Musical Style and Contents
Justin Timberlake said that the album is a diverse body of work that explores dimensions of R&B within the pop. He added that the album "goes totally mainstream and it goes into some dance- and club-style songs". Although there are few mid-tempo and ballads in the album, songs on No Strings Attached are mostly up tempos, a direction which was a result of the band's wanting to have a fun album. Despite of it, the album retained the pop style of its predecessor. According to Entertainment Weekly, the album's musical style is that of Top 40, with a funky beat.
On its article for The New York Times, Jon Pareles wrote in 2000:
Flush with artistic freedom, 'N Sync heads straight for the past: specifically the 1980s rhythm-and-blues that sought to balance pretty melody atop hip-hop's street-level beat. Like the Rolling Stones discovering 1950's Chicago blues, 'N Sync has latched onto the highly synthesized, jigsaw rhythms of 1980's phenomena from Michael Jackson to New Edition to Zapp. In a direct tribute to the new jack swing of the 1980s, 'N Sync remakes Johnny Kemp's 1988 hit "Just Got Paid" with its original producer, Teddy Riley.
On the album, critics noted the song about video cybersex, "Digital Get Down". Accordingly, it is a clear indicator of post-pubescent consciousness of the group. In the article "Parents' Guide" published in Entertainment Weekly, Lois Alter Mark analyzes the contents of new albums at the time, including No Strings Attached. Accordingly, the album's recurring theme is about puppy love, and has sexual content that is categorized as mildly suggestive and a language that is preteen friendly.
Read more about this topic: No Strings Attached ('N Sync Album)
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