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Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

When I first heard the smoothly produced single “SexyBack”, I should have known Timbaland was behind it. Timbaland is known for experimental and original hits. He is known for redefining a music genre using a distinct sound or beat, while avoiding monotony. Timbaland is good, very good. Ask Ginuwine, SWV, Destiny's Child, Jay-Z, Nas, Missy Elliott, Beck, Brandy, LL Cool J and - if she were still alive - Aaliyah, just to name a few. He has produced hits for all of them.

With Timbaland producing (and featured) on most of the tracks, surely JT couldn’t go wrong. It was risky move for the Tennessee born JT, considering his days as a member of the boybabnd *NSYNC (remember “I want you back”?). The album FutureSex/LoveSounds is experimental and very different from what is on the pop charts at the moment.

To a sigh of relief from his record label, the album has received a warm welcome with a number one debut on the Billboard album chart, selling 684,000 copies in it’s first week of release. It also set a record for the most digital sales ever.

It’s the first number one album for JT, who is on his second solo CD post *NSYNC days. He’s all grown up and wants to prove it, with sultry sounds and sexy lyrics. Thanks to Timbaland, there is a generous helping of unique beats and style that will have every reviewer and radio manager scrambling to figure out in which genres to slot the songs.

The title track “FutureSex/LoveSounds” is sexy: “Her body's pressed up on me/I think she's ready to blow/Must be my future/Sex love sound/And when it goes down/Baby all you've got to do is/Just tell me which way you like that.”

In “SexyBack” you’ll be faced with a mixture of urban and dance. It’s a heavy electronic track with Timberlake’s voice distorted, possibly by a vocoder, to produce thick, yet unique vocals. And there are naughty lyrics to match: “Dirty Babe/You see these shackles baby I'm your slave/I'll let you whip me if I misbehave.”

“Sexy Ladies” will remind you of Prince in the 80s, when he was still a sex symbol and synthesised sounds were bigger than the hair.

Timbaland leaves his signature all over the CD, with his spacey hip-hop sound on “Chop Me Up” and string sounds borrowed from the east on “What goes around…”

But not all credit should go to Timbaland. JT does his part and pulls it off well. Listening to this CD you can imagine the lanky babyfaced blonde as…sexy.

-Nomfundo H. Mbaba+Tshabalala
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