In a blue and white fringed shirt.
And a cowboy hat.
Since then, he’s swapped Randall for Timberlake, cowboy hats for fedoras, and honky-tonk for beats by Pharrell and Timbaland.
Who wants to bet that the coolest 22 year-old in America isn’t looking back with a cringe?
Which raises an interesting question: why should someone as undeniably attractive as Justin Timberlake ever cringe?
Or the Jennifers?
If Hollywood’s hottest stars had their awkward phases, I think we can say conclusively that no one is immune from this phenomenon.
So let’s agree to take a cue from the divine Lauryn Hill, who reminisces fondly about the awkwardness of childhood in “Every Ghetto, Every City” and concludes, “You know it’s hot / don’t forget what you’ve got / looking back.” The next time some of your friends bring up that home video where your shorts are pulled up to your chest (thanks, Mom!), you can tell them, “Screw you! …I mean, yeah, that was hot.”