Posted on April 5, 2007
Ever wonder what it would be like to be the most popular guy in the music industry?
Just ask Timbaland, who is currently the hottest commodity when it comes to producing albums and creating beats. The top artists know to enlist Timbaland when recording their latest albums, á la Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado. But now having just released his latest solo album, Shock Value, Timbaland is ready to show the world what he can do when on his own.
After numerous hit tracks on the music charts, including Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” Ludacris’ “Rollout,” and more recently, Timberlake’s “My Love,” Timbaland is no stranger at the top of the charts.
However, it’s hard to consider Shock Value a “solo album.” Throughout the 17 tracks, Timbaland collaborates with everyone from Timberlake — who he calls his best friend — to Elton John, Fall Out Boy, The Hives, Dr. Dre, Missy Elliot and 50 Cent, just to name a few. And of course “Promiscuous girl” Nelly Furtado shows up after working with Timbaland on her latest album.
Because of all these guest artists, the tracks on Shock Value vary from hot club beats, such as “Give it to Me” to more edgier songs like “Throw It On Me” and even exotic-sounding songs, such as “Bombay.” The various collaborators may make the CD seem as if it would sound disjointed, but the way Timbaland lends his beats to so many different genres of music draws the album together, making it cohesive and likable.
The album as a whole starts off strong, with the first couple of tracks lending various kinds of beats to the album, but the middle of the album blends together, making several of the tracks forgettable. But Tim makes up for at the end, with “Time,” featuring She Wants Revenge, and “Throw It On Me.”
Given the opportunity for a solo album, Timbaland jumped right in by recruiting some legendary guest artists.
On “2 Man Show,” Timbaland teams up with music legend Elton John. John adds his signature piano skills to the background of the track. One of the catchier tracks on the album is “One and Only,” featuring Fall Out Boy. The band’s recognizable crooning combined with Tim’s beats creates a blend of “alternative-hip-hop” that only the masters of the industry could produce with such accuracy.
“Bounce” pulls together the dream team of collaborators. Timbaland teams up with Dr. Dre, Missy Elliot and JT all on the same track, creating a mixture of different sounds and beats that will literally have the club bouncing to it.
Many people predicted that Timbaland’s solo album would flop, especially since he vowed never to make another solo album since 2003’s Under Construction, Part II. But with so many top artists from all different genres joining Timbaland, it would be shocking for him not to have a hit album.
