The media had a field day as his relationship with Britney Spears fell apart. The members of *NSYNC made plans to disperse to Broadway or the moon. He garnered little respect from musicians or critics, regardless of genre.
The wave he rode to superstardom was falling fast from its millennial peak. It was judgment day for teen idols; only those with true staying power (or a reality TV series about being wed to another washed-up pop star) would survive the sea change in popular taste. A.J. McLean? Samantha Mumba? They've been wiped from the public consciousness.
Somehow, Justin Timberlake emerged from this mess as The Man.
Copying Michael Jackson's style and executing it better than Jackson has since 1982, Justin added hip to a list of credentials that already included rich and famous.
I'm not afraid to admit I like Justin. I mean, the guy's cool with Timbaland and Mick Jagger. And even if he hadn't suddenly acquired all this credibility, I would still dig him for one simple reason: His music is great!
Now, I'm not going to try to argue that Timberlake is an artistic genius. His hit singles owe most of their glory to a squad of in-demand producers, and his contributions often amount to imitating Jackson. But you know what? Originality is overrated.
As much as I appreciate innovation, I'd rather listen to a time-tested formula executed perfectly than a failed experiment. And regarding producers, where do you think Jackson would be without Quincy Jones? He would be known as a former child star in a messy legal bind, rather than the former King of Pop in a messy legal bind.
The Justin I have come to love first appeared at the end of *NSYNC's Pop. The song wasn't particularly good; in fact, it sounded kind of forced. But just when it seemed to end, the music kicked back into gear and JT began beatboxing! Yes, he was pushing his group in new directions, attempting to add some character to a disposable genre.
After touring to promote Celebrity
*NSYNC's members began to go their separate ways. Justin realized he was popular and talented enough to succeed without the rest of the boys in his band. This is when the mystery begins.
When and why did rappers and urban producers decide to accept JT? One moment he was being shunned by anyone with street cred, and the next, they were appearing on his album and kickin' it with him at the club. Were they swayed by the hefty paycheck Justin had to offer? Perhaps, but once they gave him a chance, I believe they realized he genuinely wanted to make great music.
Whatever led up to the release of his solo debut, Justified it resulted in some of the greatest pop singles of the past year. The zealous acoustic strum infused with a dance beat on Like I Love You the layered, bass-heavy balladry of Cry Me a River
the smooth, funky Off the Wall-style masterpiece Rock Your Body - each successive single was more infectious.
If Rock Your Body was when I gave in to Justin, Señorita hooked me for good. Sing it with me:
Guys: It feels like somethin's heatin' up / Can I leave witchoo?
Ladies: I don't know what I'm thinkin' 'bout / Really leavin' witchoo!
Call and response! Something's heating up, indeed!
Some people believe being a Justin fan while maintaining distaste for Ms. Spears is a conflict in philosophy. That's rubbish. You see, Justin can sing. He's charismatic. He makes fantastic pop songs. Britney is just a pretty girl that has to resort to publicity stunts like making out with Madonna or getting married on the fly to keep her career alive.
We can argue the merits of Justin's music for hours, how it's insignificant in the grand scheme of things, how it's a retread of the past, how he appeared on that terrible Black Eyed Peas song (the one recent blemish on his career). But it all comes down to personal enjoyment, and there's nothing guilty about taking pleasure in Timberlake's tunes. Now, please excuse me, I must be going.
If you need me, I'll be on the dance floor.
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Chris DeVille
