Justified

Was he destined to be a solo star? Absolutely, yes. Provided his history in the performing arts, no doubt about it. But it’s also this history that would make us realize that he was meant to go through those times to get to this first solo album Justified. That he was meant to join Star Search and not win. That he was meant to be part of the Mickey Mouse Club and be there as it got cancelled. That he was meant to be part of the hit boyband NSYNC and move forward as a solo act. Justin Randell, as was his first screen name, rose as a real artist to becoming the Justin Timberlake we now know— a total performer, an artist so committed to the craft he’s called to be excellent at. People who discovered him to be part of NSYNC also recognized his pure talent that they most likely were already able to foresee his future solo career. So, was he destined to be a solo star? Absolutely, yes! But it took him to take his passion so seriously that people also took him seriously when he came out with his first solo album. He had to make sure that the songs he wrote and the music videos along with his guesting had to be planned out and executed well to be successful as a solo artist. And then began the Justin Timberlake solo journey.

Boybands were a big hit in the 90’s. Some of the big groups that emerged include Backstreet Boys, Take That, 5ive, Boyzone and NSYNC. As a young girl living in the Philippines, these bands normally go on a promotional tour in Southeast Asia first before they take the risk and gain confidence in serenading the hearts of potential fans in their home countries. I remember a young Justin Timberlake with his curly blonde hair singing and dancing with four other good-looking guys in the tune of “Tearin’ Up My Heart” in one of the noontime TV shows. That time, Backstreet Boys and a number of boybands have been to the country and this is yet ‘one of those’ groups. For me that time, they were too generic. Boybands of the 90’s are the whole package – they can sing, dance and have the good looks worthy to be posted in our room walls. It was also normal for every group to have that one person who really stands out because of the overall package. Backstreet Boys has the boy-next-door prototype Nick Carter, Boyzone’s Ronan Keating is truly the star and with NSYNC, it was the youngest but most talented member named Justin Timberlake.

When Justin Timberlake emerged as part of the boy band *N Sync in 1995 and as they gained massive worldwide success, it was clear that he had what it takes to make it as a solo artist. Only time was going to tell when that solo breakout was going to happen. You could say the band was still at the peak of their success when Timberlake released his solo debut album Justified – and it showed all the promise that Timberlake was already showing off as a younger performer. Justified brings him out of the teenybopper world and right smack into the world of adult music, working with top producers Pharrell and Timbaland who gave him that urban R&B sound that suits the image of an adult performer Timberlake was aiming for. Transitioning from a boy band member adored by millions of screaming teenage girls to wanting acceptance in the music industry as an adult performer can be tricky business but when it pays off, the dividends can be that good! Michael Jackson famously did it a few decades earlier – and one can see that the young Michael Jackson was just oozing with talent – it was a no-brainer he had to have a solo career. In a way, the same thing can be said about Justin Timberlake, who, if we listen to Justified was aiming for that Michael Jackson ‘sound’ and even ambitiously aiming for the prince of pop throne when the career of the king of pop at that time was slowing down. Justified was a solid debut for Timberlake not only because it managed to give him a mature image and erase that bubblegum boy band image he had for years – but it was also a portent of things to come in his future – as he aimed to make his music racier and more funky – one that defined a shift in the pop and R&B sound at that time.