If you caught Justin Timberlake performing his single “Like I Love You” at the MTV Awards recently, you already have a pretty good idea what the rest of his solo debut, “Justified” (Jive Records), sounds like. Most of the disc is filled with the same sort of catchy, steamy R&B songs: Think Michael Jackson mixed with Usher, with lots of hip-hop, pop and funk thrown in.
“Justified” won’t exactly shock ‘N Sync fans–it isn’t all that different from “Celebrity”–but it is a big step forward. Happening producers Timbaland and the Neptunes make sure that just about every song on “Justified” is club-worthy, especially the disco-pop instant classic “Cry Me A River.” One of many unhappy breakup songs on the album, it has lyrics tailor-made for Britney (“You don’t have to say what you did/ I already know/ I found out from him”). It’s not only the album’s best track, it may be the pop song of the year.
