It's Been 10 Years Since Justin Timberlake Brought SexyBack

(Radio.com) Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds turns ten today (September 8th). His second solo album since leaving *NSYNC, the album cemented his departure from the world of boy bands, and also marked a new direction for his solo career. Here, we take a look back at the album and all the sexy Timberlake helped bring back with its release.

There's an inevitable transformation in any young pop star's career that occurs just as they enter adulthood. They shed their teen image and share a more "mature" side with fans. Britney, Christina, Miley, Selena and more have attempted it, and the backlash surrounding that transition has been as inevitable as the transformation itself, because oftentimes "mature" translates to "sexual." And rarely does the world focus its critical gaze as harshly on male pop stars who make the transition from teen idol to male superstar, from boy band member to solo artist. If male artists just so happen to explore more adult subject matter, well�as the saying goes�boys will be boys.

Coming four years after Justin Timberlake released his first solo album Justified, the followup was a far more experimental and equally risque album, FutureSex/LoveSounds. The title alone, combining old words into a fresh formation, felt as though Timberlake created some new language, one which challenged the cookie cutter boxes that often represent pop music. With producer/collaborator Timbaland (whose name is all over the album's credits, from playing instruments to lending vocals), Timberlake stretched the identity he'd long presented the world with, challenging what listeners thought about him. FutureSex/LoveSounds showed Timberlake all grown up and unafraid to own it.Read more here.

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