Snap Judgment: Justin Timberlake's new single, 'Follow My Lead'

The first thing you might notice about Justin Timberlake's new sorta-single is how little Justin Timberlake it actually contains. This live version of "Follow My Lead," streaming on Timberlake's MySpace page (and sold to benefit the Shriners), is much more of a showcase for his guest vocalist Esmée Denters, a capably contemporary (read: earnest without being especially soulful) new 18-year-old pop alto from the Netherlands who takes the reins on the verses and choruses, leaving Beyoncé's newest backup dancer to offer the same kind of affirmative asides and phoned-in rapping that Timbaland gave to "FutureSex/Lovesounds" (which, yep, is still completely awesome).

There's some inviting Neptunes-y drum clatter and chicken-scratching guitar in the intro, but by the first synth-sopping chorus it's clear that this is pretty middlebrow radio-pop. Serviceable weekend driving music, yes, but still a far cry from the Timberlake who owned the world with falsetto trance-funk not too long ago. This should be a coup for Denters, however, and if she gets in a room with Ne-Yo or otherwise capable songwriting hands, I'd be down to hear what she does next.  But between this and Timbaland's many less successful production efforts of late, "My Love" nostalgia is running wide and deep, and Timberlake needs to hurry up and make that promised Rapture-ish record as soon as Timbaland can lose Chris Cornell's number.

-- August Brown   

Timberlake photo by Scott Gries/Getty Images