This Week on Billboard: Justin Timberlake f. T.I. - My Love

This Week On Billboard is where I unabashedly critique the current no. 1 hit on Billboard.com, the major yardstick for what's "hot" in music today. In order to simplify the review for those who don't want to read the whole article, each song is given a "!" rating, in which the finest grabs five of them.

Weeks in No. 1: 3

Weeks in Chart: 20

From the Futuresex/Lovesounds LP

!!!!!

"Cry Me A River" was marvelous. Not only did it perpetuate all the Entertainment Tonight headlines that surrounded Justin Timberlake at the time, it also contained the best from Timbaland in years. Creeping organs, swelling strings, and deliberate mouth clicks envelope the sped-up slow jam skitter of Timbo's beats.

Four years afterwards, the duo's back with "My Love" and they are duplicating the enormity of "Cry Me A River". Timbaland's at it again with his trademark rhythm, residing it this time with percolating synths, sinusoidal electronic percussions, and JT's stuttering beatbox. And those cartoonish sound bites he uses: the robot whistle in Ginuwine's "Pony", the baby laugh in Aaliyah's "Are You That Somebody?" and, the Pillsbury Doughboy giggle here. Ridiculous and no other R&B producer may be ballsy enough to attempt this, but it works. It's a testament to Timothy's creative vision, knowing what additional instruments would enrich the rhythm.

Once again, Timberlake sounds inspired and--it might be because you know who his inspirations were--the words he soulfully falsettos seems genuine. You felt the anger he's spewing for Brit in "Cry Me A River" enough to side with him during the tabloid spectacle; you feel the affection he's professing to Cam enough to buy them wedding presents, whenever that may be.