My Date with Justin Timberlake (Part 1)

I will be in Amsterdam this weekend to see Justin Timberlake perform tracks from his forthcoming new album "FutureSex/LoveSounds" at Paradiso theatre. Timberlake's second solo disc will be out in stores on September 12 and he will showcase his new sound to hardcore fans, media peeps and label execs during a limited club tour. Only a few hundred tickets were available for his gig in Amsterdam. He will do similar shows in Paris, London and Cologne. A small number of club dates in the U.S. are scheduled for August but have not been announced.

"FutureSex/LoveSounds" will be preceded by the single "SexyBack" that will hit radio in the U.S. on Friday. Timberlake is ready to shake things up a little with this new track. "I'm bringing sexy back. You mothafuckers watch how I attack," he sings. I love it when Mr. Diaz gets a little cocky. Rumors are circulating that he will be filming part of the "SexyBack" video in Barcelona next week.

The most recent issue of Rolling Stone magazine lets us in on a few more details about Timberlake's new album. He collaborated with hip hop beat master and Nelly Furtado's favorite "promiscuous boy" Timbalake Timbaland on a bunch of new tracks that will likely be a bombastic bunch of catchy hip pop grooves.

But Timberlake is also venturing into more adventurous territory with a few tracks that were produced by master producer Rick Rubin who previously worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, Jay-Z, Dixie Chicks and many others. It seems Timberlake might infusing his dirty pop with a rockier edge on "FutureSex/LoveSounds."

I'll keep you posted with a report of the showcase, a run down of the new tracks he performs and perhaps even some (backstage) photos. In the meantime, you can sample a tiny clip of "SexyBack" on this web site. (Pre-order "FutureSex/LoveSounds" and "SexyBack" from Amazon.)