FutureSex/LoveSounds
FutureSex/LoveSounds is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake, released on September 8, 2006, by Jive Records and Zomba. Following a three-year writing hiatus, Timberlake conceived the album in collaboration with producer Timbaland and the latter's colleague Danja primarily at Timbaland's Thomas Crown Studios. By comparison with Timberlake's debut album Justified (2002), FutureSex/LoveSounds was influenced by a wider range of genres including techno, electro-funk, trance, and rock. It features reprises and interludes interspersed with the album's full songs.
"FutureSex" redirects here. For articles with similar titles, see Future Sex (disambiguation).FutureSex/LoveSounds
September 8, 2006
November 2005–June 2006
- Akademie Mathematique of Philosophical Sound Research (Los Angeles)
- Arch Angel (Los Angeles)
- Capitol (Hollywood)
- Chung King Studios (New York City)
- Conway (Hollywood)
- The Document Room (Malibu)
- Encore (Burbank)
- The Studio (Philadelphia)
- Thomas Crown Studios (Virginia Beach)
66:12
- Justin Timberlake
- Timbaland
- Danja
- Jawbreakers
- Rick Rubin
FutureSex/LoveSounds received mostly positive reviews from critics, who noted its wide range of influences and eclectic sound. The album produced six singles that attained chart success; including US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles: "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around". With "Summer Love", the album achieved four US Mainstream Top 40 number-one songs. Many music publications considered it among the best albums of the 2000s. Aside from earning numerous best-of-the-decade lists, the album received several Grammy Award nominations, including Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album, while its singles won in their respective categories. It has been certified multi-platinum in many countries worldwide, and has sold over 10 million copies, with four million in the United States.
The album has been added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's musical library and archive. It is also considered by critics and fans to be one of Timberlake's best albums to date. To further promote the album, Timberlake embarked on his second concert tour, entitled FutureSex/LoveShow, which became one of the highest-grossing tours in 2007.
Awards[edit]
In 2007, the album received four nominations at the Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Pop Vocal Album.[72] Timberlake lost the two; however, he won Best Dance Recording for "SexyBack" and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "My Love", featuring rapper T.I.[73][74] The following year at the Grammys, "What Goes Around... Comes Around" was nominated for Record of the Year; Timberlake won Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for the same song and another Best Dance Recording for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude)".[75][76] In 2007, Timberlake was nominated for seven categories at the MTV Video Music Awards, winning four, including Artist of the Year. He also earned the Quadruple Threat Award, an accolade that recognizes those artists who have excelled in multiple media including music, fashion and acting.[77] For the album, Timberlake won Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Pop/Rock Album and Favorite Soul/R&B Album at the American Music Awards of 2007.[78] For the album and its singles, Timberlake won World's Best Selling American Artist and World's Best Selling Pop Male Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards.[79] It also won Foreign Album of the Year at the Danish Music Awards[80] and was awarded IFPI Hong Kong Top Sales Music Award for Ten Best Sales Releases, Foreign.[81]
Among others, it was nominated for International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards,[82] Album of the Year at the MTV Australia Awards,[83] International Album of the Year at the NRJ Music Awards,[84] and International Album at the Brit Awards.[85] In the two latter he won their awards for International Male Artist of the Year.[84][85]
Commercial performance[edit]
Fueled by its lead single "SexyBack",[86] FutureSex/LoveSounds sold more than 684,000 copies in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the official US albums chart. It became Timberlake's first number-one album as a solo artist.[87] The album has sold over four million units in the United States, and has been certified four-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[88] FutureSex/LoveSounds became the eighteenth best-selling album of 2006 in the United States.[89] As of 2018, the album has accumulated 6.49 million album-equivalent units in the country, combining sales (4.7 million copies sold) and equivalent streams.[90][91]
Internationally, the album was also well received, selling almost equal units and topping many charts worldwide.[34][92] Sony BMG distinguished FutureSex/LoveSounds as the biggest-selling album among the record company's releases in 2006.[92] Weiss noted that in the past three to five years before the album's release, American artists found it increasingly hard to achieve commercial success in international music markets. He found that Timberlake was among those few "that successfully sells in every country around the world".[24] According to MTV, the album has since sold more than 10 million units worldwide.[93]
In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one.[92] FutureSex/LoveSounds became the biggest pre-order album in iTunes history, breaking the all-time record for one week digital sales previously held by the English alternative rock band Coldplay.[92] Elsewhere in Europe, the album debuted at number one in Ireland, and opened at number two in Sweden and Switzerland.[94] In Australia, the album peaked at number one and has since been certified five-times platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association, denoting shipments of over 350,000 units.[95] FutureSex/LoveSounds was the thirty-fourth best-selling album of 2006 in Australia, and third in the following year.[96][97] In 2006, FutureSex/LoveSounds was ranked as the 18th most popular album of the year on the Billboard 200.[98] The following year, FutureSex/LoveSounds was ranked as the 7th most popular album of 2007 on the Billboard 200.[99]
All songs are written and produced by Justin Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, and Nate "Danja" Hills, except where noted.
Notes