Okay, first. How is this album 20 years old?!
Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds came out in 2006 and honestly, it still doesn’t sound dated. JT teamed up with Timbaland and Danja and somehow made an album that actually sounded like the future.
So obviously we had to rank the 7 moments that made this album so iconic.
7. “Until the End of Time”
The slow jam of the album. And then Beyoncé jumped on the remix, because apparently this album needed one more reason to be iconic. This song still hits the same and was on the set list for Justin’s most recent Forget Tomorrow World Tour. Which proves it’s a track that stands out for Justin throughout his discography.
6. “Summer Love”
You hear the first few seconds and you are immediately back in summer 2007. This one is pure millennial nostalgia, and still goes crazy when played today.
5. “LoveStoned / I Think She Knows”
The switch into “I Think She Knows” STILL hits different. This is one of those songs you really have to listen to all the way through because the second half is better than the first.
4. “What Goes Around…Comes Around”
The drama. The heartbreak. The Scarlett Johansson music video. The ridiculously long album version that somehow you still listened to every second of. Peak JT.
3. “My Love”
That opening beat. You just KNOW. Add T.I., the choreography and one of JT’s biggest songs ever and there was no leaving this one off the list.
2. “SexyBack”
Obviously.
“I’m bringing sexy back” was basically the official announcement that we were entering a completely different JT era. The sound, the look...this introduced us to a different, edgier JT. The Timbaland production. This song was everywhere.
1. The Interludes
Hear me out. THIS is what made FutureSex/LoveSounds so good.
The songs didn’t just end. They changed into completely different songs.
“LoveStoned” became “I Think She Knows.” “What Goes Around” turned into “Comes Around.” “Summer Love” went into “Set the Mood.” Even “My Love” had “Let Me Talk to You.”
You would think the song was over and then suddenly you were getting another two minutes that might have been the best part of the entire track.
That was the magic of this album. You couldn’t just skip around to the singles. You had to listen to the WHOLE thing.
And 20 years later, I still think that’s what makes FutureSex/LoveSounds one of the most iconic pop albums of the 2000s.
And if you’re in the mood to celebrate this iconic album tonight with JT Day One fans across the globe, head to Instagram for a special Instagram Live @ 8 PM EST with: @NSYNCHQ
What’s YOUR No. 1 moment from the album?