Justin Timberlake in 2013

ahah. the thing is I really like JT and quite excited by this !
but I'm just trying to take some perspective and see that JT is not the huge star he was in 2006 anymore (7 years, that's the whole beatles' career !)?

to stay with the beatles comparison, Lennon was releasing mind games by 32.
and MJ was releasing dangerous.
both nice albums... but far from their respective peaks !

he kept in the public eye pretty well with movies/SNL/occasional collaborations. he still has the starpower to be huge in 2013, it's just a matter of whether he'll be held back by apparently having zero new ideas in the last 6 years or any inclination to catch up with the times or present anything especially fresh or exciting.

I don't think Bieber is more exciting than JT because I have absolutely zero expectations for Bieber. He's no more exciting than any other pop automaton.

exactly the same sort of thing that would have been written about timberlake at bieber's age (while his own age-limited demographic were going mental at nsync shows)

someone tweeted earlier that they think timberlake still doesn't have any burning desire to return to music, he's only here because myspace flopped. JT coming back with a great album was (and might still be) just as likely as JT coming back with a dud, i don't think comebacks follow any "rules" as such. but he gave every indication that the long hiatus was down to disinterest in the first place, and laying ~renewed interest~ on so thick in that first teaser clip should have rung some alarm bells in retrospect.

not to derail thread but I can't imagine calling Dangerous "nice"

also roz otm on the evidence presented to us over the past year bieber is making WAY more exciting music than timberlake

alxtc you should listen to "as long as you love me" and "boyfriend"

I don't think Bieber is more exciting than JT because I have absolutely zero expectations for Bieber. He's no more exciting than any other pop automaton.

exactly the same sort of thing that would have been written about timberlake at bieber's age (while his own age-limited demographic were going mental at nsync shows)

otm.
although, again, I have never heard a bieber song (thanks for the suggestions, Lex, thoug !).

not to derail thread but I can't imagine calling Dangerous "nice"

well, personally, I have never liked this album (and I was a HUUUGE MJ fan when I was a kid and Thriller was released).
But since many people seem to like it, I just put "nice" to not get into arguments about that !

exactly the same sort of thing that would have been written about timberlake at bieber's age (while his own age-limited demographic were going mental at nsync shows)

Fair enough. I still think Bieber comes off like a total doorknob, though. JT never seemed like a total doofus moron, and c. "Celebrity" he was getting tons of credit for N*Sync's best moments - literally, too, since he's all over the songwriting, and not bundled along with a half dozen collaborator cushions like the Beeb is. Granted, it took "Justified" to really anchor him as a creative force, but he at least seemed like he was building toward that. If anything, Bieber seems to be getting dumber and less ambitious. But maybe he'll blossom into a grown-ass man.

JT never seemed like a total doofus moron

pls revisit the 'nsync videography

JT has never really stopped seeming like a doofus moron, just one with better hair

Bieber's whole career is based upon setting up as many Timberlake parallels as possible and it's all kind of unconvincing and sad, most of all because that's probably not what appeals to his fanbase and they should just let him take his own path. JT's arc worked for him because it was a little unprecedented (or at least didn't feel like some kind of transparent aping of George Michael's career or whatever) and felt like him being himself and following his passion.

his "passion"? hmmmm. it was a convincing move but even at the time it was a pretty obvious way to transition to a credible, adult career out of a teenpop one (and v much in line with what britney had been doing already)

bieber's yet to make a song that makes me care about HIM, but a couple of pretty great bangers is a good first step

xposting I mean in interviews and how he carries himself. JT seems like a doofus, but a charming doofus, with some degree (real or affected) of humility, and not a moron. Bieber is a doofus, but an unctuous, irritating one, because he is a moron.

Like, when Timberlake won that video award over Johnny Cash, then demanded a recount or whatever and talked about how much he admired Cash? I would not be shocked if Bieber had no idea who Johnny Cash was.

“Thank you. (Cheers and applause) Um, this is a travesty. I demand a recount. And I just want to say two things real quick. It’s an honor to be in a category with people like Eminem and 50 Cent and people that I admire. John Mayer as well. But also my grandfather raised me on Johnny Cash. I’m from Tennessee. (Cheers and applause) and I think he deserves this more than any of us in here tonight. So I guess in some cool way I share this award with him. He deserves a round of applause. Thank you MTV. Thank you.”

You were recently on an ad during the Super Bowl break with Ozzy Osborne. Any advice from the Prince of Darkness? Jane Playdon, London

“He…(Laughs) not really. Usher’s given me advice. He said to have fun with what I’m doing, and always don’t take myself to seriously and Drake told me to make sure I behave. But Ozzy was a nice guy. He’s settled down a lot over the years (smiles). But I like Black Sabbath, you know, some of the stuff. I like – what is it – School’s Out For Summer? (Q points out that it’s not by Black Sabbath) He did that song! (Q says it’s by Alice Cooper) No, he did that song! I like rock music, man. I like Guns N’Roses and Metallica. The Beatles. I like (Metallica’s) Fade To Black, and One. It’s edgy and emotional with those instruments and electric guitars and stuff.”

lol see that's the part that depresses me - I don't know, this might be unfair on Bieber, but I don't attribute his best work to him the way I do for Timberlake. I think a lot of the good songs that Bieber's recorded so far seem like happy accidents rather than sounds that he specifically pursued, whereas with JT it was very obvious what he wanted to do when he went solo (I've always seen NSYNC's breakup as a result of creative differences btw - there's that tension on 'Celebrity' with JT going urban/R&B and JC going more towards 2-step/dance music).

JT has always showed at the very least, a really good ear for pop music and I don't think I buy the idea that that goes away as soon as you hit your 30s. I just think a lot of what we've been hearing so far this year sounds really lazy and he knows better.

Lots of young people know JOHNNY CASH is the name of a Famous Person; it may not mean familiarity with his music.

If JT says his grandfather raised him on Johnny Cash, I have a feeling he is familiar with his music.

plus never forget:

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/291929/JUSTIN-TIMBERLAKE.jpg

Doofus!

BTW, did JT '13 get his hair straightened?

haha

I like his current hair btw, best he's looked in a while

He looked great last night. The music was another story.

his "passion"? hmmmm. it was a convincing move but even at the time it was a pretty obvious way to transition to a credible, adult career out of a teenpop one (and v much in line with what britney had been doing already)

eh as soon as Justin started writing N Sync songs they were leaning in an R&B direction (and not just Britney-style Neptunes production = R&B influence shorthand). i think he does like R&B and what his solo career sounds like than the early N Sync sound or, like, some pop/rock type sound he could've gone with a la Nick Carter.

I don't like the idea that Timberlake "matured," as if adult = mature. He really hasn't changed much since "Gone."

10 years ago we had bob hope, steve jobs and a pop sensation who was aware of johnny cash. now we have no hope, no jobs and justin bieber

The problem might be Timbaland, but for the moment this is off to a poor start.

new song is pretty great, the one from the grammy's last night was horse shit

'suit and tie' is becoming p unimpeachable

Josh in Chicago killin it ITT

i thought "Pusher Love Girl" sounded pretty good and "Suit & Tie" just gets worse and worse

i kinda love "mirrors"... i think it's a really fantastic vocal performance

i really can't even begin to give a fuck about another "cry me a river"/"what goes around" type song

it genuinely bums me out that THAT is the quickie 2nd single hail mary to "Suit & Tie"

i'm honestly not even sure why i think this, but i think "cry me a river" and "what goes around" are so distinctive that i'm okay with the idea of them adding to them for a sort of trilogy thing. i def initially felt like they were just playing out the formula or whatever but i think this song is pretty good on its own and idk i guess i've just really warmed to the idea of them making that song again.

also, again, i think it's a really fantastic vocal performance

i think it's a octology or something once you factor in all the songs justin has written/produced in that template

i will have to go back to "mirrors" with a fresh set of ears at some point though

maybe it's also that i'm not really feeling the direction of "suit & tie"/"pusher love girl" so i'm just gobbling this wheelhouse shit up

i think jt does the best he can with the sub-chris cornell scream guitar arpeggio that tim provides

lmao you took it there

the guitar sounds like so much dogshit

i can't even with this song

if "strawberry bubblegum" and "spaceship coupe" are bad i'm gonna be heartbroken

i could take them rewriting the same song for the millionth time (lol at "trilogy") if they'd bothered to write a melody as affecting as "rehab" (which was a good song despite the formula being way played out even then)

at this point i'll just be happy if we get a couple of legit decent jams off this album

i have mirrors going in my headphones now and i'm having trouble making myself pay attention to it.

eight minutes??

we only got four minutes to save the song