Is It Really Justified?

A look into Justin Timberlake’s first solo album, 20 years on. 

The year is 2002. Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears have broken up, and Justified just arrived. With it (and the hiatus of *NSYNC), Timberlake has achieved solo commercial acclaim. It’s my job now, two decades on, to tell the truth: Is Justified really justified?

The album begins with Neptunes-produced “Señorita,” a fairly minimal track with bridge vocals reminiscent of Soul II Stro — until they aren’t. The gender-based-call-and-response marking the song’s end feels strikingly out of place, and the lyrics themselves are somewhat simplistic, if not overdone and repetitive. Is this justified? I’d say 4.7/10. 

Next up: “Like I Love You (feat. Clipse).” I can’t imagine what it’d be like to record the opening and breakdown of this song. Timberlake succeeds at creating a new sound and image that’s worlds away from *NSYNC, but at what cost? The production of this song is clearly written for Michael Jackson, which checks out — he rejected the songs, and on they went to Timberlake’s roster. The similarities are distracting, emulative even. Clipse carries the song entirely. The justification level is about 5.6/10. 

“(Oh No) What You Got” is the type of song I heard a lot growing up, especially with the production (not Neptunes this time, but Timbaland and Scott Storch), so extra points are added for nostalgia. Beyond that? Not much. The production is the best it’s been since the album’s initial track, and for once, Timberlake’s vocals are somewhat sidelined by it, which provides some extra points. Justified amount is a solid 7/10. 

“Take It from Here” isn’t a prototypical 2000s song by any means, but it does offer a more emotional side of the album that hasn’t been heard on previous tracks. The lyrics are simple enough, with Timberlake offering to be there in various ways (a lake, a bay, a sky…) for his girlfriend. A sweet premise gets ruined at the “I wanna be your mother” line, sung with atypical conviction. Justification level is 5.8/10. 

The second track I’d ever heard from Justified before this review was “Cry Me a River,” which I’m taking as a direct reference to Britney Spears and is the best-known work off the album. The song isn’t a strong departure from the little I know of *NSYNC, and both the production and vocals are extremely reminiscent of its time. I would listen to this if I was single in the early 2000s (I mean, I was — but if I were the same age as I am now). But it’s 2023, I’m not going through a breakup, and what may be appealing if that was true just comes off as much too excessive for my taste, and slightly derivative of “No Scrubs.” Not many singers can compare to the production, so Timberlake gets 0.5 extra points for trying. Is it justified, though? 2.5/10. 

“Rock Your Body” is the other song I’ve heard before, I think on Tiktok or something like that. It also happens to be the most (or second-most) played track off the album. The minor parts where Timberlake shows his own style are so minimal that it took multiple tries to notice, and even still, it just sounds like a cover — especially the layered vocal tracks. I’m not a fan of the breakdown in this song. I don’t hate the whole thing. But whether or not I find it justified is another story. 4.9/10. 

“Nothin’ Else” is another track where production and mixing outsizes the vocal style that Timberlake naturally has (or adopts). While the song begins somewhat minimalist, the small additions building up the chorus were the only parts I was able to direct my focus on. Nothing else to say with this. Justification level is 3.8/10. 

Next comes “Last Night,” another nostalgic 2000s song with the rare event of Timberlake’s vocals matching the style of the production in style and timbre. The lyrics throughout Justified are typically secondary to vocal cadence, mixing, and production, which persists on this track. It was a needed change from the typical format of songs. I’d say the song’s justification level is about 8.7/10.

“Still On My Brain” is a ballad unlike every song that comes before it on the album, with The Underdogs serving as featured producers for this track. Is the difference good? Bad? Maybe both. The track is calmer, and seems more in-line with what I imagine Timberlake did before his solo career, and feels much more natural to his boyband-ish style. At the same time, though, the track lacks a lot of excitement, which, sure, I shouldn’t expect from a ballad, but nonetheless makes it less justified. 3.4/10. 

While Michael Jackson rejected all songs proposed to him that appear on Justified, his sister Janet actually contributed a feature. “(And She Said) Take Me Now [feat. Janet Jackson]” is both a lengthy title and song, and I expected Jackson to have a much larger part in the vocals than she did. Outside of the intro, all her tracks are layered with Timberlake’s, which suppresses her sound. For that, I justify this song at 2.9/10. 

“Right for Me” only reminds me (in terms of sound) of Mac Miller’s early work for reasons I can’t track or explain. I can’t speak towards being objectified, but that’s how I’ve interpreted the lyrics here, so justification levels are at a solid 1.2/10 — with an added point for Mac Miller. 

“Let’s Take a Ride” is the penultimate track on Justified, and the last contributions that The Neptunes make towards the album. It’s a simplistic song with more minimalist production that tracks Timberlake asking a girl to get away with him and live a better life. Justification levels are 6.6/10; points reduced for repetition and because it’s just not my style (it’s my review, I can do that). 

So, would I voluntarily listen to this album? Never again. And “Never Again” just so happens to be the final track of Justified, even more of a ballad than “Still On My Brain” that features production from Brian McKnight. The melodies of the first verse are reminiscent of The Weeknd’s “Here We Go…Again,” which took a certain level of recollection and research to figure out. All in all, the track is somber, but not excessively; I was distracted from the similarities I perceived between both tracks, but that doesn’t stop me from still giving it a justification rating of 4.5/10. 

After 13 songs, I’ve reached a conclusion. Justified is, in fact, not really justified. The production ranges from dramatic to minimalist, though never in one song, but enough to not establish a stylistic consistency that would’ve furthered the album. The lyrics often follow a loose narrative of heartbreak, connection, and attraction, but not in a linear form. I’m no expert on music — at all — but Justified could’ve easily benefitted from gaining some consistency and a sense of story and style at the center. Only then would JT have had some justification.