The second Justin Timberlake album, four long years in the making, has already gotten much more hype than it deserves. "FutureSex/Love Sounds," a brainchild of Timberlake and urban producer Timbaland, who collaborated with Justin on six of the 13 tracks on "Justified," is confused, awkward, cocky, repetitive, and pseudo-original.
Nevertheless, it is amusing, if only for our ex-boy band member's efforts to convince us that he is more than the average grown teen imitator of Michael Jackson in a time when Jackson's career has experienced some catastrophic slumps.
The new "FutureSex/LoveSounds" is not a mess, but a well-intended failure. If "Justified's" role was to establish Timberlake as a solo artist, his sophomore album is more concerned with creating a unique style that will actually legitimize the former teen idol into the real new king of pop.
Guess what? It fails completely. The two "Timbs" try to get their point across by blurring the borders between rap, R&B, and pop (as it if has not been done before a gazillion times) and cram in as many hints about sex as they can.
Actually, "hints" is an overstatement. Just look through the titles of the tracks: "Futuresex / Lovesound," "Sexyback," "Sexy Ladies," "My Love," "Love Stoned," "Summer Love" and "Chop Me Up." One need not be at Justin's level of profundity to notice that there are not that many layers to this album, and there is nothing to speak of that establishes a new style.
Thematically, the album is filled with empty claims and boasts of Justin's empty bravado and self-assuredness, displaying his supposedly powerful libido and manhood. However, Timberlake, the object of desire for so many girls, never gets romantic at all. Timberlake claims that he will bring "Sexy Back," on one track, but this has to be one of the unsexiest albums ever. And it is far from a concept album either.
But, hey, subtlety and lyrical grace are not prevalent characteristics in the music industry today, so let's not blame Justin for this lack thereof. Unfortunately, the problem with this album is that it entertains only in places where it does not intend to.
Timberlake demonstrates his maturity by throwing some four-letter words in here and there. This strategy is interesting enough, after such experiences as the infamous Janet Jackson incident and promoting his new album by announcing to interviewers that, in his very own words, "Music needs an enema."
Timberlake also inserts a displaced but somewhat tolerable ballad against drugs called "Losing My Way" sung from the point of view of an addicted father. It would have touched me to the bottom of my heart if our hapless character hadn't begun his story with the lines, "Hi, my name is Bob/And I work at my job."
Other highlights of Timberlake's lyrical performance include "I am bringing sexy back," "Let's go to Dubai / I know you want a piece of that pie," "Call me candleman simply because I am on fire," "If I'm a Casanova/ then you're a supernova."
Musically speaking, the album is too calculated. While the beats are still the strongest aspect of the album, they are too cramped and wooden. The melodies are nonexistent and the arrangement too edged, abrupt and futuristic.
"FutureSex/LoveSound" is overloaded with sexual references, conflicting arrangements, early 80s pop influences, ballads, hip-hop, T.I and Will I Am (Black Eyed Peas) contributions, Justin beat boxing, and a song against drugs. Enough is enough -?the album can't bear its own weight.
The beats intermingle with each other and desperately try to be more creative. Interestingly enough, they sometimes succeed, as in the song "Love Stoned," which runs well over five minutes. The only other song I liked was the Rick Rubin-produced ballad "(Another Song) All Over Again" and, to a lesser extent, "Summer Love."
The songs themselves sound like their names do?compound, superfluous and combining too many simple riffs and beats into one big mess. Similarly, expressions such as "Futuresex" and "Sexyback" also add up to nothing, but Timberlake thinks that combining two overused words together makes them special.
The tracks tend to evolve one into each other, which gives some needed freshness. Overall, Timberlake's second production is overproduced and overstated.