Theology and Future Sex/Love Sounds

I know, I know. 3 J-Timberlake-themed posts in about 2 weeks--it's too much for the average person to handle. Too bad. This one is short.

A piece of theology from Jizzy's new release:

There's gotta be a heaven somewhere / To save me from this hell

From the song fittingly titled "Losing My Way". Terribly maudlin. I know. But the reasoning seems sound to me. (Granted, the Freshamn Writing Program might disagree.)

Bones tonight will make my life so nice. Booth and Bones are going undercover in VEGAS. Yes. Vegas episodes (undercover episodes, too) are always the best. And this is my one reprieve I'm allowing myself from paper grading.

And again, because I care and it makes me happy to remember that we're almost down to a month, folks. . .

Prequels (or the Evolution of Justin Timberlake)

Which is the new playlist that I added to Windows Media Player this morning, consisting of "Justified", "Future Sex/Love Sounds" and *NSYNC's "Celebrity" (in which we get to see Jizzy and JC do their song-writing thing). Just further proof why Jizzy hit it and JC didn't. (Justin's credits include "Pop", "Celebrity", "Girlfriend" and "Gone" among others, while JC got to put pen to staff paper on "The Two of Us" and "The Game Is Over". They collaborated for "Up Against the Wall".) Someday I will write the post comparing JC and Jizzy's "successes" and just why Jizzy blew him out of the water.

After a convo with Heather last night on the way home from watching the second quarter of the first season of Dark Angel (aka Part Of My Soul), I decided I needed to rewatch the NSYNC "Dirty Pop" music vid. I remember about 2 years ago I loved this video, now I think I'm seeing it more for what it is with all of the absurd video and editing acrobatics. I guess this is proof that Boy Bands are officially "out" bc I do like their last CD. Of course I'll post the video here, mostly for Heather who oft-quotes the "Ice around my neck" line.

Here are some things to keep in mind while watching:
1. There is a large possibility that the crazy camerawork is used to distract from the fact that some of the "band" members can't in fact dance as well as others.
2. Speaking of dancing, Joey Fatone broke his knee for this shoot. What does that mean? While JC and Justin are walking through the club, Joey is sitting with a group of fans trying real hard to raise the roof from the comfort of his ass. Also, their choreographer took Joey's place in the dance sets. (Not that you can tell from the crappy web-resolution.)
3. I know. Justin needs a solo career. Bc 5 men dancing in unison has somehow lost its allure. It just gets worse when they collectively hump the ground.
4. Contrary to popular assumption, I was not 10 when "Celebrity" came out and still enjoy parts of the hit-frought CD.



If anyone catches the "Gone" music vid (or wants to admit to remembering it), the frame around the song is just about the most subversive thing I've ever seen. Justin (and the guys) doing a Chaplin-esque parody and moving into the black-and-white-yearning-for-the-lost-g-friend (or in Lance's case b-friend) portion of the vid. I did laugh through the first verse of the song uncontrollably bc of the framing. Yay for undermining your own serious ballads with vaudeville!

Speaking of subversive, Here's the lyrics for the Hugh Laurie "Protest Song" he performed on this weekend's SNL. It has a similar effect to the "Gone" vid in that you watch it and it's funny, then you slowly get this horrible feeling of pending doom as you find yourself taking it seriously. So, by the end you're stuck in the bittersweet place that many of us have come to know as LIFE. To quote from one of Laura's "profs". . . Funny, yet Serious.

This is a protest song. [ blows on a harmonica attached to his neck ]

[ singing ]

"Well, the poor keep getting hungry, and the rich keep getting fat
Politicians change, but they're never gonna change that.
Girl, we got the answer, it's so easy you won't believe
All we gotta do is.. [ mumbles incoherently ]

Well, the winds of war are blowin', and the tide is comin' in
Don't you be hopin' for the good times, because the good times have already been.
But, girl, we got the answer, it's so easy you won't believe
All we gotta do is.. [ mumbles incoherently ]

It's so easy, to see
If only they'd listen, to you and me.
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] as fast as we can
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] every woman, every man
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] time after time
We got to.. [ mumbles incoherently ] vodka and lime.

Well, the world is gettin' weary, and it wants to go to bed
Everybody's dyin', except the ones who are already dead.
Girl, we got the answer, starin' us right in the face
All we gotta do is
All we gotta do is
All we gotta do is."

[ pauses, then blows on the harmonica and finishes ]

Jizzy to tha Tizzy

Ever since Sean William Scott (Stiffler from American Pie) and Justin Timberlake hosted the MTV Movie Awards in like 2003 or 2004, I think, I've only referred to the former *N'SYNCer (That's right. Don't be forgettin' that Asterisk.) as Jizzy Tizzy (at least when I can help it). No, I did not come out of the gate a Jizzy fan. It was a long and arduous journey. I'm serious. "Rock Your Body" pissed me off for a long time. But then, the straw (or SNL sketch, as it were) broke the camel's back.

"Cry Me a River" is a great song, even if it takes you looking up the lyrics on the internet before you really "understand" the chorus. (Psst: "You don't have to say / what you did / I already know / I found out from / HIM!") Screw the Britney look-a-like in the video. It's a down-ass video. So is every other video he puts out. (Yes, I am completely aware of all those double-entendres.)

He wasn't so impressive until I saw him on SNL. The show was just funny. It was completely brilliant. Everyone I knew around that time was forced to watch it on VHS from when I taped it during its re-run in September of '04. The kid "popped out performing"--not my words, his on his recent interview with Jay Leno. Yes, on SNL he did double-duty, performing in sketches and his own music, with a live-version of "Cry Me a River" to die for. You can always tell it's a brilliant live show when it takes you a good 30 seconds to recognize one of the most overplayed songs in America. (I do not lie, not until he started in with "You were my sun. . ." did I figure it out.) So someday, I'll have to see that boy live.

For those of you who missed that SNL, you missed Justin as Ashton Kutcher (getting him back for the Punk'd where he cried and called his mom), Jessica Simpson ("For reals y'all"), the Omelleteville Omellete, Sully's little brother (the pyro), Michael Bolton, singing with Kermit the Frog, and as Robin Gibb (which he reprised when Cameron Diaz hosted a year later). Here's a lucky SNL find, Jizzy as the Omellete:




ANYWAY, all this just because I bought his new CD and I'm listening to it right now. And you know what, it is what it's called: Future Sex/Love sounds. Meaning, I think he's making music before it's time. He has taken what he's doing to the next level, grown as an artist. (That's right, artist.) He's taking something from everyone on this record. And his videos are still out of control. I mean, look, there's the next step in the way of American popular music and he's taking it. Yes Timbaland. Yes Three-6-Mafia. These are great collaborations for him. He really is making brilliant business and musical choices with this album. I don't think everyone will get it, which is fine. I'm not even claiming that I completely "get it," but he's just gull-durn great in my book.

And here's the off-the-hook "My Love" video. I would draw the comparison to MJ, but why? It's been done so many times before.



What this all boils down to: Jizzy Tizzy is an artist. And I love me some real, honest-to-god artists.


**EDIT** Yes, yes yes! I found the live version of "Cry Me a River" on SNL (or a friend did, actually). And so, okay, it's only about 7 seconds before he starts singing, but you will see what I mean about it being "unrecognizable". The boy understands music. He gets arrangement. You can't fake the way he performs. On his most recent appearance on Jay Leno, he mentioned that he was a work-aholic, and maybe that's how you get to be this confident. I'm not sure.

Posted By:Brett

Get this video and more at MySpace.com

And, I will relent and admit that Jizzy is responsible for the current McDonald's themesong "I'm Lovin' it". But no matter what, he knows how to entertain. Here's another vid, him tearing it up on Jay Leno dancing to "Like I Love You". It starts a bit slow but just be patient. :) You can tell it's gonna be a great set when they clear off the band stage for him. Until I find something different, Marty Kudelka was his choreographer on this. . . (You'd think it would be easier to find info like that on the internet, but alas, no luck.) I think what really gets me about the whole performing live thing is that it's LIVE, which means (like theater) it changes every time. It's just refreshing when an artist purposefully makes sure that he tries new things (via dance moves, music arrangements, etc.). Sure, not all of them will hit, but they'll all be interesting.



THE END. Until I find some other great video featuring Jizzy.