Some Songs Considered

“Dick in a Box” – The Lonely Island f/ Justin Timberlake
(Words/music: Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Asa Taccone, Justin Timberlake, Katreese Barnes, available on Incredibad, Universal Republic 2009) 

Last night during the Saturday Night Live in the 2000s retrospective, Justin Timberlake (paraphrased through Andy Samberg and now me) made the comment that the song in the Digital Short video should be something that people “actually kind of like listening to,” and to me that’s what makes “Dick in a Box” the best of the Lonely Island’s songs.  Where “Lazy Sunday” became a smash more for its video (and a couple key lines), people went around singing “Dick in a Box” for ages.  Sure, it doesn’t stand up with the best of Timberlake’s singles, but it’s written just well enough to deliver the joke in a smooth melody.  It’s goofy and ridiculous primarily, but Timberlake’s falsetto and the smooth Color Me Badd-like production bring this to another level.  This complete immersion into this universe – the characters, the genre, the performance, whatever – brings the joke to another level.

I’ve been enjoying thinking about music videos a little bit this week, and it’s appropriate that I end it with “Dick in a Box,” because in many ways this represents the state of music videos these days.  I’m sure most of the people who saw the “Dick in a Box” video saw it through a friend sharing or linking to it rather than on the original SNL broadcast, and the most successful videos (for argument’s sake, let’s consider this a music video) embrace their viral qualities.  Your friend probably sent this to you because it’s funny and if anything you thought about the song only after laughing.  Same thing with those OK Go videos – without passing judgment on those songs, someone probably sent one of their videos to you because they are clever and well-executed, not necessarily because you needed to hear the song.  I’ve always felt that the video should serve the song and in these cases the song takes a back seat to the clip.  It works in the case of “Dick in a Box” because it’s not the same without those beards and the ladies’ reactions.  Otherwise, I hope I’m wrong in this point lest music videos become too concerned with YouTube views rather than enhancing the song.

More on The Lonely Island: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm

“My Love (f/ T.I.)” – Justin Timberlake
(Words/music: Clifford Harris, Nate Hills, Tim Mosley, Justin Timberlake, available on FutureSex/LoveSounds, Jive Records 2006)

Over the past decade, Justin Timberlake evolved from a cookie cutter teen idol into one of the 21st century’s first transcendent entertainers.  With his spotlight-grabbing turn hosting Saturday Night Live this past weekend, Timberlake presented himself as a complete performer – he sings, he dances, he pokes fun at himself, and he can act a little bit (although he should probably stick to comedy).  Looking back, his evolution hit full speed with “Cry Me a River.”  While The Neptunes produced most of Timberlake’s album, this first collaboration with Timbaland provided the catalyst for both men’s careers.  Timbaland produced a lot of high profile acts before working on Justified, but Timberlake provided the charisma and creative challenge necessary to motivate both men.  The pair collaborated again on Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds album and earned popularity and a fair share of critical praise.  Specifically, Timbaland earned the same acclaim and demand the Neptunes enjoyed around Justified’s release, and deserves his share of credit for making Timberlake into a star, as his tracks enable Timberlake’s success.

While Timbaland’s adventurous production deserves credit, it’s easy to forget Timberlake’s role in his own success.  Take “My Love” as an example – it’s easy to point to Timbaland’s production – specifically those stuttering synthesizers and the glossy, “futuristic” feel to the entire track – and overlook Timberlake’s role in the song.  Sure, a Timbaland production goes a long way (as T.I.’s sluggish guest verse proves), but it takes Timberlake to transform something this weird into something so engaging.  He has a preternatural sense of performance even on a recording, specifically by singing the verses in his falsetto.  Rather than fall back and let Timbaland’s production take center stage, he senses how he can best fit into the arrangement; in this case, his falsetto combines with the keyboard and weird vocal percussion yet manages to stand out.  Then, he switches back to his normal register in time for the chorus, singing faster yet sounding more relaxed just as the track picks up steam.  While Timberlake’s lyrics aren’t exactly poetry, he makes up for it with the way he delivers the words – knowing when to space out a line and when he can sing a bit faster.  The lyrics are of little consequence anyway, as the track relies on feel more than anything else.  Timbaland sets the stage, and Timberlake knows exactly what to do when the curtain goes up – all we have to do is sit back and enjoy.

More on Justin Timberlake: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm