I gotta agree with alot of this... Pharell is the real King of Pop, he can do it all, Justin is just a puppet..

http://www.boston.com/ae/...justified/

Timberlake as the 'new King of Pop'? No way it's justified
By Ren ee Graham, Globe Staff, 2/17/2004

For the cover of its 2003 year-end issue, Rolling Stone dubbed Justin Timberlake the "new King of Pop." Timberlake, the article maintained, successfully reshaped his public persona as "just a boy-band star," and, with his solo debut, "Justified," proved himself more than "just a hunky white boy emulating Michael Jackson."

ADVERTISEMENT

In anointing Timberlake the "new King of Pop," the implication, of course is that the young singer is this generation's Jackson -- which, regardless of how you may feel about Jackson or Timberlake, is so wrong-headed, it's utterly laughable.

Granted, Jackson was a self-crowned King of Pop. Still, the ridiculed title stuck because it was impossible to argue even with the self-aggrandizing proclamations of a man who once, indisputably, was the biggest pop star in the world. Exactly what has Timberlake achieved to deserve consideration as the rightful heir to such pop supremacy?

That Timberlake has been allowed a Houdini-like escape from major criticism despite his prominent role in Janet Jackson's Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction," speaks to just how desperately the music industry may be looking for a Great White Hope to counter the more troublesome likes of 50 Cent and Eminem.

Sure, Timberlake now has two Grammys, and there's still an impression the award instantly bestows artistic validation. But a few shiny trinkets does not an artist make; remember, the tedious Evanescence also won a Grammy at last week's ceremony. So far, Timberlake's greatest talent has been distancing himself from his original incarnation as a blonde-haired dancing marionette in 'N Sync by mimicking the R&B icons he so slavishly admires. In 2002, his solo debut performance at the MTV Video Music Awards singing "Like I Love You," was vintage-era Michael Jackson, but without a scintilla of originality. Were we watching Timberlake or actor Corey Feldman during his weird Jackson obsession phase?

When "Justified" was released a few months later, the hits "Like I Love You," and "Cry Me a River" worked mainly because of the prodigious knob-twiddling by the Neptunes and Timbaland, respectively. But, taken as a whole, Timberlake, who shares writing credits on all the tracks, brought little to the polished surface provided by a studio-full of high-powered producers working overtime.

Yes, Timberlake is young -- he's just 23 -- but Jackson was only 21 when he released "Off the Wall," and that album remains exciting and fresh 25 years after its release. And Jackson wrote and coproduced three of its tracks, including the classic, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."

Perhaps weary of the Jackson comparisons, Timberlake has skipped onto aping another legend -- the great Stevie Wonder. At last week's Grammy telecast, Timberlake plopped himself behind a keyboard on a rotating pedestal to perform "Senorita."

"The guy's a star, there's no point in trying to deny that anymore, if anyone was still thinking to do so," wrote Kurt Loder, who really should know better, in his MTV.com Grammy wrap-up. "But he really is funky, too, and swaying away behind an electric piano almost like Wonder himself, he's undeniably a real musician."

That's what Timberlake wants us to think. Yet except for a chord here and there, there was no indication the guy can really play keyboards. (The real music was supplied by jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and a group of backing musicians, including two keyboard players.) Timberlake was trying so hard to channel Wonder, I half-expected beaded cornrows to sprout from his head.

When Wonder was Timberlake's age, he was writing, producing, arranging, and playing virtually every instrument on such masterpieces as "Music of My Mind" and "Talking Book," and was beginning arguably the greatest creative decade ever for a solo artist. He sounded like no one else before him. For all his efforts, Timberlake has no musical identity, and even with a better team behind him, he's still too studied and manufactured.

Timberlake can sing, but his voice lacks any genuine depth or emotion. He's a hard-working performer, but he's also like the smartest kid in the class who mostly succeeds by memorizing his lessons without having any real concept as to what it all means. There's nothing wrong with admiring and drawing inspiration from great artists, but the key is bringing an added level of personal artistry, so that a performance is more than just a wan imitation. And unless Timberlake can discern the difference, the so-called "new King of Pop" will never be more than a pretender to the throne.

on point!

Very inductive and straight 2 the line. he is not changing anything musically just as the rest of the r&b cats out there. its top 20 radio and...plainly just not innovative or miindblowing. I mean people like Meshell, Commen, Outkast, hell even Jay Z does something with the music that will make u want 2 still listen 2 it years and years from now, while Justin is a puppet on the producer's strings, hoping that his producers will help him with the next rekid 2.

OUCH!!

Have to say I agree. Comparing him to STEVIE??? Step AWAY from the crackpipe. . . .

YES!!! Finally! That rant says what I feel about JT perfectly.

I think Justin would make a great musical theatre performer - he's got that hammy, schmaltzy, "I'll do anything" kind of energy - but as much as he is able to imitate different pop music styles, you just KNOW he isn't FEELING it.

It's like if you're great at tracing really complicated pictures, but you couldn't draw something from your imagination if you tried. Sure, you're talented, but....?

OH:

AND THIS!!!!

"The guy's a star, there's no point in trying to deny that anymore, if anyone was still thinking to do so," wrote Kurt Loder, who really should know better, in his MTV.com Grammy wrap-up. "But he really is funky, too, and swaying away behind an electric piano almost like Wonder himself, he's undeniably a real musician."


KURT LODER IS A WHORE

DMSR said:

Damn, that line struck me. Wish I would've written that. Excellent article. I agree with Graham, it's too early in the game to dub Timberlake the new King of Pop. He usurped the throne and it's not his anyway. Michael's still the King of Pop and to compare a 23-year-old, one solo album to his name Timberlake, to Stevie Wonder is blasphemous.

DMSR said:

oh god it hurts

The writer was extremely generous.


Justin Timber..

Finally somebody's making sense about this dude

Anxiety said:

that article makes ALOT of sense! Justin Timberlake is just an overrated pop star who wants to be the next Michael Jackson.He hires all the "hot" R&B/hip-hop producers,in his desperate quest to gain street credibility.

Yes,Timberlake is young--he's just 23--but Michael Jackson was only 21 when he released "Off The Wall" and that album remains exciting and fresh 25 years after it's release.And Jackson wrote and co-produced three of it's tracks,including the classic "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough.





When Stevie Wonder was Timberlake's age,he was writing,producing,arranging and playing virtually every instrument on such masterpieces as "Music Of My Mind" and "Talking Book",and was beginning arguably the greatest creative decade ever for a solo artist.He sounded like no one else before him.For all his efforts,Timberlake has no musical identity and even with a better team behind him,he's still too studied and manufactured.

This is fairly accurate, I s'pose, but I really don't give a shit because "Rock Your Body" is a great song.

he should have also mentioned how the guy is getting uglier and uglier by the year....just like mj now that i think of it..maybe he will be the next king of pop..

Anxiety said:

I have no more respect for Loder. Period.

DavidEye said:

When he left Janet out to dry, all street cred was gone.

Shapeshifter said:

that song is so last year like o ma gad!

Anyway, If Pherrel sung it himself it wouldve still been a hit.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

1. I like Justin's music for what it is, an enjoyable facsimile of other great music.

2. Justin's no Michael, but in all fairness, everyone that credits Pharell for "making" Justin should also recognize that even the great performer Michael Jackson needed the legendary producer Quincy Jones to make his "OTW" and "Thriller" classics.

3. Loder didn't really jock Justin that hard if you read it carefully. He was wrong in calling him "funky" (few pop/R&B stars are these days), but if you read his comments about "swaying like Stevie Wonder" carefully, he's really calling him a pretender. Loder didn't say he could PLAY like Stevie Wonder.

namepeace said:

'Peace, he called dude a real musician.

I just want to make a quick response: I bought Justin's CD and thought it was good and until 2 weeks ago was a fan. I don't know what to do with him now, that was pretty messed up what he did with the whole Janet thing. If he had of sat his ass down somewhere and stopped trying to outdo Britney then he wouldn't have been in this mess. Whatever Britney does whether it's stupid or not, don't worry about her, worry about yourself and Britney, Christina, and Justin stop trying so hard to prove to the world that you are no longer Mousketeers, no longer bubblegum acts and just be adults and stop doing X rated stuff to show how much of an adult you are now cuz you look ignorant.

i have pretty neutral feelings about Justin Timberlake. That article was pretty on point but for some reason i can't hate him. He seems to be hardworking and not completely talentless even though he will never be as artistically gifted as those who he tries to emulate. Compared to many of the bubblegum pop acts out there, I can see where Kurt Loder would say that Justin is a real musician. He knows how to play some gituar and some keyboards. That's two instruments more than Britney. He's no Prince but i think that he does see music as something other than a way to fool people and make tons of money doing it.


I do think that he's an ass for not taking responsibility for his actions during the superbowl halftime show.

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

How exactly did he leave her "out to dry"?

Anxiety said:

Goodtimes.

SquirrelMeat said:

by putting all the blame on her. it does take two to tango and i doubt she would have pulled a stunt like that without telling him first.

jessyMD32781 said:

You "doubt"?

So you don't know, but you condemn him to leaving her her out to dry anyway?

If he did leave her out to dry, why doesn't she simply say it?

I don't care much for Janet or Justin, but I find it amazing that Justin is taking flack for what was simply a sad publicity stunt by Janet.

SquirrelMeat said:

Sad because it's not really what Janet's ever been about.

And yet brilliant because of the attention it will get her. And that's the point, isn't it?

Maybe she just doesn't think she can sell records on the basis of her music alone anymore. Her new single is certainly an indication of why she might be anxious.
[This message was edited Wed Feb 18 18:10:43 2004 by VoicesCarry]

TheOrgerFormerlyKnownAs said:

oops. On second thought, Loder was wrong.

SquirrelMeat said:

he's getting flack because of the way he handled it. right after the show he was acting like he knew what was going on and said, "we just like givin y'all something to talk about" and then a few days later he's all "wardrobe malfunction" this and "i didn't know what was going on" that. so yes, he left her out to dry.

oh yeah, and by saying "i doubt she would have pulled a stunt like that without telling him" means that i know well enough.

namepeace said:

So did The Beatles need their 'producer' 4 them 2 be real musicans and write their own shit? By the sounds of those bootlegs, they knew what the fuck they were doing.