Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
Label: Jive Records
Release Date: September 12, 2006
I enjoyed his first album. Some of the songs were hit and miss but majority of the album was on point. But with this album, he totally blows Justified out of the water! Timbaland handle majority of the production on the first half of album and he definately brought JT his top productions. There are other top notch producers too like Will.I.Am. (Black Eye Peas) and Rick Rubin, as well as JT producing some of the songs himself. I am glad there are no Neptune beats on this album because they are horrible, and that was what I was afraid he would do for the second album. Thankfully he didnt. The Timbaland songs are the highlights of the album. All of the production are signature Tim beats with an even more futuristic sound to them. It also has featured artist on the album, they are Timbaland himself, Three Six Mafia, T.I., Will.I.Am., Snoop Dogg and Benjamin Orchestra Wright.
Ill run the songs down one by one.
01 - Futuresex/Lovesound - Heavy synth bounce for the opener. Actually it sounds like it sampled Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust." The verses are kinda slow but the chorus really picks up. But this is a good first song because its really captures the style of the album.
02 - SexyBack (Ft. Timbaland) - First single, Im sure you've heard it...YEA!
03 - SexyLadies/Let Me Talk to You (My Love Prelude) - Funky slap bass beat. Another bouncy type of song with a mixture of retro and futuristic sound with its Roger Trutman style synth. It leads right into the prelude for My Love. Its like a remix of the My Love beat, with Timbaland and JT going back and forth for a bit, and mostly just them saying My Love like 10 milllion times. Youll notice that some of the songs are like this, the main song ends with a interlude following it diectly without a break in the track, and its usually like a flip of the original song leading into the next.
04 - My Love (Ft. T.I.) - His second single, and the best song on the album. You might have caught him open up the VMA06 with this song. The beat on this album is utterly ridiculously insanely crazy. The beats like a tencho song chopped up. T.I. also comes in and flips it up nice. The verse, chorus, T.I. and beat makes this a great song.
05 - LoveStoned/I Think She Knows - It sounds like most of the beginning beat is beat boxed, and it sound damn good. The chorus and strings pick up and its definatly becomes one of the most dancable song on the album. It ends with the strings playing that reminds me of Savage Garden's To The Moon and Back's ending. It then goes into the interlude that actually starts off with guitars making sound like a rock song, but then the strings that were playing picks up again. This interlude is very good, and I wouldnt have minded if it was an actually song itself. This is my second favorite song the the album.
06 - What Goes Around/Comes Around - Starts off with satirs that continue throughout the song. Midtempo song thats sorta a "Cry Me a River" part 2, the way the verses are structured and sang, also the beat sounds similiar as well. Continuing at the end the song stops and goes into an interlude thats basically T.I.'s "What You Know About That" reworked, but it sounds damn cool.
07 - Chop Me Up (Ft. Timbaland and Three Six Mafia) - The production is basically a Timbaland beat mixed with a Juicy J (ThreeSixMafia) beat. Its has a definatly southern heavy bass but also gothic sound to it. If your lookign for something to bump hard in the car from this album, this is the song. Big ups to them for the "screw-ish" beat change when Three Six comes in.
08 - Damn Girl (Ft. Will.I.Am.) - Produced by Will.I.Am. so its jazzed influenced, with heavy hitting drums, and horns. This is the "Senorita" of the album. I could do without the Will.I.Am. verse tho.
09 - Summer Love/Set The Mood Interlude - Drum claps rides over the synthesiser heavy beat. At first listen I didnt like the song all too much, but the more I listen to more it grow. I think in part to that is because JT sounds like he's forcing his verses over the beat. Its goes into the interlude which is a slow song, with ascending piano and fingersnaps. It lead perfectly into the next song, althought its a bit long.
10 - Until The End of Time (Ft. Benjamin Orchestra Wright) - First slow song on the album. Beat sorta has an asian feel to it, also reminisce of earlier 90s slow jams. I think the drums are a little to hard for this type of song. But this song is for the lovers, so get your groove on.
11 - Losing My Way - If you can get over the funny beginning you'll hear one of the best song on the album. This is JT's conscience song telling story of "Bob" who have lost himself to the struggles of everyday life and drugs, and is looking for help. Timalands gives this song a nice tranquil sound with alot of strings. Honestly sounds a bit like a Michael Jackson type of song with the "choir" towards the end.
12 - (Another Song) All Over Again - A slow song, but it is great!! Typical "sorry" song but it seems like he's the only one willing to do a song like this that sounds like old school Motown. Most other R&B artist these days are trying to hard to be like rappers.
13 - Pose (Ft. Snoop Dogg) - Its basically "Signs" part 2. Same uptempo style and topic. Still a funky groove none the less, very dancable.
In the end I give this album a 9.5/10. Solid productions all around, solid vocals by JT. The songs with the interlude usually goes over the 7min mark but the interludes themselves are worth the listen.
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