"The truth is that it can be tiresome to be continually blasted by critics because we don't fit their preconceived notion of what a 'credible' group is," 'N Sync's Justin Timberlake says as he and his four bandmates prepare to release "Celebrity," their third Jive studio album. "I wonder if they listen to our music before venturing an opinion."
If it sounds like 'N Sync is ready for a little respect, it should. Indeed, no amount of critical bashing could stop 2000's "No Strings Attached" from selling 14 million copies worldwide, according to Jive Records, or prevent record-breaking sales of 2.4 million units in the U.S. during its first week of release.
Enter "Celebrity," which finds Timberlake and 'N Sync colleague J.C. Chasez co-writing 10 of its 13 tracks. The two also participated in the album's production, collaborating with BT, Rodney Jerkins, Brian McKnight, and the Neptunes, among others. First single "Pop" is No. 47 on The Billboard Hot 100 this week.
The group revels in adventurous experiments in soul-spiked hip-hop ("Girlfriend," "See Right Through You") and the U.K.-bred 2-step club sound ("The Two of Us," "Up Against the Wall"). But 'N Sync (which also features Joey Fatone, Chris Kirkpatrick, and Lance Bass) is at its best on such sweet, harmony-laden ballads as "Selfish," "Something Like You" (with Stevie Wonder guesting on harmonica), and the haunting "Gone." The group is on tour in North America through late August.
