Sound CheckJustin Timberlake’s best solo songs
Last night, Justin Timberlake released a new single, "Suit and Tie" featuring Jay-Z and produced by Timbaland. It topped the iTunes chart and prompted the 31-year-old artist to tweet, “Just woke up and heard we're #1 on Itunes! Wow... Speechless. Thank you, thank you, thank you! #SuitAndTie.”
See more: Justin Timberlake debuts new song
However, was there any doubt in anyone’s mind that Timberlake’s latest offering would be anything less than a No. 1 hit?
In case you forgot, he is also the author behind these amazing tracks and we are very excited to hear more from his upcoming “The 20/20 Experience” project.
1. “Like I Love You”
This tune marked Timberlake’s debut as a solo artist in 2002. When asked about his new sound outside of 'N Sync, the musician said he was influenced by artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, commenting, “I really didn't try to make an effort to make urban music but I am a product of my inspirations. And growing up in a generation where you've got so much music to listen to, it's very inspiring,"
2. “What Goes Around…Comes Around”
Did you know that after this “FutureSex/LoveSounds” album track came out in 2007, rock musician Marilyn Manson covered it?
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The tune’s music video, which starred vixen Scarlett Johansson as Timberlake’s love interest, had Nirvana music video director Samuel Bayer at the helm and turned out to be quite epic.
"I have a history I'm very proud of, from 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' — which was my first video — onward," he said. "And I wanted to do a throwback, like make a 'Thriller' for 25 years later, a 'Thriller' for the new generation. Something larger than life. But instead of monsters and Vincent Price, we have car crashes and a very beautiful girl."
3. “Señorita”
With lyrics like, “When I look into your eyes/I see something that money can't buy/ And I know if you give us a try/ I'll work hard for you girl/ And no longer will you ever have to cry,” what girl wouldn’t want to run away with Timberlake after hearing “Señorita?”
4. “SexyBack”
It’s hard to believe but “SexyBack” is the first song to earn Timberlake a No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and also dominated on the Pop Songs, Radio Songs, Digital Songs and Dance/Club Play Songs charts in 2006.
5. “Cry Me A River”
This Grammy Award- winning “Justified” album track is speculated to be about Timberlake’s break up with fellow pop star Britney Spears, especially since the girl in the video looks quite similar to the former 'X Factor' judge.
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"I'm not going to specifically say if any song is about anybody," the musician told MTV. "I will say writing a couple of songs on the record helped me deal with a couple of things. To me songs are songs. They can stem from things that completely happened to you personally or they can stem from ideas that you think could happen to you."
6. “Let Me Talk To You/My Love”
In 2007, this track won Timberlake the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration and its music video took home the MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography.
This is the kind of dancing we expect to see as part of his 2013 return trip to music.
