Justin Timberlake is everywhere. Or at least he seems to be.
The actor and pop/R&B phenom recently hosted “Saturday Night Live” for the fifth time — a historic event that drew appearances from comedic heavyweights like Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase — and followed that up by co-hosting “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon” for a series of consecutive nights dubbed “Timberweek.” In February, he was named the creative director of Bud Light Platinum, and a slick new commercial for the beer features the crooner performing his comeback single “Suit and Tie,” which he also performed at the Grammy Awards alongside rap mogul Jay-Z. This summer, JT and JZ will embark on a joint stadium tour that stops in 12 cities. And this week, Timberlake drops his much-hyped third album “The 20/20 Experience,” which follows up his 2006 multi-platinum masterpiece “FutureSex/LoveSounds.”
With the barrage of well-timed advertisements, performances and hosting duties, the superstar’s return to music after a seven-year hiatus feels like a pop culture tidal wave. And the excitement is — ahem — justified, because his genre-bending brand of R&B fills a massive void left by artists like Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Usher. All of them launched their careers in R&B to one degree or another, and all of them have since switched to a dance-pop sound that inspires fist-pumping sessions and dominates club dance floors, but leaves little in the way of lasting impact.
Currently, there are few black artists who can lay claim to successful R&B careers. The-Dream is still making breathtaking R&B, but he has gained the freedom to do so by writing and producing mega-hits for other artists and forming his own label imprint, Radio Killa Records. Beyonce is certainly a superstar, but it’s hard to describe her music as R&B, even if you slap a “contemporary” label in front of it. Frank Ocean is a young mover and shaker in urban music, but it’s telling that the Grammy he nabbed was for Best Urban Contemporary Album; even the Grammys don’t quite consider his music R&B.
Solo artists Tyrese, Ginuwine and Tank formed the supergroup TGT in 2007 to combat the takeover of techno-style pop music and resurrect the dying R&B genre, but they’ve yet to release an album. Keyshia Cole and Mary J. Blige both bring a hip hop-soul aesthetic to R&B, but these days, you’re not likely to hear much of their music on mainstream radio. Trey Songz hasn’t wavered from his sex-charged — and often shirtless — brand of rhythm and blues, but while he’s achieved some success in urban spheres, he’s far from a household name.
So one has to wonder why black R&B artists in a genre once brimming with black genius have either switched to pop or been marginalized by the mainstream, while white artists like Timberlake — along with Robin Thicke, British sensation Adele and the late, great Amy Winehouse, for example — have managed to make soulful R&B music that achieves enormous success. Adele’s album “21,” for example, has sold over 10 million copies, and her monster single “Rolling in the Deep” sounds like it leapt straight out of 1967.
One has to wonder why mainstream black music, once rich with R&B that promoted love, tenderness and substance, now includes one of two types of songs: vapid pop numbers by artists who sound more like robots than real people, and commercial rap tracks that glorify violence, materialism and misogyny.
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THE ANSWER TO WHY JT SUCCESS IS SO GOOD. HIS MANAGEMENT. OF JOHNNY WRIGHT AND TIMBERLAND AS HIS PRODUCER. HIS TEAM HAS ALWAYS BEEN
ON POINT
Open and generous, Justin Timberlake enjoys a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and he thrives on sociability and fellowship. He is adventurous, playful, freedom-loving, and always ready for a good time. Timberlake rarely allows obstacles or difficulties to keep him down, for no matter how bleak the past or present, Justin always expects a better, brighter future. In fact, he is uncomfortable with his own or other people’s problems and emotional pain. Justin Timberlake often tries to “cheer up” or offer philosophical advice to those who are hurting, but he unwittingly avoids or ignores the emotions involved.:..`”
I think there is also another element that may have been overlooked. It has always been the case in America, that when “white” artist do traditionally “black” music, they have historically been more successful. Make no mistake, times haven’t changed that much. The same types of songs JT sings would not be played on many radio stations if he were not white, nor would there be the same type of saturation on many of the other media outlets.
Also, as I have been in the music business for 40 years, I’ve noticed what appears to be a systematic “push” by major records labels to ensure the black artist material is more misogynistic and lewd. I’m not sure why this is, but if you listen to the R&B music from the mid 80’s forward, you can hear the gradual decline of “love” music, in favor of more overtly sexual lyrics. I have some theories on why this has been the trend….but I’ll keep them to myself.
While I appreciate where this article is coming from I think it’s important to remember one important fact, Timberlake is a brand. This has been the case for over twenty years since he hopped on the screen on the Mickey Mouse Club. He has a dedicated fan vase that would follow him even if he did a country album :-). There is also the fact that while he wasn’t recording he was working. He was on SNL, he was on Fallon he was doing movies. All of that “off time” wor has allowed him to bank on those folks when he was ready to launch his album giving them the first “look” at his new sound. There is also the fact that you must build a dynamic team around your brand. He clearly has that.
We also ignored some great musicians who are recording R&B even if is labeled as something else. Charlie Wilson, Jill Scott, Dwele, Musiq, Maxwell, Anthony Hamilton etc. the question is are we supporting the talent we have in the building. Do we buy their albums or illegally download them? Do we purchase tickets to their shows? Do we support them when they step into other arenas? Also, are we supporting the local upcoming artist in our own backyards so that they can make it to the radio.
Also, you must include the corporate takeover of local airwaves in a conversation like this. The current radio owners are not committed to breaking artist, playing untested music or playing local unknown artist. However, that is how the black artist had thrived. The death of radio is a nail in the coffin of black artist.
Could we use more artist, more sound and more success…yes. However, for the one that are here what will do to support them?
It’s not that bad out here. We have Miguel and Dwele pumping out quality music. Other than that, I’ll put on a Stevie record or a Musiq cd. And kudos to Justin for not following Usher and Neyo’s leads. I’m so disappointed in them.