Justin Timberlake

When a boy band member starts their solo career they usually either rebel against their boy band roots and try to be taken seriously as a musician (Robbie Williams) or they make music that sounds exactly like the boy band they left without the backing singers (Ronan Keating). Another common theme regardless of what direction they take is they get off to a good start, maybe even get a number one but then soon fade into obscurity.

With Justin Timberlake he hasn't really taken either direction and with a solo career that's lasted longer than N Sync ever did its fair to say he's been one of the success stories of a post-boy band solo career.

Back when he began his solo career I predicted that he would go on to have a successful solo career. That's quite a bold statement given only Robbie Williams and Ronan Keating had managed this. Furthermore Robbie and Ronan were unknown in America so that successful solo post-boy band career had never been done there. In the UK Take That and Boyzone were the biggest boy bands of their eras, N Sync probably weren't even the 5th biggest.

In 2002 N Sync released their final UK Top 40 hit to date "Girlfriend" which also became their highest charting reaching number two. The difference between this and previous N Sync songs was evident. I remember hearing this for the first time and thinking this is actually quite good. It was produced by The Neptunes and featured Nelly which gave it a bit more credibility than your average boy band song.

However N Sync were still a boy band which would have been a barrier to some who suddenly find themselves liking the music to buying it. A Justin Timberlake solo career on the other hand could be marketed in a way to appeal to the urban crowd.

His solo debut "Like I Love You" was also a Neptunes produced record. His follow up "Cry Me A River" was produced by Timbaland. I openly admitted to liking both and would use the producers as the reason.

He also made the playlist on Channel U, and urban music TV channel. When adding the blurb they would say things along the lines of he was once uncool because he was in a boy band but now he's an R&B superstar. 

Let's not get carried away though. Yes his music was R&B influenced and his album featured several people you would normally associate with R&B and rap, but it was still pop music. I don't mean that in a bad way, pop doesn't always have to be rubbish. I bought the album and I like the music on it, but given how particular I was back then if it hadn't been marketed as R&B would I have bought it? possibly not.

It would be 4 years until his 2nd album would come out which would top both the UK and USA album charts as well as giving him number one singles both sides of the Atlantic. I was less bothered about specifically what types of music I listened to by then and my love of R&B had certainly dwindled by then. Given how much I liked his first album though I tried to get into the music of his 2nd album but couldn't.

I've not really followed his solo career since then but I'm well aware he's kept it going. What I've heard hasn't been to my taste, but my prediction of a successful solo career proved to be correct.

Ronan Keating's solo career did nose dive eventually so it's fair to say Justin Timberlake has had a more successful solo career than him. What about Robbie Williams?

Well in the UK all bar one of Robbie Williams studio albums have topped the charts, the other reaching number 2. Justin Timberlake has had 2 albums reach number 2 whilst the others have topped the charts. Singles wise Robbie Williams has had 7 chart toppers and Justin Timberlake has had 4.

But you have to factor in that Justin Timberlake is American so looking at his American chart stats may be a better way to look at it. All bar one of his albums topped the charts with the other making number 2. He's also had 5 singles chart toppers.

Who's the more successful one then? I'll let you decide.