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W
hen Justin Timberlake
returned to the music
scene at the beginning of
this year after a break and
released his third studio album
The 20/20
Experience
in March through RCA Records
(due to the disbandment of Jive Records),
we were overly excited. Looking every
inch the mature, sophisticated (and now
married) man and sporting a neat slick
back hairstyle (alas, gone are his curls), a
Brat Pack style suit and tie, JT as he was
known in the early days melted our hearts
with his debut and second singles ‘Suit &
Tie’ and ‘Mirrors’.The man who brought us
‘Sexyback’ and ‘My Love’ from his second
album
FutureSex/LoveSounds
and nicknamed
‘Trousersnake’ because he’s, um, well
apparently well-endowed brought out the
sexy streak in us.
Hailing from Memphis, Tennessee and
raised in a Baptist church, Timberlake
probably got his beautiful falsetto voice
from singing in the church choir, like many
of the past and present singers on the
music scene. You may have remembered
him from the New Mickey Mouse Club in
which he performed from 1993 to 1995
with fellow singer (and former girlfriend)
Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and
JC Chasez. Later, Timberlake and Chasez,
along with Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and
Chris Kirkpatrick, would form the all-male
singing group ‘N Sync, which went on to
become one of the hottest pop groups to
emerge out of the 90s, releasing albums
NSYNC
in 1998,
No Strings Attached
in 2000
and
Celebrity
in 2001.
Embarking on a journey of musical
discovery, Timberlake decided to take the
plunge and pursue a solo career during
‘N Sync’s hiatus in 2002, debuting with hit
song ‘Like I Love You’. His first solo album,
Justified
soon followed, selling over seven
million copies worldwide. The album’s
R&B influence was provided by hip-hop
producers The Neptunes and
Timbaland, and spawned the
top 10 with singles
‘Cry Me a River’
(reported
to
be