Timbaland – Timbaland Presents Shock Value

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Timbaland (alongside the Neptunes) was THE producer to go to for mindblowing, genre-redefining beats in the R&B and Hip Hop area. Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Ginuwine - these were all great artists, but I doubt that they would have had the same success if it weren't for Timbaland's beats.

Then, some time around 2006, he started losing it. His productions were still strong from time to time, but there wasn't anything futuristic about them anymore - it was just OK pop music. There must have been some profound change in his life which made him turn into a different musical path. I remember reading an interview with him around that time in German "Juice" magazine, where he talked about how he had started pumping iron and how he wanted to create a new form of music, called "Mosley Music".

Well, according to the "Shock Value" album, this is what Mosley Music consists of: mostly bland, unfunky beats, guest vocalists who apparently have only been selected because of how many records they sell, and some of the lamest lyrics and song ideas I have ever heard on an R&B or pop record.

You have to hear the trainwreck that is "Bounce" to believe it: A supposedly sexy song with some of the most unsexy vocal performances ever. Justin Timberlake tells you how he would like to see "me on you, and you on her" and can't even pronounce "ménage à trois" right, Missy tells you about her "big ole butt", Tim talks about "big titties" - I can hardly think of any song intended to be sexy that is more off-turning, except maybe QB Finest's "Oochie Wally".

Furthermore, we get a handful of songs that are boring and unoriginal but at least can work on some dancefloors if you don't pay attention to the lyrics. These were all released as singles: The Way I Are, Sream amd Give It To Me. The latter has some of the most ridiculous diss lyrics: Who cares about a rivalry between two vanilla producers - a guy who works with the Pussycat Dolls and the producer of Ricky Martin songs? Who gives a damn about what Nelly Furtado, or anyone at all, thinks about the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie? And who seriously thinks that Justin Timberlake, whose fate depends on a handful of high-profile producers, could be a threat to Prince, one of the most creative musicians in pop music? I have to give Timbaland some credit for "Scream" though, which is a nice pop song that somehow reminds me of Shakespear's Sister's music.

This is how the album goes on and on and for the most part it made me think: Well, this is all pretty bad. But at least a little spark of Timbaland's old talent can still be recognised in the songs, since they reference sounds of his old, career-defining records from time to time. Then I listened to the end section of the album and couldn't bear it anymore. The most obvious mainstream rock songs with cheap electronic beats underneath - how could anyone consider this a good idea? This is also the part of the album on which Timbaland has the most problems with making the songs his own. While up until then, the record could be considered a Timbaland album packed to the maximum with guest musicians, here it turns into a compilation of other people's songs that just happen to have a little contribution by Timbaland in them. This is most apparent in One Republic's "Apologize", where Timbaland wails like a baby seal, just so he could say that he was featured as a vocalist on the song. Not even Elton John can save this record, and by the time the bonus track starts, most people who liked Timbaland's earlier work will long have turned off the stereo.

It is not often that I give a record a one point rating, but this is one of those rare occurences where negative points would be fitting. Sadly, in the five years since "Shock Value" was released, Timbaland's productions have only gotten worse, and it does not look like he will be returning to form anytime soon.