Justin Timberlake — Futuresex/Lovesounds

Justin Timberlake is a sexual being. That message is overwhelmingly apparent on every track of the falsetto-voiced pop star's sophomore solo album. The sexual energy, not unlike that of Prince, is usually conveyed sonically through Timbaland's now-familiar electro repetitiveness and a lot of horny lyrics. A collaboration with Three 6 Mafia on "Chop Me Up" and the single "SexyBack," with its catchy synths and bold pronunciations ("I'm bringing sexy back/You motherfuckers watch how I attack") are getting all the attention, but both are indicative of this record's contrived and belated adventure into dirty beats and aggressive misogyny. High points are the dreamy guitar interlude and soulful crooning on "Lovestoned" and the Bobby Womack harmonies on "Damn Girl." That track also features rapper Will.I.Am and is a far more inspired collaboration compared with the limp, watered-down rhyming on "Chop Me Up." Not surprisingly, the parental advisory stuck on the front of this CD is highly overrated. Unlike Prince, Timberlake's unwillingness to embrace the ambiguities in his slicker-than-thou swinger persona has once again resulted in a forced sexuality and a lot of whining and pining.

Get it from