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JC Chasez, Schizophrenic (2004)
While Timberlake was still in his Off the Wall phase, Chasez—the brooding underwear model to JT's boy next door—skipped straight to FutureSex/LoveSounds, roping in dance-floor heavies Basement Jaxx to produce and bringing sexy (or at least horny) back two years before his ex-NSyncmate. Justin did it better, of course, and without Chasez's wet-mullet look. But it's still an admirably weird and sort of overlooked effort.
AJ McLean, Have It All (2010)
The boys of Backstreet were indistinguishable from one another, but you might remember McLean as "the one who went to rehab." On his lone solo outing, he attempts to disassociate himself from the boy-band era by referencing literally everything else—Princely funk, '80s cheese rock, piano pop—reaching "fascinating train wreck" status with "Love Crazy," which pairs galloping retro soul with incongruously raunchy lyrics.
Ashley Parker Angel, Soundtrack to Your Life (2006)
O-Town was assembled on reality television, so when Angel—the boy-band John Cougar Mellencamp, as far as his ever-shifting name is concerned—spun off on his own, he had to go extra earnest. Soundtrack isn't half-bad as mall-centric pop rock goes, and he'd probably do well on the Warped Tour these days if he wasn't in his mid-30s.
Rich Cronin, Billion Dollar Sound (2008)
LFO was hilarious for a few reasons, from its name ("Lyte Funkie Ones") to the bizarrely free-associative hit "Summer Girls." Billion Dollar Sound, the only solo effort from founder Cronin, who died in 2010, suggests he was in on the joke, as the record is a concept album about life after fame and contains an entire song daydreaming about getting drunk with Tara Reid.
Jeff Timmons, Whisper That Way (2004)
98 Degrees was the most basic of '90s boy bands—sensitive jocks who probably got wild at the nearest Applebee's after every show—but third-string member Timmons' department-store R&B makes Nick Lachey seem like Smokey Robinson. Still recommended if you're curious what an album by a box of sentient baking soda sounds like.
SEE IT: Justin Timberlake plays Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., on Thursday, Nov. 20. 8 pm. $49.50-$175. All ages.
WWeek 2015