"In the context of male artists that achieved commercial success after leaving their boy bands, Brittany Spanos from "Rolling Stone" wrote "Timberlake and Michael Jackson set a high bar for what could be attained by solo success in that they not only scored numerous number-one hits but they also crafted the mold for what it meant to be a male pop star," while for "Variety"s Jeremy Blacklow the singer is "the modern case study.