| Subject: I tripped over this article when I was checking my Yahoo info... |
Author:
LinZ
|
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
Date Posted: 16:56:20 10/28/02 Mon
Teen-pop biz banks on Justin
Mon Oct 28, 7:49 AM ET
Elysa Gardner USA TODAY
NEW YORK -- Justin Timberlake (news) admits he made a fool of himself over Kelly Clarkson (news).
The American idol from 'N Sync (news - web sites) met the American Idol winner recently while doing a photo shoot in Los Angeles. ''All of a sudden, this feeling came over me, and I started spitting all this stuff out,'' Timberlake recalls. ''I asked her, 'Are you OK? Are they working you too hard? Do you feel like you're getting to do your own thing?' ''
Timberlake shakes his head. ''I'm probably saying too much, but it might have had something to do with Lou Pearlman,'' he says, referring to the boy-band guru who managed 'N Sync during its rise to fame, then fell out with the group. ''I remembered what it was like for us in the beginning, and I would hate to see bad things happen to her. I'm sure she'll be fine, but when I saw her, I suddenly became this weird caretaker or something. I felt like her big brother, you know?''
In fact, at 21, Timberlake is only one year older than Clarkson. But in terms of showbiz experience, the former Mouseketeer points out, he's an old pro.
''I've been doing this since I was 12, and 'N Sync has been together for seven years,'' Timberlake says, his lanky frame hunched over a huge bowl of room-service pasta. ''I honestly never expected things to get as big as they did. At the end of our last tour, we were booking stadiums with no new album out. It just got crazy, and I think we all knew we had to take a break, to figure things out.''
For Timberlake, that period of reflection bore fruit in a solo album that is bound to be one of the most closely watched and carefully scrutinized CDs in recent memory. Due Nov. 5, Justified is already a source of intense speculation among industry insiders, many now looking to Timberlake to prove that a fading bubble-gum-pop movement can spawn an artist with broader appeal and more staying power.
''This is a make-or-break record -- not just for Justin, but for the whole teen-pop scene,'' says Rolling Stone contributor Rob Sheffield. ''The problem these kids are having is that, at this point, most of their fans are about 10 years younger than they are. This is Justin's attempt to find an audience closer to his own age. And there's a feeling that if anyone can do it, he can.''
Certainly, it should come as no surprise that Timberlake is the first member of the world's foremost teen-pop group to release his own CD. (He stresses that the album does not signal the end of his association with 'N Sync's Joey Fatone (news), Lance Bass (news), JC Chasez (news) and Chris Kirkpatrick (news).) Since the band's meteoric ascent began in the late '90s, Timberlake has emerged as the act's most prominent voice, both literally and creatively. Timberlake's input as a songwriter and producer was especially evident on 'N Sync's most recent album, 2001's Celebrity, which found the band incorporating more of the hip-hop and contemporary R&B textures favored by older teens and young adults.
Rawer and more sophisticated
With Justified, Timberlake moves further in that direction. He co-wrote all 13 songs, teaming up with some of the most popular and respected writer/producers in urban music, among them Timbaland, Bryan McKnight and The Neptunes, who also worked with Timberlake on Celebrity.
The results sound at once rawer and more purposefully sophisticated than 'N Sync's material. The first single and current Top 10 hit Like I Love You features a crackling acoustic arrangement and vaguely dissonant chords. Other tunes are similarly lean and sharp, with syncopated rhythms and soul-based flourishes.
Though some may view this approach as a bid for more street credibility or critical acclaim, Timberlake says opportunism played no role in his choices. Rather, he describes Justified as the product of influences rooted in his childhood, along with his desire for autonomy that early experiences in 'N Sync nourished.
''I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Al Green, Michael Jackson (news), Prince,'' says Timberlake. ''If you know that, then this album makes perfect sense. It's not a departure from anything I've done, because I haven't done anything on my own. 'N Sync is great, but this is different -- not only from 'N Sync, but from anything out there. I knew that when people first heard Like I Love You, the consensus would be, 'What is this?' People aren't used to hearing me in this way, and it may take them a few listens to get it.''
Barry Weiss, president of Timberlake/'N Sync label Jive Records, dismisses the notion that Timberlake's boy-band baggage will be a liability. ''People have to understand that real artists can come out of this genre. Look, Michael Jackson came out of the Jackson 5, and George Michael (news) came out of Wham!''
Weiss isn't the only one making these comparisons. Cory Robbins, founder of the hip-hop label Profile Records and president of the dance-music company Robbins Entertainment, says that Like I Love You ''is the record Jackson should have made'' his last time at bat. And others have noted Jacko's influence in the sinuous, falsetto-laced vocals on Justified.
But the sandy-haired, blue-eyed-soul crooner from Wham! may invite more obvious comparisons to Timberlake -- and a few telling contrasts. When George Michael's solo debut Faith was released in 1987, few expected it would establish him as a singer/songwriter with real clout. But a big factor in Michael's achievement was a sense of independence that's become increasingly rare in today's hyper-collaborative pop world, where stars trying to assert their own visions often seek out help from tested guides.
''When George Michael made Faith, he didn't hire the top R&B producers of the day to help him,'' says Rob Sheffield. ''He went out on the limb himself. On the other hand, there was a lot less pressure on him than there is on Justin. I mean, no one expected George Michael to rescue the music industry.''
If the pressure is getting to Timberlake, he's showing no signs of it this afternoon. Grabbing lunch in his hotel suite, the Tennessee-bred singer is a model of laid-back Southern decorum. He politely asks for a moment of silence so that he can pray before digging into his penne with cheese, explaining, ''I wouldn't say I'm a religious person, but I'm a spiritual person.''
A promise to Britney
Timberlake exhibits similar poise and reserve when asked about his personal life. Regarding the breakup of his very public romance with Britney Spears (news) earlier this year, he says, ''I made a promise to her I would not talk about it.'' Nor is he eager to give clues to those looking to glean information about the couple's split from the lyrics on Justified. ''Some of the songs are autobiographical, but about half are fantasy -- like, 'What would I do if I met this hot girl,' or whatever.''
Spears and Timberlake still talk occasionally, he says, and he keeps in touch with her family. ''I've known Britney since I was 12, so of course I'm not going to cut off all ties. They've been a big part of my life.'' Timberlake says he is especially close to Spears' 11-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, an actress on Nickelodeon's All That. ''I did a sketch with her on the show. Now, that girl is going to be a star. What a cutie.''
Predictably, Timberlake declines to comment on rumors linking him to older cuties such as Janet Jackson (news) or Alyssa Milano (news). (Timberlake's publicist denies a report that Timberlake and Milano are engaged.) ''I'm single. I am single,'' he says, as if repeating a mantra. ''If I was an item with somebody, I wouldn't say so for a good few months. But I'm single.''
He later adds, smiling, ''You could say that, right now, I'm dating Justified. This album is my new girlfriend. It's the biggest priority in my life, and I poured my heart and soul into it.''
Justified is being lavished with equal affection by the head of Timberlake's label, who relays his marketing strategy with the zeal of a military dictator plotting world domination. ''We're going to attack Justin's primary audience first,'' says Barry Weiss. ''But there will be a massive campaign, and we have every intention of hitting as many markets as possible. Of course, we'll do it in a natural, organic way.''
While Like I Love You was shipped to Top 40 and rhythm crossover radio -- where Jive promotions executive Joe Riccitelli says it's been among the top five most requested songs since Labor Day -- the follow-up single, Cry Me a River, due Nov. 11, also will go out to mainstream urban stations. And on Nov. 9, Justified will be the focus of the premiere episode of albumLAUNCH, a new MTV series offering a behind-the-scenes look as stars make and promote CDs.
''The industry needs this right now,'' Weiss says. ''They need more artists that can hit many different sectors. Eminem (news - web sites) hits five different demographics, and I think Justin will, too. The goal is for Justin to have a huge solo record, and then for 'N Sync to follow that with the biggest record they've ever had.''
But as Timberlake polishes off his lunch and prepares for yet another photo shoot, he relays his hopes for the future in less grandiose terms.
''What makes 'N Sync work is everybody's individuality,'' he says. ''I knew that if we took time off, we would each shine in different ways. I would assume we'll get back in the studio some time next year. But right now, I'm giving this new album everything I've got. This is a dream that became a reality, and I consider myself very blessed.''
[
Next Thread |
Previous Thread |
Next Message |
Previous Message
]
| |
Feedback: 