Biography

Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, and actor. Known for combining polished pop songwriting with R&B, funk, soul, and electronic influences, he became one of the most prominent male pop artists of the 2000s and built a parallel career in film, television, and comedy.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Timberlake began performing as a child. He appeared on the television talent show Star Search and later joined the cast of The All New Mickey Mouse Club, where he worked alongside future performers including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling, and JC Chasez. Timberlake and Chasez subsequently became members of *NSYNC, the boy band assembled in the mid-1990s by manager Lou Pearlman.

• NSYNC rose to international fame with its self-titled 1998 album and the commercially successful follow-up No Strings Attached (2000). The group became associated with the peak of the late-1990s teen-pop movement, combining tightly choreographed performances with elaborate vocal arrangements. Although *NSYNC remained one of the era's best-selling groups, its activity declined after the release of Celebrity in 2001.

Timberlake launched his solo career with Justified (2002). Produced in large part by The Neptunes and Timbaland, the album moved him away from the group's teen-pop image toward a more mature blend of pop and contemporary R&B. Songs such as "Like I Love You," "Cry Me a River," and "Rock Your Body" established his solo identity and earned him his first Grammy Awards.

His second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), expanded that approach through futuristic production, layered rhythms, falsetto vocals, and an emphasis on dance-floor momentum. The singles "SexyBack," "My Love," and "What Goes Around...Comes Around" became major international successes. The album also confirmed Timberlake as an artist with substantial creative control, rather than simply a former boy-band singer. His collaborations with Timbaland and other producers were central to the sound of this period.

After an extended break from recording, Timberlake returned with The 20/20 Experience (2013) and The 20/20 Experience - 2 of 2 later that year. The two-part project favored long-form arrangements, orchestral textures, and a more expansive album format. "Suit & Tie," recorded with Jay-Z, and "Mirrors" became defining releases from the comeback. Man of the Woods followed in 2018, mixing pop and R&B with country, rock, and folk touches. In 2024, he released Everything I Thought It Was, an album that revisited elements of his established style while presenting new collaborations and contemporary production.

Timberlake's acting career includes roles in Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, The Social Network, Bad Teacher, Friends with Benefits, and In Time. He also became the voice of Branch in the animated Trolls films and wrote and performed "Can't Stop the Feeling!" for the first movie. Television appearances, particularly his frequent work on Saturday Night Live, helped establish his reputation as a versatile entertainer with a strong comic presence.

A ten-time Grammy Award winner and four-time Primetime Emmy Award winner, Timberlake's career has been defined by repeated transitions: from child performer to boy-band vocalist, from solo pop star to producer-minded album artist, and from recording artist to a broad entertainment figure.