Music Musings (July 21, 2006): Justin Timberlake

It is amazing how some music critics think: if an artist is accessible, then his or her work must be without merit. Conversely, if an artist tries to stray beyond the walls critics have confined him or her to-then his or her creations should be dismissed.In a way, musicians are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. Give the audience what they want to hear-and they are blasted for coasting. Stretch beyond expectations-and they’re knocked for not sounding like themselves.At 25, Justin Timberlake confronts this dilemma head on-as he continues to mature from the teen pop he embraced when he burst onto the scene as a 14 year member of the vocal group, NSYNC.The result is a mesmerizing song, “SexyBack”. And, no, it doesn’t sound exactly like “Cry Me A River, “ a hit off of Justin’s first solo disc, “Justified”. And no, it isn’t sweet like “Bye, Bye, Bye”, one of `NSYNC’s (his former group) most popular tunes.“SexyBack” pulsates and gyrates and features an effected vocal that almost doesn’t sound like Justin at all. But it is rhythmically contagious-with a chorus that hooks you in the second you hear it.Somehow, Justin walks the line between edgy and accessibility-and, unlike other transitioning artists that have come before him-he manages to pull it off. It is refreshing that he decided not to play it safe and churn out a soaring ballad or by-the-numbers dance track.Instead, he takes a chance-and lets his artistic impulse take charge. Kudos to Justin for not sticking to a formula. And don’t be surprised if he is rewarded for his efforts come Grammy time.