#FutureSex LoveSounds

[jand87sportsgirlie]

Reminiscence of a life made better with JT

[thisaintascenereviews]

Justin Timberlake - Everything I Thought It Was

Justin Timberlake’s first album in six years, Everything I Thought It Was, comes with some context that frankly needs to be unpacked before we can talk about it. For starters, JT’s public image has been somewhat tarnished over the last couple of years, due to Britney Spears releasing her memoir and saying a lot of unflattering things about him and their relationship. People have also been began reexamining certain pop culture events in retrospect, especially the 2004 Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction of Janet Jackson (which she was penalized for but JT wasn’t). He should be rightfully held accountable for things that he’s said and done, and he has since apologized, but JT’s biggest crime is relying on his white male privilege in the pop industry during the 90s and 00s, especially when misogyny was running rampant. The other important piece of context that’s needed is that his last album, 2018’s Man Of The Woods, wasn’t critically acclaimed like his last few albums. It was successful, but a lot of critics were not kind to it. Man Of The Woods tried to reframe his sound as “back to his roots” album, taking on influences of country, Americana, traditional R&B, and some futuristic funk, but it was kind of a mess. Personally, I like that mess, and think that album isn’t as bad as most critics made it out to be.

A couple of months ago, JT released the first single from this album, “Selfish,” and it served as both somewhat of a return to form and a red herring. That song is very reminiscent of something he would have put out The 20/20 Experience, especially “Mirrors,” but with a sense of wisdom as someone who is a decade older. It turned out to be a red herring, because Everything I Thought It Was is a very energetic, groovy, and fun album. It has a few ballads, and some introspective moments, but this album is very much a return to form. This album reminds me a lot of his first few albums, whether it’s the straightforward pop and R&B of Justified, forward thinking pop and R&B of FutureSex / LoveSounds, or the disco, funk, and retro-inspired sounds of The 20/20 Experience. You can listen to the album and pick out sounds from other albums, or even specific callbacks to other albums, but the songs stand up on their own, so as much as this album leans into nostalgia, and it definitely does, it’s not the only trick it has up its sleeve.

At this point in his career, where JT is a husband, father, and older in general, he doesn’t have anything to prove. I don’t understand why people act as though a lot of well-established artists, especially those that have been around for decades, need to keep pumping out mindblowing or unique material that rivals their best stuff. That is ideal, as we want our favorite artists to keep making great music, but JT is a guy with nothing to prove and nothing to lose. If he wants to make an album that’s basically him doing what he does best, I’ll take it. A lot of other reviews I’ve seen for this album have made the argument that this record is safe, and I’d say that, too, but why is that a bad thing? Songs like “Fuckin’ Up The Disco,” “Play,” “Technicolor,” “No Angels,” “Liar,” “Selfish,” and “Sanctified,” among others, have fantastic grooves, silky smooth vocals, and wonderful production from a myriad of producers and writers. All of these songs have something I really enjoy, and weirdly enough, its 77-minute length doesn’t bother me. There’s something to like on every song, but I will say that the last four songs slow down the album a bit, because they’re slower ballads. “Selfish” is the one that kicks off the last few tracks, and that song is the best out of them, but there’s “Alone,” “Paradise,” and “Conditions.” “Paradise” is interesting, because it features *NSYNC, and not in a small role, but this an *NSYNC song, through and through.

If there is one issue I have with this album, and I say that lightly, it’s that the lyrics aren’t anything we haven’t heard from him. JT made the album out to be that this would be very self-reflective and introspective, and the opening track, “Memphis,” sort of promises that. The song is JT looking back at his younger self and being told that he’s going to be a star but at the expense of not being able to express sadness and pain, along with feeling alone and isolated. The song is sort of clever by being this drab and downtrodden trap / R&B song and JT’s vocals sound defeated and saddened. If that’s the point, that’s extremely clever, but if not, it’s just a coincidence the song sounds like that. The closing track, “Conditions,” is a song that has him admitting that he isn’t perfect and he’s working on being better. The album is bookended by some introspective songs, but the issue is, the rest of the album is stuff we’ve heard from him for the past 20 years. If anything, the reflection comes into the sound of the album, not necessarily what he’s saying.

Everything I Thought It Was is an album that feels like a mix between a course correction after Man Of The Woods (which isn’t even that bad, honestly) and an album that takes advantage of the nostalgia wave that we’re in. He doesn’t have anything to prove with this, and from what I’ve seen, most casual listeners care more about the hits than they do new material. That’s the case for most artists, unfortunately, but this is an album for diehard fans and people that are looking for a solid pop and R&B record. This has some of the best pop and R&B tracks I’ve heard in a while, and given some time, a handful of these songs may end up being some of his best. As a diehard fan of JT for the past 12 years, this is everything I’ve wanted, especially after Man Of The Woods. It’s just JT doing what he does best, and while there’s only one song that’s over seven minutes (“Technicolor”) that brings to mind The 20/20 Experience, this is a fun, energetic, and groovy album that I’m having a blast with.

[jtrocks]

[bestofmidi]

Is this the way it's really going down? Is this how we say goodbye? Should've known better when you came around That you were gonna make me cry It's breakin' my heart to watch you run around 'Cause I know that you're livin' a lie But that's okay, baby, 'cause in time, you will find

original midi at https://www.midis101.com/download/8618-justin-timberlake-what-goes-around-comes-around

[timberlakegallery]

(gif)

[littlecornerinbrooklyn]

i loooove the 3D choreography wow it's such a good return to pure pop dancing and there's only like one semi-awkward move and it's still on BEAT so I can forgive it there aren't any wedged in little extra moves and everyone looks like they're having FUN thank you jaykay thank you hybe for flying in some of the best hip-hop dancers to make a few performance videos

[littleblondesoprano]

🎶1, 12, 21🎶

Ahhh, thank you, doll!!! :D <3

Three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle

Hellraiser by Ozzy Osbourne No One Like You by the Scorpions 99 (Acoustic) by Barns Courtney

12. Three favorite songs from video games

Ooh!! So, all 3 are gonna be from Witcher 3, because I just love the OST for it. The first one is For Honor! For Toussaint! from the Blood and Wine DLC. (And shoutout to The Night of Long Fangs)

Cloak and Dagger from main game Witcher 3 (it's the horse racing song :D)

Kaer Morhen also from main game Witcher 3. I used to listen to the extended version to write!

21. Three songs of your childhood

Oooh! Whiskey in the Jar by Metallica. When I was little, I always thought the song was about pirates, which made it even better bc I fucking loved pirates. (It's about a highwayman, but ya know, it's still cool as a pirate song.) Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd, another one of mom's favs that became my own! Without Me (and Stan) by Eminem. I would ask mom to play the 'trailer park girls' song at elementary school morning drop-off, lol. Mom let me listen to most Eminem songs - clean versions, of course.

[samdelurvanrafigon]

Mic the Snare’s videos on the music that defined the ‘00s and ‘10s are very good, but while his video on the ‘90s is funny and immaculately edited, it also feels a bit…rote. Like naming cultural touchstones instead of crafting a thesis for the decade

[harryforguccy]

CANT WAIT

[thisaintascenereviews]

Hindsight Is (The) 20/20 (Experience): A Ten-Year Retrospective

Few artists have a legacy like Justin Timberlake. Getting his start as a child in his native Tennessee, he rose to prominence as the main member of boy band *NSYNC in the late 90s and early 00s. After releasing a couple of albums with the legendary boy band, where Timberlake really got his start were his first two solo records, 2002's Justified and 2006's FutureSex / LoveSounds. These two records are two of the most influential pop records to exist, especially in the early 00s. The former introduced audiences to a more "adult" Timberlake after his split with *NSYNC, whereas the latter record was a showcase of his artistic and creative mastery, ultimately being an interesting mix of pop, soul, R&B, and hip-hop, all the while including some top notch and futuristic (pardon the pun) from Timbaland. Just when Justin Timberlake was at the top of his game, as well as the charts, he walked away from music and ultimately turned to acting. Unfortunately, he was in some pretty mediocre to badly-received movies in the mid-00s, only to reemerge in January of 2013 with a new single and the announcement of a new record, his first in seven years, to follow.

I became a fan of Justin Timberlake in 2012. After picking up a copy of Michael Jackson's Thriller one day at FYE, I decided to sink my teeth further in the realm of pop music, starting with Justin Timberlake's aforementioned FutureSex / LoveSounds. While I haven't listened to that record in a long time, it was one of the first pop records I really enjoyed, as well as make me realize that pop music had something to say. Pop music could be unique, challenging, and strange, all the while being catchy and slick. Needless to say, I was excited for his upcoming surprise release, dimply titled The 20/20 Experience. Named for how Timberlake asked his friends what they thought of the new material on the record, and they kept saying that it was "music you could see," its title is quite fitting, because this record feels both like an entire experience and an album that you can picture in your mind.

Lead single "Suit and Tie" was the first taste we had from the upcoming record, and in retrospect, this song was the most "straightforward" on it, but it's also one of the most fun songs as well. This song got me very excited for The 20/20 Experience; featuring rapper Jay-Z for some reason, the song is a fun, energetic, and swinging R&B, pop, and almost big band type of song. To this day, "Suit and Tie" is one of my favorites from the album. The album only came out a month after the lead single debuted, which was unlike a lot of records at the time, since a lot of bands and artists took a couple of years before they released a new record, especially after announcing it, but Timberlake helped to usher in "the surprise release." These days, artists can just drop albums out of nowhere, especially when they haven't released anything in a very long time. I'd like to credit Justin Timberlake with helping that idea get off the ground, especially for how successful The 20/20 Experience was. Ultimately being the highest selling album of 2013, let alone almost a million copies alone within its first week, the album was also critically acclaimed and won a couple of Grammy's as well.

This year, 2023, The 20/20 Experience celebrates its tenth birthday, and that's honestly hard to believe. I randomly thought about this album a couple of weeks ago, and realized that it indeed has been a whole ten years since this record came out, so I had the idea to take a trip down memory lane to see why this album this was so successful, as well as ultimately see how the album has held up within the last decade. I think the best way to describe this record is "lightning in a bottle." The right circumstances happened to make this record possible, such as Timberlake walking away from music for a brief time to get some newfound inspiration, and I don't think it could be replicated. Hell, he tried to do it by releasing a second part later on in the same year and it's not as good. It just feels like a collection of B-sides and rejects, versus another complete album. Looking beyond that, however, there are a lot of reasons why this album works so well, and the biggest reason (at least for me) is the songwriting and production.

I would make a huge argument that, like FutureSex / LoveSounds, this record was (and still is) ahead of its time. This record has a lot of very interesting, unorthodox, and off the wall production choices that work quite well. Each song has its own distinct identity, but the album also flows seamlessly well, so it never becomes distracting. Its sound also pulls from certain styles of music that weren't very popular within the mainstream pop sphere, at least not for another couple of years, those being retro soul, disco, and R&B. Timberlake and Timbaland looked to the past with this record, but they turned those ideas and sounds into something almost futuristic. The songs ebb and flow within each other, especially considering that almost every song is between seven and eight minutes. This album is a bit lengthy, clocking in at 70 minutes (not counting the bonus tracks), but every second feels necessary. I wouldn't cut out a second of this album, because none of the time is wasted. Timberlake meticulously crafted a record that is a bit lengthy, but doesn't feel like it at the same time. If anything, this record is more about rhythm, flow, and style compared to accessibility and catchiness, but here's where the album is so genius -- it's still catchy. Even the longer tracks are very catchy in certain moments, so the album still works on a surface level, but it does have many more layers that you can deconstruct with multiple listens.

Moving onto Justin Timberlake's voice, as well as his lyrics, this is where the album somewhat falters for me. Not necessarily for his vocals, as his voice has always been a lot thinner and higher pitched than other male pop singers, but he's got a lot of charisma and charm that oozes through this record. It's impossible not to be charmed by him throughout this entire record, it's so much infectious. It's the lyrics that are where I'd take or leave this record, although I don't think anything has aged poorly, per se. There's nothing on here that's bad, whether it's in retrospect or for the time, but the lyrics aren't very interesting at times, although I don't feel as though that's the point. Certain tracks have some rather cringe-inducing lyrics, I suppose, but I feel as though the focal point of this album is the production, which is very expansive, somewhat experimental, and free-flowing, versus tight and accessible. The lyrics aren't offensive in any way, and they haven't aged poorly in the sense that they were acceptable back then, but now they're not. They're just not that interesting in retrospect, even though a lot of the subject material, which is mostly dedicated to his wife, Jessica Biel, is very commendable, or at its worst, it's very "basic."

The 20/20 Experience, despite its very small faults that it has, is still one of my all time favorite records. I haven't listened to this album in a very long time, kind of because I've grown away from pop and R&B music, although I've found myself enjoying it again here and there, especially recently, but I didn't forget about this record. Even listening to it for the first time in years took me back to actually hearing it for the first time. It sounds just as fresh and interesting as it did a decade ago. Not a lot of albums sound like that, especially from the 21st century. I almost think this album is better now than it was a decade ago, because it still sounds fresh and unique compared to a lot of pop music out there when you listen to this and listen to music released now. If you haven't listened to The 20/20 Experience in awhile, I'd spin this record and check it out, because it's one of the most rewarding, fascinating, and wonderful records I've ever heard.

[jtrocks]

[toncharts]

Avaliação do Álbum 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' de Justin Timberlake

Quer saber mais sobre a minha avaliação das faixas do álbum 'FutureSex/LoveSounds' de Justin Timberlake? Confira aqui e descubra a média final do álbum!

Justin Timberlake

FutureSex/LoveSounds

8 set 2006

13

pop dance rap hiphop

1

FUTURESEX/LOVESOUND

2

SEXYBACK

Timbaland

3

SEXY LADIES

4

MY LOVE

T.I.

5

LOVESTONED

6

WHAT GOES AROUND/COMES AROUND

7

CHOP ME UP

Timbaland, Three 6 Mafia

8

DAMN GIRL

will.i.am

9

SUMMER LOVE

10

UNTIL THE END OF TIME

11

LOSING MY WAY

12

(ANOTHER SONG) OVER AGAIN

13

POSE

ano2006 atoJustinTimberlake albumFutureSex/LoveSounds generopop generodance generorap generohiphop avaliação álbum 2006 JustinTimberlake FutureSex/LoveSounds JustinTimberlakeFutureSex/LoveSounds

[patrickstumpshand]

Wow!! Patrick showing those arms, Pete in a skirt, the Justin Timberlake reference, this pic is a real treat

hiiiiiiiii boys. hiiiiii pete in a skirt

[patrickstumpshand]

I love the JT reference in this mag pic XD