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Justified (by Justin Timberlake, Pop)

common sense media says

Solid R&B; check lyrics before sharing with kids.

parents & educators say
See all 3 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that the songs here are pretty much divided into two camps: bitter post-breakup rants and newly single boasts. The former are clean in terms of sex and language but the anger and vengefulness Timberlake displays is a bit alarming. The latter group of songs are full of sexual messages--from "Funny how a few words turned into sex" in "Like I Love You" to "I could think of a couple of positions for you" in "Right for Me." Kids may tell you that they don't listen to the lyrics because these are just fun dance songs, but it's still worth discussing the sexual messages they're receiving here.

Positive messages: Justin Timberlake comes across as one very bitter young man--apparently his last relationship didn't turn out too well...Also, his bragging about his swinging single life borders on being obnoxious.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Ranges from innuendo ("get real wet if you know what I mean" in "(And She Said) Take Me Now" to obvious ("better have you naked by the end of this song" ) in "Rock Your Body".
Language: Some profanity--"hell", "damn", "ass".
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: One reference to drinking shots in "Like I Love You".
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More on Justified

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about why Timberlake seems so angry, and talk about the different ways people handle the end of relationships. And why does he feel the need to be so in-your-face about his love life?

What's the story?

What's the story?
Like his fellow ex-Mouseketeers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake is out to prove to the world that he has matured. For his first solo album JUSTIFIED, he didn't take any chances -- he brought in the big guns of hip-hop (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of the Neptunes, P. Diddy) to help create a legitimate R&B album that should make most people forget about his boy-band days.The best songs here are the fun, upbeat ones--"Rock Your Body" is the kind of song that gets wallflowers on the dance floor (parents should be aware that the lyrics are racy, with Timberlake promising to "get you naked by the end of this song"), while "Senorita" is the perfect party starter (that's quite a falsetto he has!). However, he slips when he shifts into bitter mode ("Never Again" and "Last Night").

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
Clearly Timberlake still needs to grow as an artist (and get over his bitterness!), but it seems that we can certainly expect great things from him going forward. Bottom line: This is great R&B, but you may want to run through some of the lyrics on a Web site such as Lyrics.com before you share this with your kids.

Music themes & details

Music Details
Released on: November 5, 2002
Label: Jive Records
Genre: Pop
Edited version available: Yes
This review was written by Beth Pratt
 
 

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Most useful reviews by all members

Rosebud95
teen, 16 years old
13
 
Nice
This album is a bit iffy, but it's a nice one. And listening to him in NSync and him on this album, I think his voice improved. Now, about the sex on this album. Random iffy lines come up in the songs. Like in "Rock Your Body" (...that a-- shakin' thing you do" and "better have you naked by the end of the song) and "Like I Love You" (in the rap: "Funny how a few words turn into sex"). There's probably more, but that's all I know right now. Overall, it's a good album.
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sra_timberlake07
adult
 
I <3 Justin
This CD has some sexual innuendos that surprised me, but overall it is a good CD. The sexual innuendos aren't often enough to be taken seriously. I love this CD and Justin Timberlake.
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Michael G.
adult
 
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helped me decide (1) | had useful details (1) | read my mind (1)

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