Justin Timberlake debuted on The New Mickey Mouse Club, alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. He rose to fame as a teen heartthrob with the pop group *NSYNC in 1995. Following the musical group’s enormous success in the 1990s, Timberlake went solo in 2002, releasing his own album, Justified. With the Grammy-winning album, he demonstrated he could stand alone, and he extended his popularity as a solo artist with FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006), the two-part The 20/20 Experience (2013), and Man of the Woods (2018). Aside from his successful musical career, Timberlake has also established himself as a great actor, appearing in Alpha Dog (2006), The Social Network (2010), and In Time (2011).
Early Life
Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee to parents Randall “Randy” Timberlake and Lynn Bomer. He spent his childhood days in Shelby Forest.
Timberlake, who was raised as a Baptist, grew up singing in the church chorus. His familial circle also included a number of musicians who helped him develop his talent, such as an uncle who played in a bluegrass band and a grandpa who initially taught the young Timberlake guitar and had once jammed with Elvis Presley. His granddad also introduced him to Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash tunes.
Simultaneously, his father played him songs by bands such as the Eagles and Queen. Memphis was also the birthplace of the blues, and he became acquainted with artists such as B.B. King and others.
Timberlake’s parents separated in 1985. Both remarried, and the extended family is still close. On his father’s side, he has two half-brothers. Timberlake’s half-sister died shortly after birth, and he paid tribute to her in the *NSYNC song “My Angel in Heaven.”
*NSYNC
Debut Album
He appeared on The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1995, alongside music sensations Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and JC Chasez. Following that, Timberlake and Chasez joined up with Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick to form the all-male singing trio *NSYNC. The boy band went on to become one of the most popular pop groups of the 1990s, first as an overnight success in Europe and subsequently in the United States. Hits from their self-titled debut album included “I Want You Back” and “Tearin’ Up My Heart.”
‘No Strings Attached’
After a public legal struggle with their previous manager Lou Pearlman, the band published their sophomore follow-up, No Strings Attached (2000), which became the year’s best-selling album and the decade’s best-selling album. Its first single, “Bye Bye Bye,” became their hallmark song, and subsequent songs like “It’s Gonna Be Me” and “This I Promise You” helped cement them as one of music’s most popular boy bands.
‘Celebrity’
Celebrity, the follow-up and last album, was released in 2001 and yielded three successful singles: “Pop,” “Gone,” and “Girlfriend.” The PopOdyssey tour, which promoted the record, became one of the year’s most successful, grossing $90 million.
The group was later honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
Early Solo Career Highlights
‘Justified’ and Controversial Super Bowl Performance
Timberlake launched a solo career in 2002, with the smash single “Like I Love You.” Later that year, he released Justified, his first solo album, which included the hits “Cry Me a River” and “Rock Your Body” and sold over 7 million copies worldwide. In 2004, he won two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The victories came on the heels of Timberlake’s contentious Super Bowl performance with Janet Jackson, in which he mistakenly tore a part of Jackson’s garment, displaying her bare breast.
Timberlake has frequently collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas as a solo artist, getting a Grammy nomination with the band for “Where Is The Love?” He has also collaborated with Nelly, Snoop Dogg, and Nelly Furtado, and in 2005, he founded his own record label, JayTee Records.
‘FutureSex/LoveSounds’
The following year, he released FutureSex/LoveSounds, his second solo album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard list. The album’s debut hit, “SexyBack,” spent several weeks at the top of the charts. Other hit songs on the album include “My Love,” “What Goes Around Comes Around,” and “LoveStoned/I Think She Knows,” the latter two of which won Grammys.
Timberlake helped Madonna’s track “4 Minutes” reach the Top 10 in 2008. He not only provided backup vocals, but he was also a co-writer of the song. Timberlake also appeared on several more songs on Madonna’s Hard Candy album.
Movies and TV Shows
‘Shrek the Third,’ ‘The Love Guru’
Timberlake, who is also pursuing an acting career, has had some success on the big screen. While his roles in Alpha Dog (2006) and Black Snake Moan (2006) received little attention, he rose to prominence as the voice of a young King Arthur in 2007’s smash-hit animated picture Shrek the Third, which starred Mike Myers as the main character. Other projects soon followed, with Timberlake reuniting with Myers in the 2008 comedy The Love Guru. He also appeared in the 2009 drama The Open Road, alongside Jeff Bridges and Mary Steenburgen.
‘The Social Network,’ ‘Bad Teacher,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘In Time’
Timberlake’s performance in The Social Network, a drama about the founding of Facebook, was one of his most memorable to date. In the film, Timberlake portrayed real-life internet tycoon Sean Parker. In 2011, he appeared in the comedies Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz, Friends with Benefits with Mila Kunis, and In Time (2011) with Amanda Seyfried.
‘Trouble with the Curve,’ ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ ‘Trolls’
Timberlake went on to star in Clint Eastwood’s 2012 baseball drama Trouble with the Curve, as well as the 2013 thriller Runner Runner, alongside Ben Affleck. Continuing his string of more serious parts, Timberlake played Neil Bogart in Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) before switching to voice acting as Branch in the animated Trolls (2016). He also served as the film’s executive music producer.
‘Saturday Night Live’
Timberlake has also built a name for himself on television. In 2006, he made his debut appearance on Saturday Night Live as both a host and a musical guest. Among the hosts who have graced the stage, his routines and comedic timing have made him a fan favorite. With his work in television, he has shown himself as a versatile actor, having received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2009 and 2011.
‘The 20/20 Experience’
Timberlake returned to the music world in January 2013 with the blockbuster track “Suit & Tie.” The song appears on his album The 20/20 Experience, which was published in March of that year and debuted at the top of the album charts in its first week. Timberlake played “Pusher Love Girl” and “Suit & Tie” with Jay-Z during the 2013 Grammy Awards event before the long-awaited album was published. Timberlake’s triumph continued in August, when he received the VMA Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. He delivered an excellent performance at the ceremony, which also included a reunion with his *NSYNC bandmates.
‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’
In October of the same year, he soon followed The 20/20 Experience with The 20/20 Experience Part 2 of 2. The follow-up album did not receive as much critical acclaim as its predecessor, but it did yield the hit single “Take Back the Night.” Timberlake’s lead single “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” which was included in Trolls, was released in the spring of 2016. The song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and in 16 additional countries.
‘Man of the Woods’ and Super Bowl Return
In January 2018, Timberlake released the first track from his forthcoming studio album, a slow bedroom tune named “Filthy.” Later same month, he released the Top 10 smash “Say Something,” which featured Chris Stapleton. Man of the Woods, which features collaborations with Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, was released in early February, just in time for the singer’s appearance at the Super Bowl LII halftime show.
Before Timberlake ascended the stage at the Super Bowl, the hashtag #JusticeForJanet was trending on social media among Jackson supporters who felt she bore the brunt of the consequences from the 2004 Super Bowl performance. Furthermore, the rumor that Timberlake planned to perform alongside a hologram of Prince sparked extra outrage, with fans citing an interview in which the late music icon expressly declared his distaste to such a special effect.
On July 3, Timberlake released a new song called “SoulMate.” Following the unevenness of Man of the Woods, some critics saw the samba-like, beach-ready groove as a welcome return to his roots.
‘Trolls World Tour’
Timberland returned in early 2020, following a brief hiatus, with the debut of Trolls World Tour. The soundtrack to the film spurred the release of new Timberland songs, including “The Other Side,” with SZA, and “Don’t Slack,” featuring Anderson Paak.
Personal Life
Timberlake had previously dated Britney Spears and actress Cameron Diaz. He began dating actress Jessica Biel in 2007. After an on-again, off-again relationship for several years, the pair married in Puglia, Italy, in October 2012. They later told People magazine, “It’s great to be married, the ceremony was beautiful, and it was so special to be surrounded by our family and friends.” Silas Randall Timberlake, the couple’s son, was born in April 2015. In the summer of 2020, the couple welcomed their second child, son Phineas.
In addition to his music and acting careers, Timberlake has also opened several restaurants, started a clothing line and participated in humanitarian efforts in his native Tennessee.