Of all the albums I thought I might review next; lord knows I never thought it would be the new release from ex-boy-band gloryboy Justin Timberlake. With "Justified," he forged a moderately (if conservatively so) different personality than the clean-cut good boy image he had cultivated with his work with `NSYNC. The songs were personal, if overwrought, and overproduced. The singles were monumental, but the album overall lacked a true personality.

On "Futuresex/LoveSounds", Timberlake leaves `NSYNC so far behind that its hard to view him as the same person. Much of this is most likely to Timbaland's credit, who produced almost every track on this fine record. This album had one of two directions to go from "Justified," either an attempt at the same thing, or a grandiose, hubristic, self-promoting, self-aggrandizing beast of a record. And to everyone's benefit (most prominently his own), Timberlake chose the latter.

The lyrics are an intriguing amalgamation, ranging from shameless hubris to pathetic desperation, and its in walking that line that Timberlake finds his real charm. He's likeable because he reacts to his situation like a real person. He knows the power he has (through his fame), but at the core he is still hopelessly insecure. On second single "My Love," his flights of masochism and confidence on other tracks dissolve into ruminations of marriage, as if his confident ruse is nothing more than a hopeless romantic simply looking for the one on which to spend it.

The backing beats, mainly by Timbaland, showcase the master back on top of his game. Ranging from pseudo-funk, to post Purple-Rain Prince, to Timba's very own take on pop; the tracks flow seamlessly, effortlessly, and hypnotically. Interestingly, it is not the beats that immediately grab the attention, but the judicious application of soaring synths and strings that propel the spaces in between and throughout Mr. Timberlake's staccato vocals. Even the string harmonies and fills (most notably on "Lovestoned/I Think That She Knows") have marvelous hooks, and leave the listener desperate for a fuller fleshing out of their themes.

I had no intention of really liking this album, but that proved all but impossible. Timberlake and Timbaland have created a pop/hip-hop/funk collage that is immediately accessible, likeable, and just plain fun.

Highly Recommended.

This re-release is a waste of money if you have

. While the bonus DVD is nice, the CD portion is not. The bonus songs are just new remixes. Plus, The CD is edited. 50 Cent brings noting new to

. And While Beyoncé brings a whole new light to

, Justin does not. Justin's vocals remain the same. All they did was censor his second verse and second chorus and add new Beyoncé vocals and yet, it's labeled as a "Duet". It's more of a remix. The only good remix is The Missy Elliott remix to

. She makes this song, which I felt was the worst on the album, and makes it into a more enjoyable song.

CONS

1. Missing 2 cuts tracks : A. "Pose" (Best Buy, Japan, UK Bonus song) B. "Boutique In Heaven" (US ITunes Bonus Track)

2. Edited Album

PROS

1. Bonus DVD

2. The way the songs are edited - Snippets of clean words or lines that work just as well from other parts of the explicit songs are dubbed over rather than just completely bleeping out the profanity

Anyways, Like I said, if you have the original, don't bother unless you want the bonus dvd and remixes. If you don't have the original, this is the one to get.

Timberlake and his record company have opted to sucker music lovers into buying a mediocre, watered-down re-release of FutureSex/LoveSounds. Deluxe edition is not the term. DeSPICABLE edition is more like it.

Disc 1 contains the censored versions of most of the songs along with a few remixes. Beyonce (who also is guilty of the same CD re-releasing tactic) surprisingly downgrades the original version of "Until The End of Time".

Disc 2 contains videos from the CD, "Making of..." segments, and interviews about the videos. One problem: the videos are not groundbreaking. They are not even interesting. The DVD contains a few live performances also that I think most fans can live without.

Don't buy it! Timberlake, Beyonce, and Usher could take a lesson from Chris Brown who released a deluxe edition along with a plain edition of his CD. It boils down to respect for music fans. Wow! Even the CD cover looks sinister and manipulating!

There are a bunch of people who are still bitter over the way Justin Timberlake handled himself with the whole Janet Jackson/Superbowl fallout. But to discount him as a singer because of it would be unfair and unjust. So going forward, this review is in no way a reflection of that incident or his involvement in the boy band N Sync. I think everybody should be considerate of artists who break the mold of what is 'expected' of them. With that said, Future Sex/Love Sounds is one of the best 'pop' albums to date. I classify it as pop because most of the songs on this project border more on dance and electronic than the R&B genre. Nevertheless, that still doesn't mean that Future Sex/Love Sounds is not enjoyable. It's arguably one of the best albums of the year.

The groove that he has throughout the album is unmistakable and quite obvious. A lot of people would then turn around and say that every song 'sounds' the same on the album. Not so. The title track starts off the album with a futuristic sound more common in electronic music, but still has a underlying beat to keep it funky. "SexyBack" is the monster single that is commanding all radio formats and being overplayed like any other number one track in recent memory. "Sexy Ladies" is a throwback to the early 80s sound with groups like The Time or Prince's funkier music. "My Love" featuring the rising rap superstar T.I. is my pick for a second single because of purely addictive music composition. "LoveStoned" is barely passable because of the beat, but the singing could've been a tad better. "What Goes Around" is a mellow, mid-tempo that suffers the same fate with a stellar background but the lyrics and delivery aren't there.

Justin dives face first into the urban stratosphere with Timbaland and Three Six Mafia for "Chop Me Up." This is followed by the drum heavy groove "Damn Girl" featuring Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas. "Summer Love" is a thumper for your ride just like the songs suggests in the opening lyrics. "Until The End Of Time" will remind you of Prince from its synthesized breaks, but the mellow riff and the inclusion of an orchestra makes it a Justin Timberlake original. "Losing My Way" is a tale about letting drugs take over your life, while "All Over Again" is a smooth, piano-laced cut where Justin taps into his soul and pours his heart out for another chance with a girl (Cameron Diaz, maybe?) The album then closes with a pointless bonus cut featuring Snoop Dogg called "Pose" that could have easily been left off the cd.

Having sold platinum in under a month, Future Sex/Love Sounds is proof that Justin Timberlake has the staying power to have a prosperous solo career. He will probably continue to be shuffled between R&B and Pop, but one thing that is for sure is that he knows how to make hits. And with the dynamic duo of Timberland and Timberlake, the future looks promising to say the least.

I'll be the first to admit that I wasn't impressed with Justified. While it had its moments, I didn't think he deserved too much credit for recording Off the Wall 2003. Justin hadn't developed an original sound, so he bit off other artists instead, and relied on the Neptunes to deliver banging beats for him.

NO MORE. With Future Sex/Love Sounds, Justin finally lives up to his potential. Although he still allows other artists to influence his music (he favors Prince this time instead of Michael), Justin really has created a niche for himself. Also, Justin addes interludes and preludes at the beginning and ends of some songs. They're a nice transition and they add a unique twist to the album

Although I wasn't sold on the idea of the Neptunes not being on this album at first, after a few listens, I realized that he didn't really need them. After all, the Neptunes production is rather unoriginal in the sense that, you always know when you're listening to a Neptunes song, and the aritst doesn't really get a chance to shine. There are Timbaland tracks on the album, but again, I feel like Timbaland is a more versatile producer, so you don't always get that same repetive feel that you get with the Neptunes.

The album starts out with the title track. I'll admit - this is my favorite song on the CD. The mid-tempo beat, the Prince vibe, the song is really sexy in a kind of fun way. After that is the first single "Sexyback". I don't really need to talk about it - everyone's heard it. However, if you're skeptical about buying the CD, that song isn't really indicative of what's on the rest of the album. Nevertheless, it's a pretty solid song.

The next 3 tracks on the CD are some of the stronger numbers. "Sexy Ladies....", "My Love", and "Love Stoned" are 3 completely different songs with completely different sounds - yet all three work. "Sexy Ladies" has that 70s funk vibe, "My Love" (the 2nd single) has a techno, futuristic feel to it, and "Love Stoned" has a simple beat with great use of an orchestra and harmonies.

Justin slows it down on the next song. "What Goes Around..." [which sounds like it's directed towards britney] it a great mid-tempo ballad, it reminds me of some of the ballads on Justified.

Justin then makes his only misstep on the CD with the song "Chop Me Up" with 3-6 Mafia. I'm not impressed with the lyrics or the beat of the song. I think the CD would have been better without it. "Damn Girl" [w/ Will.I.Am] has another funk Prince vibe and I love the live band sound. Again, it's not one of my favorites, but it's a pretty good track. "Summer Love..." is another one of my favorites. It has a simple fun vibe, and i really like the attached song "Set the Mood". It's a really short yet really pretty ballad.

The next 3 songs are all solid slow jams. Out of the three, my favorite is "Until the End of Time". Justin ends it with a collaboration with Snoop Dogg on "Pose". Again, I think this track has a bit of a Prince feel, but still is unmistakably Justin. It's an upbeat number about pretty girls posing for the camera. It's another fun summer song.

If you got the album pre-ordered, you get a bonus song "Boutique in Heaven". This is actually another one of my favorite songs. Although the lyrics aren't the best, the song is really catchy, and Justin's voice takes on a slightly different sound.

All in all, it's a great buy.

TOP 5:

5. Until the End of Time

4. Summer Love / Set The Mood

3. My Love

2. Love Stoned / I Think She Knows

1. Future Sex/Love Sounds