Justin Timberlake dropped his biggest album of the 2000s called FutureSex/LoveSound, proving that old music never gets old.

Timberlake didn’t get his fame all on his own. In 1995, Timberlake and four other members, Chris Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone and Lance Bass made a band called NSYNC. Their first major hit song was called “I want you back.” Timberlake was the main singer, leading the vocals. 

You’re all I ever wanted

You’re all I ever needed, yeah

So tell me what to do now

‘Cause

Then in the early 2000s, they came out with another hit song called “Bye Bye Bye.”

This song was such a big hit that it was number one for 10 weeks on the Billboard Mainstream top 40 and was featured in a movie called Deadpool. Later that year they also came out with another hit song called “It’s Gonna Be Me,” reaching NSYNC one and only song to hit number 1 on Billboard hot 100. Then two years later, the world hears the news. NSYNC breaks up. The main reason for the breakup is Timberlake felt he wanted to make his music by himself and focus more on a solo career. His biggest album in the 2000s was the album FutureSex/LoveSound.

 

“FutureSex/ Love Sound” is the first song in the album, which is convenient because the album has the same name. I think this song is a perfect way to lead into an album. It’s not too quick where you can’t understand Timberlake, but it’s not slow enough where you could call it a “slow song.” Also the repeating lyrics are a good touch to this song. In some songs, repeating the lyrics over and over don’t work, but in this song, they use it really well. Also the beat is very catchy. They use a wide variety of instruments, including drums, piano, keyboard and guitar.

In the second song of the track, he uses the same keyboard in the first song with just slightly a different beat. The first song is a little slower of a beat while this one he seems to play a little bit faster. While listening I also noticed that he likes to repeat the lyrics. This song right away you can feel the vibes. This song was also the most popular and famous song of the album. So popular in fact that this song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 again. This is his second time reaching the milestone, but first time doing it by himself. While doing some research about this song, I found an interview between Timberlake and Stephen Colbert talking about how he came up with the song title. Timberlake tells Stephen that he was pet sitting his neighbor’s rabbit and its name was “Sexy.” He assured them that he would bring sexy back.

 

The third track is one of my favorite tracks of the album. This song starts off with a sense of confidence and calming between two people. 

I can tell you want a drink girl

You ain’t gotta worry no more

You keep my bottles cold and you pop ’em

As soon as I walk in the door

The lyric “You ain’t gotta worry no more” makes us feel that he is very confident with whoever he is with. After the first chorus, we hear the lyrics 

Now it might sound cocky

But is it really cocky if you know that it’s true

I think these lyrics are trying to show that he is starting to fall in love with some girl, but she thinks he’s too cocky for her. His response seems to be very confident.

What I think he is trying to tell us is that he is a very confident person and can use it to his advantage when it comes to getting girls. I think the next song ties in perfectly with the same girl

 

The first part of the song starts out with what sounds like a cowbell, which was not a very common instrument used in the early 2000s. The rapper Prelude gets a lot more “screen time” in this part of the song, even rapping a little bit. They repeat the words.

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

My love (hey), my love (hey)

This indicates that the girl from the song before is now his love. They even spoil the beat to the second part of the song. The second part of this song “My Love” is my favorite song of the album. If you listen to the previous song “Let Me Talk To You then My Love,” it is a perfect mashup. The transition is so clean that when I listened to it the first time I didn’t even notice that the song switched. The beat is used by a mix of Timberlakes beatboxing, with a mix of some toy sounds. Timberlake is trying to tell someone that he is the one and he only has one love. The main chorus comes up and it’s the best in the whole album.

Well, baby, I’ve been around the world

But I ain’t seen myself another girl (like you)

This ring here represents my heart

But there’s just one thing I need from you (saying “I do”)

We see his use of confidence once again when he tells her all he needs is a I do. This makes the listeners think that he is going to propose to her. While verse one was good, the main chorus is 10x better.

I can see us holdin’ hands

Walkin’ on the beach, our toes in the sand

I can see us on the country side

Sittin’ on the grass, layin’ side by side

You can be my baby

Let me make you my lady, girl, you amaze me

Ain’t gotta do nothin’ crazy

See, all I want you to do is be my love

Verse two comes after the main chorus and let me tell you this is equally as good as the first verse. They slap you with Timberlake getting so desperate with this girl, that he’s willing to write a love to her.

Now if I wrote you a love note

And made you smile at every word I wrote (what would you do?)

Would that make you wanna change your scene

Towards the end of the song we hear the word “ring” come up, maybe signaling that he bought the ring and is about to propose to her.

   

The fifth track also uses Timberlakes beat boxing skill. This song fits right into the theme of the album, with the sexual tension. The first verse of the song makes it seem like he just met someone and they want to hangout for the night.  

It sends her on a trip so right

She might be goin’ home with me tonight

She must have been drinking too much to the point where she has no train of thought and can’t drive so she rides home with Timberlake. The main chorus speaks for the title of the song. He lays eyes on the girl and can’t move because he is love stoned. 

The way they hit her, I have to stop and stare

She’s got me love-stoned

The second part of the song comes on and you can notice a difference of tone in his voice. The beat slows down dramatically and his vocals go to a much higher, church like vocal. The main chorus comes on, even including some of the same lyrics as the first part of the song.

She’s got me love-stoned

I think I’m love-stoned

This song goes into depth about how he found this one girl, and he is so stunned by her that he 

wants to pursue her and hopefully marry her.

The 6th song of the track starts off with a guitar solo, leading into keyboard beats. The lyrics make it seem like the girl who he was “Love-Stoned” with is now not interested in him. 

Is this the way it’s really going down?

Is this how we say goodbye?

She must not be very interested into him, leading him to say those words to her. They were doing so well in the last song, but time caught up with her and realized maybe he’s not the best fit. The main chorus comes next and we hear the lyrics

What goes around, goes around, goes around

Comes all the way back around

We hear later in the song that she cheated on him, causing him to flip out on him and this guy.

When you cheated, girl

My heart bleeded, girl

So it goes without saying that you left me feeling hurt

This wasn’t just some random guy, she cheated on him with his best friend. They both start fighting until she storms out. He follows her until she runs into a car on fire, causing her death, leading us to infer when he sang the lyrics What goes around, goes around, goes around Comes all the way back around, this is what he meant.

Being the 7th song of the album,  this song fits perfectly with the theme of the album, with the sexual lyrics. The song starts with a calm rap part by what sounds like Three 6 Mafia, then it jumps into Timberlake doing what he does best. In this song, he is hanging out with a new girl, since his old one passed away. He sees her being tense so he tells her 

Relax, take your coat off, and let me get your name

I love that hourglass shape you got up on that frame

I like the way you talk your game, we might be one and the same

I have never listened to this song before today but after listening to it, I can say that this is a top five song of the album.  I would highly recommend it.

The 8th song of the track they start off strong with some rhymes that are actually pretty catchy

I been around the world, seen a million honeys

Really special girls, gave all my time and money

This song really shows how much talent Timberlake really has. He rhymes at least 5 times in this song, which he didn’t do very often in the 7 songs before this one. The girl in this song makes Timberlake so impressed with her all he can say is 

Damn, girl, damn, girl, damn, girl, damn, girl, damn, girl, damn

With just a song time of a little over 5 minutes, this is truly one of his most impressive songs of the album, showcasing a variety of his talents all into one song.

The 9th song of the album is one of my favorite songs by Timberlake. It was so hard for me to choose between this and “My Love” but this song is almost equally good. To start off this song, it has a very generic and basic beat you hear in most songs, but as the song goes on, the beat gets more complex and starts to draw your attention in. The first verse takes us through Timberlake meeting a girl while riding at a red light. 

Pull up to the red light, lookin′ right

Come here, let me get your name, girl

Tell me where you from, what you do, what you like

Let me pick your brain, girl

The main chorus comes after this and the lyrics at the chorus are so thought out and sung perfectly, I would say this is the best chorus of this whole album.

I can′t wait to fall in love with you

You can’t wait to fall in love with me

This just can′t be summer love, you’ll see

This just can′t be summer love (L-O-V-E)

He makes the chorus just a bit slower, allowing us to understand it more clearly. The second verse takes us through Timberlake letting the girl lead the way. He will do whatever she wants to do, either way he will be happy. He learned from his past mistake from track 6

Come on and lemme show you ’round, let me take you out

Bet you we could have some fun, girl

′Cause we can dress it up, we can dress it down

Any way you want it done, girl

Or we can stay home, talkin’ on the phone

Rap until we see the sun, girl

Do what I gotta do, just gotta show you that I’m the one, girl

The end of the song takes us back to the chorus and allows us to listen to the masterpiece one last time. 

 

As soon as the first note hits, you can tell this is going to be a slower song. He starts off the song with some snaps with a rippling sound effect. This really catches the listeners attention to show that Timberlake can do more than just fast, upbeat songs. With a run time of 7:33 and being the longest song in the album, it adds a great touch of blended songs, with some being slower and changing the mood, and some being fast and up beat. Towards the second part of the song, we notice a change in the vibe. It goes from a slower moodier song, to an upbeat part at the bridge. He sings the lyrics 

This one’s for the lovers

If you’re out there let me hear you say

Yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah 

He’s trying so see if there are any other lovers other than him. He has been a lover and looking for love that he has to call out to others make make sure there’s still someone out here for him. Other than the bridge this is a mellow song with slow, low like beats.

The 11th track of the song also seems like a slower song. Back when he was younger, he was the man back in town, but now he feels like a nobody. 

I used to be the man in my hometown

Until I started to lose my way

It all goes back to when I dropped outta school

Havin’ fun, I was livin’ the life

But now I got a problem with that little white rock

Later in the pre-chorus, we hear him say the lyrics that he is  watchin’ the world spin ’round. This makes the listeners assume that he got addicted to drugs. In an interview in 2006, I found that he did his “fair share of drugs’. Verse two comes after the second chorus and we notice the same type of behavior as we saw in the first verse. 

But I couldn’t get a grip on my newfound itch

So I ended up all alone

I remember where I was when I got my first buzz

He must have gotten more addicted to his “itch” that he spent a lot of money and as doing so, he ended up all alone, just because he couldn’t control himself with the drugs. First buzz means that was the first time he was drunk of high.

The last track of the song is a very slow, downbeat song. The first few songs of the album are so upbeat and have so much sexual tension, while the last three songs have very slow beats. While he is singing, he sounds sadder than usual. The lyrics 

So please give me another chance to write you another song 

And take back those things I’ve done

These lyrics show us that he regrets everything he’s done with this girl and is willing to start over. Throughout the album, we hear Timberlake talk about his love life, his sex life, and his happy life. But in the last three tracks, he gets addicted to drugs and alcohol, and loses everything he’s ever loved. 

This album started the rise of Justin Timberlake’s solo career, from making many hit song and albums, including “Can’t Stop The Feeling,” “Suit & Tie,” and “Cry Me A River.”