Music Review: Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake

FutureSex/LoveSounds

Stars: 3.5/5

People can't seem to take Justin Timberlake seriously. He could well be on his way to becoming a serious and respected artist, but most of us just can't get past the impression he made while we were in middle school. And so one thing needs to be said before moving on: Get over yourself. Enter FutureSex/LoveSound (Zomba/Sony BMG).

It would be a far cry to say that Futuresex is a perfect record, but it's very near the best chart-topping album put out since the dawn of MTV.

There are three major observations to be made about what makes this album so significant. First, the album is beautifully produced by Timbaland, who weaves together an array of hip-hop, trance and R&B beats. In fact, the only two terrible songs are the ones not produced by him. Which brings up the second observation: Justin has made a wonderful transition into the R&B world. Many critics argue that there is no way that he will ever be a part of the R&B genre, but these critics are either racist, ignorant or a combination of the two.

Finally, and most importantly, Justin Timberlake is now officially a man. And by this I mean he has graduated from the "I want to hold your hand" image into a full-fledged "I want to exchange bodily fluids with you" persona. JT has finally learned that he doesn't need to appeal to the teenie boppers anymore and can now throw in a few cuss words while singing about having dirty sex. And the result is brilliant.

And so it is: Justin has moved past his days as a puppet being jerked around. Yet we can't seem to get past that image. For a change it's us, not him, who needs to grow up.