Justin Timberlake - Justified (2002)

Justified is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on November 5, 2002, by Jive Records. The album was written and recorded in a six-week period, during the hiatus of the singer's band NSYNC.
For the album, Timberlake began to adopt a more mature image as an R&B artist opposed to the previous pop music recorded by the group. Most of the album was produced by The Neptunes, with additional collaborators including Brian McKnight, Scott Storch, Timbaland, and The Underdogs.
The album features guest appearances by Janet Jackson and rap duo Clipse. Primarily an R&B album, Justified also contains influences of dance-pop, funk and soul music
Growing up is hard to do, as any teen pop idol will attest. Still, showbiz kids are nothing if not savvy, so they know it's better to make the jump than to idle as an idol, no matter how hard that jump may be -- and no matter how hard they try, it's hard to judge the distance, and they may miss their mark. With his debut solo album, Justified (face it, that title was a given), Justin Timberlake misses his mark slightly; he hits much closer than fellow Mickey Mouse Club alum Christina Aguilera did with her Stripped, but he's uneasy as a suave, mature loverman, particularly because much of his stance is borrowed directly (and rather improbably) from Michael Jackson. JT a shorthand nickname that's distressingly inevitable -- shamelessly borrows from Jacko, from the Thriller-era getup and poses to the sharply modernized spin on the classic Off the Wall sound.
To be sure, the sound of the Neptunes productions which dominate Justified is the best thing about the album; they have a lush, sexy, stylish feel that is better, more romantic than most modern R&B. Too bad they're delivered by such a cipher. Though he's turned into a technically skilled vocalist, he's still too much of a showbiz kid all technique and surface, not much substance.
His falsetto may be smooth, but it's utterly without character, which unfortunately describes the songs too: pretty on the surface, but devoid of memorable hooks. This means that what truly stands out is when he breaks from form and tries to prove how street and hip he is, delivering awful double-entendres like "I can think of a couple of positions for you" and "get real wet if you know what I mean" and exhorting the fellas and ladies to sing separately in a cringe-worthy affectation on "Senorita." When he sings that he'll "have you nekkid by the end of the song," he doesn't sound like a seductor, he sounds like a kid actor awkwardly assuming a new persona.
This isn't without merit the sound, apart from some flop Timbaland productions (which he redeems with the slinky funk of "Right for Me"), works well, and if these cuts were songs instead of tracks, his bland falsetto would be fine. This sure isn't the musical immolation of Christina's ugly Stripped. Unlike that album, this suggests a direction Timberlake could follow in the future, given stronger songwriting collaborators. But Justified is just sound and posturing, with no core.

Track listing

01. "Senorita"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:54 
        Backing Vocals – Lainie Aguilar, Vocals [Additional] – Pharrell Williams
02. "Like I Love You"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:43
        Rap [Featuring] – Clipse 
03. "(Oh No) What You Got"  (J. Timberlake, T. Mosley)  - 4:31
        Vocals [Additional] – Timbaland
04. "Take It From Here"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 6:14
        Strings – Charles Veal Jr.
05. "Cry Me A River"  (J. Timberlake, S. Storch, T. Mosley)  - 4:48 
        Backing Vocals – Greater Anointing, Marsha Ambroise, Timbaland, Tyrone Tribbett
06. "Rock Your Body"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:27 
        Vocals [Additional] – Vanessa Marquez
07. "Nothin' Else"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:58 
08. "Last Night"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:47
        Strings – Charles Veal Jr.  
09. "Still On My Brain"  (D. Thomas, H. Mason Jr., J. Timberlake)  - 4:35
        Bass – Nathan East, Mixed By – Dave Russell, Producer – The Underdogs 
10. "(And She Said) Take Me Now"  (J. Timberlake, S. Storch, T. Mosley)  - 5:31
        Vocals – Janet Jackson, Backing Vocals – Timbaland
11. "Right For Me"  (J. Timberlake, T. Mosley)  - 4:29
        Vocals [Additional] – Timbaland, Rap [Featuring] – Bubba Sparxxx 
12. "Let's Take A Ride"  (C. Hugo, J. Timberlake, P. Williams)  - 4:44 
13. "Never Again"  (B. McKnight, J. Timberlake)  - 4:34
        Mixed By – Dave Pensado, Producer – Brian McKnight

Credits
Backing Vocals – Lainie Aguilar, Greater Anointing, Marsha Ambroise, Timbaland, Tyrone Tribbett
Vocals [Additional] – Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, Vanessa Marquez, Janet Jackson
Raps - Clipse, Bubba Sparxxx
Clavinet – Scott Storch
Guitar – Bill Pettaway, Ben Kenny
Bass – Nathan East, Thaddaeus Tribbett
Drums - George "Spanky" McCurdy, Prescott Ellison
Flute – Damon Bennett
Keyboards – Omar Edwards
Percussion – Frank "Knuckles" Walker, Vidal Davis
Strings – Charles Veal Jr.
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor [Strings] – Benjamin Wright
A&R [Consultant] – Silas White
Creative Director – David Lipman
Management – Johnny Wright, Lynn & Paul Harless
Mastered By – Herb Powers Jr.
Mixed By – Jimmy Douglass, Serban Ghenea
Photography By – Steven Klein
Producer(s) – Gabriel Rey Sanchez, The Neptunes, Timbaland, Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Brian McKnight

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Zomba Recording Corporation
Copyright (c) – Zomba Recording Corporation
Manufactured By – Zomba Recording Corporation
Made By – Zomba Recording Corporation
Mastered At – The Hit Factory
Record Company – BMG Direct Marketing, Inc. – D145779

Notes
Release date: November 5, 2002
Recorded at: Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Manhattan Center Studios in New York City and Master Sound Recording Studios and Windmark Recording in Virginia Beach
Genre: RnB/Swing
Length: 63:15
© 2002

Label - Jive Records