Justified | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 5, 2002 | |||
Recorded | 2002 | |||
Genre | R&B | |||
Length | 63:15 | |||
Label | Jive | |||
Producer | ||||
Justin Timberlake chronology | ||||
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Singles from Justified | ||||
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Justified is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on November 5, 2002, by Jive Records. The album was written and recorded in a six-week period as Timberlake's boy band NSYNC was on hiatus. For his solo album, he began to adopt a more mature image as an R&B artist opposed to the previous pop music recorded by the group. The majority of the album was produced by the Neptunes (credited as "Williams and Hugo") and Timbaland, and features guest appearances by Janet Jackson, Clipse, and Bubba Sparxxx. It primarily is an R&B album that also contains influences of dance-pop, funk, and soul music.
Justified received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented the mature progression of Timberlake's material, although some criticized its lyrical content. The album earned Timberlake four Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year, and won the award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Justified topped the album charts in Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom while reaching the top ten in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States. As of 2012, it has sold over 10 million copies worldwide.[1]
Four singles were released from Justified. The lead single "Like I Love You" peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, while the follow-up singles "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body" peaked within the top five on the chart. "Like I Love You", "Cry Me a River", and "Rock Your Body" peaked at number two in the United Kingdom and in the top ten in Australia (with "Rock Your Body" topping the Australian chart), Ireland, Netherlands, and Belgium. To promote the album, Timberlake performed on several television shows and award ceremonies, including the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, where he made his solo debut appearance. Furthermore, Timberlake embarked on two concert tours—The Justified World Tour and the Justified and Stripped Tour—with Christina Aguilera accompanying him on the latter.