because I do not watch that series; it sucks.
The best songs might be the two hits mentioned in the previous paragraph. I also liked the Michael Jackson rip-off “Still on My Brain”. Maybe that is harsh. It seems Timberlake admired Jackson a lot. Most of the songs are pretty good, especially “Last Night”, “Señorita”, and “(And She Said) Take Me Now”.
Overall, it is a good debut album, but I think Timberlake grows into a better artist by his third album. Maybe the hiatus he took for his acting ventures paid off on his music. Oddly, I can hear hints of this album on The 20/20 Experience. 7/10.
an ocean roars 