11. Justin TimberlakeJustified
I could have said Thriller or Off The Wall, but I was in a Fnac [entertainment and technology retailer] in Lisbon and they had a Justin Timberlake live performance on to show off their home entertainment system – gnarly speakers, a huge screen. I was watching it for a while and thinking there were only three people on the planet who could do what he does. The way he sings, the way he dances, the precision – the whole package is so crazy. It’s wild. I remember quite liking a few ★NSYNC songs, but then reading how he was going to do this solo record with The Neptunes, who I loved, and being really excited about it. The production and songwriting on the album are awesome. There’s lots of repetition too, which I dig. It’s hyper-colour in music, which I really respond to. And in terms of the craft of being a pop star, he’s made an impression on me. Not that I could ever be that, by any stretch. But he is nailing what he’s doing and I appreciate that.
