Justin Time -Top Of Pops Interview

Justin Time
TOTP Magazine

Ladies and geezers, brace yourself for an intimate encounter with the fittest thing this side of the Russian Olympic gymnast squad : JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE

Just's About!
Three headed Aliens, Pop Tarts and er...taking a hike ?! Is this JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, creme de la cool pop creme we're talking to?

We all know you dance your pants off- does it keep you fit?
I think dancing is an expression. It definitely helps to keep me fit too. But, first off, I think dancing is an expression.

Will you still be throwing shapes in 40 years time?
No, I don't think I'll be dancing as much as Mick [Jagger] is!

But you've gotta be fighting fit?
I work out. The rehearsals alone are five to six hours so that's a lot of cardio. I've also got good metabolism. And I'm pretty active. I like to play golf and Basketball. I've just taken up tennis. I want to start hiking - that would be fun. But I have to find somewhere to hike.

You need a dog to walk, don't you?
I'm going to get one soon. Very soon.

Aaah, bring him in to see TOTP! So, is there any sport you're not good at?
Surfing. I've tried but I don't think I've totally mastered the art, ha-ha! It was a very painful experience both times I've tried - I've only tried twice.

Are you careful about what you eat?
I eat pretty healthy. I naturally like healthy food. I don't like a lot of junk food.

What would you cook us for a healthy dins-dins?
I'm learning. I can make some Skillet Sensations - the ones you just dump into the skillet and heat up. I'm kick-ass! I can make a really mean Pop Tart and a nice bowl of cereal, and to top it off, I'm exceptional at browning toast!

Apart from your own alb of course, what kind of music are you listening to at the mo?
I love this whole new breed of rockers - The Vines and The Hives and Linkin Park. They're totally different styles of band for rock music cos Linkin Park uses influences of Hip-hop and I totally dig that, but The Vines are a three-piece total rock band - just really grungy and I totally respect that.

How did you come up with the title of your album?
Justified? Well, I kind of got it from somebody else. They said the word "justified" and I was like , "wow". I looked up and said,"What are you talking about?" And they said, "Well, that's you. Like, everything you do is always justified. It always has a reason. It always has a place for existing." That made so much sense and it was such a perfect album title.

What other juicy gems didn't cut it?
I had Really Fun Dance Music For The Kids To Dance To -but I thought that was too long! Then I thought of Yellow Brick House, which was kind of a cross between [Elton John's] Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Animal House, but I figured that was a little misleading. Justified wasn't taken, ha-ha!

How are you handling the tag of role model?
I don't feel responsible for being a role model - I understand the relation but to me, parents are role models. Parents and teachers. I think if people don't understand it now, they'll grow up to understand that as entertainers, we just entertain.

Talking of entertaining, what about you and Nelly doing an album together?
Ha-ha, yeah. I think we should. I think it would be fun. Actually, we were joking about that the last time I saw him, that's why I'm laughing. We were joking about doing his new record together.

Bet it's a laugh working with him!
It's just fun. It's not brain surgery, it's fun and he's super-duper talented. So he's just a good guy and I have a good time with him in the studio.

What about working with Usher? [i][Oh hell NO, not that god awful poser!}..hhdevilchiild[/i]
It's a great idea but I don't know if it will happen. I'm game for it. I'm ready. Let's do it!

Did working with Puffy blow you away?
I've known Puffy for a while. He's a good dude and had a song that I wrote and it was perfect for him to raise the production. I got so experimental with so many different sounds on this record that I went to different people. That was the fun part of getting to make a record cos you can go wherever you want to go.

We've gotta ask - when will *Nsync record again?
Good question. Sometime this year we'll probably get back in the studio - there's no telling what time that would be.

What's the secret behind * Nsync staying together for so long?
The reason a group works so well is cos of everybody's individuality. *Nsync would not be *Nsync without Lance or Joey or JC or Chris or myself. It's cos of us five and our individuality that everything can kind of move together.

What do you think when people say boyands are over?
Boyband is a funny term. We never felt like a boyband, we always felt like a vocal group from the beginning so as far as I'm concerned, they never existed.

Did you go see Joey [Fatone] on stage in the musical Rent?
Yeah! He was amazing. Joey was simply amazing in his performance. The most amazing part about him, to me, is the fact that I've known Joey for eight years and I know everything about his personality. I know his little faces and his little personality traits, and the fact that he totally took on that character and turned into a different person, I was so impressed. That was the most amazing part of the performance to me. He was vocally incredible. He's vocally so strong. His voice is built for Broadway, I think. He just didn't miss a moment or a note. He was flawless - and I'm a tough critic. I'm a very tough critic, especially when it comes to performance .

Yeah, like you would have really told him if he was doing a bad job?
Yeah, I would tell him. I told him I'd punch him in the face cos he was so good. He was so good!

Fancy a turn on the Boards yourself?
Acting is a whole other thing. I think I would at least go take some acting lessons or have an acting coach sit with me and teach me about acting before I try to get involved with a heavy kind of role.

Are pop stars just frustrated actors?
Hip-hop stars are frustrated basketball players and basketball players are frustrated hip-hop artists. Have you heard that before? If there's something you feel you can do, you should just do it and don't care what anybody says. Everybody has an opinion and opinions are like asses - they all stink, ha-ha.

Cheeky! Apart from opinions, what's cool and what stinks about your job?
The advantages of doing what I do is to be able to wake up in the morning and do something I love. Not a lot of people can say that about their profession. The disadvantages are the lack of privacy and the work schedule. It's very vigorous.

How do you deal with it?
You need a sense of humour. And you just take it one day at a time.

What's the funniest rumour you've ever heard about yourself?
That I'm a three-headed alien! No, I'm just trying to make one up. I haven't heard that one but I'd like to see if it will go around.

Is Justin the King of Pop?Celebrity opinions;

Danni Minogue: I don't think there's any doubt that he is! His music is great and he's probably the biggest star in the world at the moment!

Sarah, Girl's Aloud: I love Justin to bits, But at the moment I'm having a bit of a Michael Jackson fetish. We've played Justin's album so much at all our photo shoots and it's getting a bit tiresome now.

Kevin, Liberty X: I do think he's wicked. There is a bid deal being made about him at the moment but I think it's rightly deserved. I think people should stop talking about his relationships and start talking about his music, cos his album is wicked!

Kym Marsh: He's the new Michael Jackson, isn't he? I think he's brilliant - he's a fantastic performer, but I don't fancy him, not that he would fancy me either!

Alesha, Mis-teeq: Yes, definitely. People get excited when they see an artist who is a great singer and a great dancer so I say yes, he does deserve the crown.

Kenzie, Blazin Squad: Justin's only had two singles, I think we've got to remember that. Don't get me wrong, I think the bloke is a legend, but he's not the King of Pop just let - we need to give it a little while.