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FutureSex / LoveSounds
by Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 70 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.7 out of 10
based on 25 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 194 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album

Timbaland, will.i.am and Rick Rubin are among the producers on the singer's second solo set.

LABEL: Jive
RELEASE DATE: 12 September 2006
DISCS: 1 disc
GENRE(S): Pop, R&B

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
musicOMH.com
There's going to be a coronation very soon, and anyone who cares to invest will be handsomely rewarded by the future king.
Read Full Review
88
Los Angeles Times
"FutureSex/LoveSounds" isn't an easy listen at first. Its crazy layers meld together into a sticky bit of a mess, and the lyrics are mostly standard love stuff. But repeated listening helps the tunes unravel. [11 Sep 2006]
Read Full Review
83
Stylus Magazine
No dispute: Usher, Beyonce, Christina, Britney were just keeping the seat warm: The King’s back on his throne.
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81
Pitchfork
It is this excess of ambition over achievement, as opposed to any real consistency, which makes FutureSex/LoveSounds more of an album than Justified was. Songs which sound puzzlingly self-indulgent in isolation-- most obviously, the smirking, tenuously tuneful first single "SexyBack"-- are cloaked in a compelling intensity and purposefulness when played in succession.
Read Full Review
80
Amazon.com
No modern-day male artist beats him when it comes to single-minded self assurance or suavity.
Read Full Review
80
Prefix Magazine
Timberlake's second solo record is dark and dirty to begin and smooth and sexy to finish. With only a few awkward cameo tracks to damage its reputation, this is going to be the soundtrack of the next few months.
Read Full Review
80
Dot Music
Even the lesser efforts are superior to typical chart fare.
Read Full Review
80
New Musical Express
Whereas his 2002 solo debut shot a glance back to Michael Jackson's 'Off The Wall', this is more indebted to 'Smooth Criminal', early '80s Prince and on its ballads, Stevie Wonder. [9 Sep 2006, p.37]
80
Blender
The vibe is all infectious, feverish build-up. [Nov 2006, p.155]
76
cokemachineglow
While it’s nowhere near Thriller or Purple Rain, it does manage a healthy attempt at a reinterpretation of both.
Read Full Review
70
PopMatters
While FutureSex/LoveSounds is not a masterpiece, it’s damn good.
Read Full Review
70
The New York Times
How well do Mr. Timberlake and Timbaland work together? So well that they can make even the world’s most irritating percussion instrument, the human beatbox, sound pretty good.
Read Full Review
70
Slant Magazine
It's a lot like Justified in that it's a solid collection of expertly produced pop songs whose flaws will be devoured by its almost guaranteed string of hits.
Read Full Review
70
Billboard
Although the mix of dance beats, pounding basslines and palatable vocals is occasionally marred by mundane R&B tracks like "Until the End of Time," there are far more pop gems than slow jams.
Read Full Review
70
Rolling Stone
Although his best new tracks are thrilling... some of the up-tempo stuff flirts with mechanical muscle-flexing. [21 Sep 2006, p.86]
67
Entertainment Weekly
The enjoyable, forgettable FutureSex/LoveSounds may be a just-okay Timberlake album, but it's a great Timbaland demo reel.
Read Full Review
60
The Guardian
By its closer... FutureSex/LoveSounds feels like an entirely different and far less interesting album than the one you started listening to.
Read Full Review
60
All Music Guide
Graceless he may be, but Timberlake is nevertheless kind of fascinating on FutureSex/LoveSounds since his fuses a clear musical vision -- misguided, yes, but clear all the same -- with a hammyness that only a child entertainer turned omnipresent 21st century celebrity can be.
Read Full Review
60
Q Magazine
A set of forward-thinking pop reminiscent of Sign O' The Times-era Prince. [Oct 2006, p.115]
60
Uncut
Laudable, but overreaching. [Nov 2006, p.130]
60
Mojo
Only problem is, he also wants us to love him for his mind, so he has declared this a concept album. [Nov 2006, p.116]
50
E! Online
FutureSex/LoveSounds isn't nearly as good as its slinky predecessor.
Read Full Review
50
New York Magazine
If he hasn’t yet invented a persona intriguing enough to live up to his music, give him credit for being one of the few white men still brave enough to make black music.
Read Full Review
40
NOW Magazine
The Sexyback single makes wise use of filtered vocals to artificially deepen his tone and support his macho pose, but only so much can be done with studio gimmicry. He's soon back to tweeting his game in a prepubescent chirp; the more suggestive his come-ons, the funnier it gets.
Read Full Review
40
Vibe
Timberlake and Timbaland... write frustratingly awkward songs. [Oct 2006, p.142]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this album is 6.7 (out of 10) based on 194 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Kelly C gave it a10:
I LOVE JT! he's got it all. he's and amazing singer and soooo FIT! and his new album is just bare sex! summer love, what goes around and my love are the best tracks!!! xxxx

malik s gave it a9:
I think justin and timbaland's way of thinking out of the box has paid of in a pretty large way, JT is jetset to lead the popworld as we know it today, this guy's got it all; the talent, the looks and the style to go with it. I can't call out any artist right now who can match the style and versitality justin has put in this album, this album is music worth paying for.

Michelle K gave it a9:
Wow. I can't believe i hated J.T...well i can but this album is pretty cool. Something different and refreshing. Best Tracks: My Love, What Goes Around, Chop Me Up

Kyle S gave it a0:
Absolutely wretched!!!! All I have in my head is that annoying "Yeah" every 5 seconds in Sexy Back.

Paul W. gave it an8:
Very good album. Great production, lots of potential hits and good Timberlake's vocal. One disadvantage is the fact that without Timberland’s help it wouldn't be like this. So, we appreciate Mr Timberlake's efforts to fulfill listeners expectations, but we also encourage him to give more of his artistic potency next time - it's high time.

jessica m gave it a10:
i love juistin timberlake sooooo much i bought this cd the very frist day it came out. i have both the justified and future sex/love sounds. i think that justin issss so sexy .... i love you so much with alkll my heart <3333 xoxoxoxox hugs and kisses from me to you................ if you have msn then pleas add me i would love to talk to you some day. i wish i was at the gramys then i could have seen you and might have been able to sing with you!!! I was at the your concert in toronto and i thought that you we're soooo hot up there singing ... and i also loved you in "alhpa dog"you we're sooo hot with your top off in your housei got very mad tho when you had to tap up that boy... but i still love you <333 xoxox

David D gave it a2:
We were told this was going to be the Thriller of 2006. What a dissappointment! Rather than come up with his own identity, JT moves on from ripping MJ off to ripping Prince off. This is an example of another cocky ex-boyband poser trying to convince the audience he is a sexy badass. A couple of decent tracks but JT comes off as fake and not sexy.

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