R&B singer Ginuwine took a different approach with his music when his third album, The Life, arrived in 2001. One of the first things that immediately surprised fans was that super-producer Timbaland’s production was scarce on the album, as he only produced one track on it.

In the spring of 2002, boy band NSync decided to take a hiatus following their successful Celebrity tour. During this time, the group’s co-lead singer Justin Timberlake began working on his solo album Justified, which went on to sell ten million copies worldwide.