Jane magazine (October 2006)
Thanks to Jaz and Colleen

Justin Timberlake is an ass man, but he's not a crass man. Laura Morgan dares Timbaland to make a hit out of that.

JT's gone and made a sex record. While FutureSex/LoveSounds is no porn soundtrack (we'll leave that to Eddie Van Halen), it is frisky - plenty of moans and groans, hip-grinding club tracks and odes to Cameron Diaz's shapely booty. Just kidding. We actually have no idea whose ass he's celebrating. Still, not only is this not 'N Sync fluff, it's way more mature than Justin's Grammy-winning (and cred-earning) Justified. The hip-hop foundation is still there, as is the falsetto, but it's the thumping, juicy beats that are the centerpiece of his latest body-rocking effort. That he delivers it all in a suit and tie - no more baggy jeans and Dunks, as cute as those can be - makes it even hotter. Such a tease.

So how exactly does one "bring back sexy" anyway?

I didn't want to specifically rock anybody's body [laughs]. And I'm pretty sure sexy didn't go anywhere. When, whoever, John or Jane - no pun intended - is standing in the middle of a club and the beat comes on, I want them to feel in the moment.

It sounds like the album is more about sex than love.

I think the production has a lot to do with that. There are outright love songs as well.

Like what?

Um, you know...I will say this - just to defend myself and show that I'm not a chauvinistic pig - that on songs that are inspired by sex, I was careful with my tone. There's a way to be sexy and there's a way to be crass, and I feel like I walked that line pretty well. That said, "My Love" is a straight-up love song, and I think "Until the End of Time" is, too.

And are they about a specific person?

The album isn't autobiographical. A lot of what influenced the writing on this record was me doing film. I figured I was playing characters onscreen, so why couldn't I do that within a four-and-a-half-minute song?

Speaking of...you've shot four movies [Alpha Dog and Southland Tales, which don't have release dates; Black Snake Moan, pushed back from this month to spring; and Edison Force, now going straight to video], but none are released. Does that bum you out?

It's sort of the nature of the beast with independent film. I'm excited for them to come out, and I'm happy I was able to do smaller films, because it took the pressure of having to succeed at the box office off me. I made a conscious effort - and probably will continue to - to do supporting roles. It's inspiring to play a character that people wouldn't expect me to play or that I wouldn't have expected myself to play.

Your Black Snake costar Christina Ricci said she wanted you to teach her to pop and lock. Did that happen?

Well, the first thing I taught her was that she needs to respect the history of hip-hop, and that popping and locking are two different things. That was our first conversation. I've yet to teach her any dance moves.

When was the last time you hated being famous?

Hmmm...yesterday? But it would be ridiculous for me to complain. You can't invest in fame. At the end of the day, it's not real. We all put our pants on one leg at a time. Unless of course we don't wear pants.

After re-creating your breakup with Britney Spears in the "Cry Me a River" video, did you purposely decide not to get too personal this time around?

There wasn't a conscious effort to stay away from anything. I just, I mean, I think that, um...Well, maybe you're right. Maybe subconsciously, I did say, "I started a frenzy [last time] and I need to shy away from that."

So there are women - and men - who want to know: What do you find sexy?

Sexy to me is the way you carry what you have. I have a big nose, but I rock it. And therefore I think my big nose is sexy. I'm kidding. Sexy is a walk. Sexy isn't the clothes you wear, it's the way you wear them. Sexy is how you own your own power.

On the song, "LoveStoned" you sing, "She looks like a model but she has a little more ass." Is that a compliment?

Oh yeah. I said the songs aren't autobiographical, but there are inspirations that I've drawn from. That line is sort of coy, because we all look at models as the most beautiful people on the planet, but there's all sorts of [talk] that they're too skinny.

And you agree?

If you're asking if I'm an ass man, then my answer is yes.