With his debut solo album,
Justified,
Justin Timberlake borrows from
Michael Jackson, from the
Thriller-era getup and poses to the sharply modernized spin on the classic
Off the Wall sound. To be sure, the sound of the Neptunes productions which dominate
Justified is the best thing about the album; they have a lush, sexy, stylish feel that is better, more romantic than most modern R&B.
Timberlake is a technically skilled vocalist, with a smooth falsetto. The songs are pretty on the surface -- apart from some flop
Timbaland productions (which he redeems with the slinky funk of "Right for Me"), the sound of
Justified works well. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine