Justified
\*NSYNC\'s former frontman began his official deep-dive into experimental waters with *Justified*. Cool, chic, and heavy on disco- and Latin-singed sonics, Timberlake’s solo debut flows like a nonstop dance party. And with hip-hop producers The Neptunes, Timbaland, and Scott Storch taking the reins, Justin\'s creamy falsetto shines particularly bright on these dance-floor stunners. “Cry Me a River” is an unapologetic breakup anthem for the ages, and the punchy groove of “Rock Your Body” pays proper respects to Michael Jackson—JT’s greatest influence.
Still, showbiz kids are nothing if not savvy, so they know it's better to make the jump than to idle as an idol, no matter how hard that jump may be -- and no matter how hard they try, it's hard to judge the distance, and they may miss their mark. With his debut solo album, Justified (face it, that title was a given), Justin Timberlake misses his mark slightly; he hits much closer than fellow Mickey Mouse Club alum Christina Aguilera did with her Stripped, but he's uneasy as a suave, mature loverman, particularly because much of his stance is borrowed directly (and rather improbably) from Michael Jackson. JT -- a shorthand nickname that's distressingly inevitable -- shamelessly borrows from Jacko, from the Thriller-era getup and poses to the sharply modernized spin on the classic Off the Wall sound.