Justin Timberlake

Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and dancer. Dubbed the " Prince of Pop", ''Billboard'' honored him as the best performing male solo act on Pop Airplay and one of the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century. Timberlake remains among the best-selling recording artists of all time, with sales of over 117 million records worldwide. His awards include ten Grammy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, nine ''Billboard'' Music Awards, the Contemporary Icon Award by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and MTV's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Timberlake appeared on musical television shows as a child, competing on ''Star Search''; in the early to mid-1990s, he was a cast member on the Disney Channel's ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'', where he performed cover songs, skits, and choreography. On the show, Timberlake met and worked with future bandmate JC Chasez, and the two later rose to prominence as the lead vocalists of the pop boyband NSYNC. The group released four commercially successful studio albums, becoming one of the best-selling boy bands of all time with sales of over 70 million units worldwide.

Timberlake established himself as a solo artist with his first two albums, '' Justified'' (2002) and ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006), both of which sold over 10 million copies and received triple platinum certification by the RIAA, with the latter becoming his first US ''Billboard 200'' chart number-one album. He further topped the chart on three more occasions, with '' The 20/20 Experience'', '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'' (both 2013) and '' Man of the Woods'' (2018). ''The 20/20 Experience'' became the best-selling album of the year. Throughout his career, Timberlake scored numerous high-charting US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles, including " Cry Me a River", "Rock Your Body", "SexyBack", " My Love", " LoveStoned/I Think She Knows", " What Goes Around... Comes Around", " Dick in a Box", " Give It to Me", " 4 Minutes", " Pusher Love Girl", "Suit & Tie", "Mirrors" and "Can't Stop the Feeling!", which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Timberlake enhanced his popularity with an acting career. He landed starring roles in the films '' The Love Guru'' (2008), ''The Social Network'' (2010), ''Bad Teacher'' (2011), '' Friends with Benefits'' (2011), ''In Time'' (2011), '' Wonder Wheel'' (2017) and ''Palmer'' (2021). He also voiced Artie in ''Shrek the Third'' (2007), Boo-Boo Bear in '' Yogi Bear'' (2010) and Branch in the ''Trolls'' franchise since 2016.

Early life

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, Tennessee, the son of Janet Lynn (Bomar) Harless and Charles Randall Timberlake, a Baptist church choir director. Timberlake has two half-brothers, Jonathan and Stephen, from Charles' second marriage to Lisa Perry. His half-sister Laura Katherine died shortly after birth in 1997, and is mentioned in his acknowledgments in the album ''NSYNC'' as "My Angel in Heaven".

His family circle includes several musicians; his grandfather introduced him to music from country music artists like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Performing as a child, Timberlake sang country and gospel music: at the age of 11, he appeared on the television show ''Star Search'', performing country songs as "Justin Randall". By that time, he began listening to rhythm and blues musicians from the 1960s and 70s, such as Al Green, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, and he had listening sessions with his father of studio albums by the Eagles and Bob Seger.

From 1993 to 1995, he was a Mouseketeer on ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'', where his castmates included future girlfriend and singer Britney Spears, future tourmate Christina Aguilera, future bandmate JC Chasez, and future actors Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. In 1995 Timberlake recruited Chasez to be in an all-male singing group, put together by Chris Kirkpatrick and financed by boy band manager Lou Pearlman, that eventually became NSYNC.

Career

1995–2002: NSYNC

The boy band NSYNC formed in 1995, and they began recording and performing in 1996 in Europe; Timberlake and Chasez served as its two lead singers. In 1998, the group rose to prominence in the United States with the release of their self-titled debut studio album, which sold 11 million copies and includes the single "Tearin' Up My Heart". The group had a series of legal battles with former manager Lou Pearlman, and they subsequently signed with Jive Records. They released their third studio album '' No Strings Attached'' (2000) which sold 2.4 million copies in the first week, becoming the fastest-selling album of all time. They held this record until 2015 when Adele surpassed the record with her third album '' 25''. No Strings Attached also includes the number one single "It's Gonna Be Me", " Bye Bye Bye", and " This I Promise You". NSYNC's fourth studio album ''Celebrity'' (2001) was also financially successful, selling 1.8 million copies in the first week and spawning top-five singles such as "Girlfriend". Upon the completion of the Celebrity Tour, the group went on an indefinite hiatus in 2002. NSYNC performed at the Academy Awards in 2000, the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show. The band sold more than 70 million records worldwide, becoming the fifth-best selling boy band in history.

In 2000, Timberlake appeared in The Wonderful World of Disney movie '' Model Behavior''. He played Jason Sharpe, a model who falls in love with a waitress after mistaking her for another model.

The rise of his own stardom and the general decline in the popularity of boy bands led to the dissolution of NSYNC. Band member Lance Bass was openly critical of Timberlake's actions in his memoir '' Out of Sync''. By 2002, when the group went on an indefinite hiatus and members were doing individual projects, he partnered with Pharrell Williams of the producing team The Neptunes–and Timbaland to start working on new music. The idea of going solo was strengthened a year earlier. Timberlake originally wrote the single " Gone" around 2001 for Michael Jackson, but he turned the song down, and it was instead recorded by NSYNC. Before its release, however, Jackson contacted him. Timberlake declared in a later interview that the first time he felt confident to go solo happened after that conversation. In a retrospective article in 2020, ''Billboard'' considered ''Celebrity'' "the group's swan song, setting the stage for Timberlake's equally massive solo career".

2002–2004: ''Justified'' and Super Bowl XXXVIII controversy

In August 2002, Timberlake performed at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards, where he premiered his debut solo single "Like I Love You"; it peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart. His debut solo studio album '' Justified'' was released in November and debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 with first-week sales of 439,000 copies, fewer than previous 'N Sync releases. It sold over three million copies in the U.S. and more than ten million copies worldwide. Its R&B influence, provided by hip-hop producers The Neptunes and Timbaland, was complimented by music critics. About the musical direction of the record, he commented, "I just want to do R&B. It's what I grew up listening to". The album spawned the top-five singles " Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body".

In summer 2003, Timberlake and Christina Aguilera co-headlined The Justified & Stripped Tour. Later that year he recorded a song " I'm Lovin' It", used by McDonald's as the theme to its "I'm Lovin' It" campaign. The deal with McDonald's earned Timberlake an estimated $6 million. A tour titled Justified and Lovin' It Live was included with the deal, following his initial Justified World Tour. Timberlake was featured on Nelly's song, " Work It", which was remixed and included on Nelly's 2003 remix album.

Near the end of 2002, Timberlake was the first celebrity to appear on ''Punk'd'', a "candid camera" type show created by Ashton Kutcher to trick celebrities. Timberlake, who cried during the episode, later admitted to being under the influence of cannabis when he was pranked. Three episodes later, he set up Kelly Osbourne to be "punk'd", thus making him the first celebrity to appear on the show more than once. Timberlake later spoofed Ashton Kutcher and ''Punk'd'' in a 2003 episode of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. Timberlake co-starred in a skit titled '' The Barry Gibb Talk Show'' alongside comedian Jimmy Fallon, where the duo portrayed Bee Gees brothers Barry and Robin Gibb. It marked the beginning of a long-running friendship and collaboration with Fallon.

In February 2004, during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show, broadcast on the CBS television network from Houston, Timberlake performed with Janet Jackson before a television audience of more than 140 million viewers. At the end of the performance, as the song drew to a close, Timberlake tore off a part of Jackson's black leather costume in a "costume reveal" meant to accompany a portion of the song lyrics. Jackson's representative explained Timberlake intended "to pull away the rubber bustier to reveal a red lace bra. Part of the costume detached, and Jackson's breast was briefly exposed. Timberlake apologized for the incident, stating he was "sorry that anyone was offended by the wardrobe malfunction during the halftime performance of the Super Bowl..." The phrase "wardrobe malfunction" has since been used by the media to refer to the incident and has entered pop culture. Timberlake and Jackson were threatened with exclusion from the 2004 Grammy Awards unless they agreed to apologize on screen at the event. Timberlake attended and issued a scripted apology when accepting the first of two Grammy Awards he received that night (Best Pop Vocal Album for ''Justified'' and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me a River"). He had also been nominated for Album of the Year for ''Justified'', and Record of the Year along with Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Where Is the Love?" with The Black Eyed Peas.

2004–2007: Films and ''FutureSex/LoveSounds''

After the Super Bowl incident, Timberlake put his recording career on hold to act in several films, having starred in a few feature films earlier in his career. The first role he took during this time was as a journalist in '' Edison Force'', filmed in 2004 and received a direct-to-video release on July 18, 2006. He also appeared in the films ''Alpha Dog'', '' Black Snake Moan'', Richard Kelly's '' Southland Tales'', and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film ''Shrek the Third'', released on May 18, 2007. He also appeared as a young Elton John, in the video for John's song " This Train Don't Stop There Anymore". Timberlake was considered to play the role of Roger Davis in the film version of the rock musical '' Rent'', but director Chris Columbus had insisted that only the original Broadway members could convey the true meaning of ''Rent'', so the role was reprised by Adam Pascal.

He continued to record with other artists. After "Where Is the Love?", he again collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas on the 2005 track "My Style" from their album '' Monkey Business''. When recording the 2005 single " Signs" with Snoop Dogg, Timberlake discovered a throat condition. Nodules were subsequently removed from his throat in an operation that took place on May 5, 2005. He was advised not to sing or speak loudly for at least a few months. In 2005, he began his own record company, JayTee records.

Timberlake released his second studio album, ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'', on September 12, 2006. The album, which Timberlake created from 2005 to 2006, debuted at number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling 684,000 copies its first week. It became the biggest album for pre-orders on iTunes, and beat Coldplay's record for the biggest one-week sales of a digital album. The album was produced by Timbaland and Danja (who produced a bulk of the album), will.i.am, Rick Rubin and Timberlake himself, and features guest vocals by Snoop Dogg, Three 6 Mafia, T.I. and will.i.am. A studio representative described it as being "all about sexiness" and aiming for "an adult feel".

The album's lead single, "SexyBack", was performed by Timberlake at the opening of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards and reached number-one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, where it remained for seven consecutive weeks. " My Love", the album's second single, also produced by Timbaland and featuring rapper T.I., reached number-one on the Hot 100, as did third single " What Goes Around... Comes Around". The song is reported to have been inspired by the break-up of his childhood friend and business partner, Trace Ayala, with actress Elisha Cuthbert. In October 2006, Timberlake said that he would focus on his music career rather than his film roles, specifying that leaving the music industry would be a "dumb thing to do at this point". He was the special guest performer at the 2006 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show where he sang "SexyBack", "My Love" and " LoveStoned".

Timberlake hosted many music events, including the European MTV Music Awards in 2006. On December 16, 2006, Timberlake hosted ''Saturday Night Live'', doing double duty as both host and musical guest for the second time. During this appearance, he and Andy Samberg performed an R&B song for a skit titled " Dick in a Box", which some radio stations aired as an unofficial single from Timberlake. Called "one of the most iconic musical moments in the show's history" by ''Billboard'', it became a viral hit and one of the most viewed videos on YouTube at the time. ''Rolling Stone'' listed the skit at number three on their "50 Greatest 'Saturday Night Live' Sketches of All Time". The song earned him an Emmy Award and was later featured on The Lonely Island's debut album ''Incredibad''.

In January 2007, Timberlake embarked on the FutureSex/LoveShow tour. Following singles off the album, " LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude)" and " Until the End of Time", peaked within the top 20 on the Hot 100, while the fourth single " Summer Love" reached the top 10. The song " Give It to Me", a Timbaland single on which Timberlake guests with Nelly Furtado, reached the Hot 100 number-one spot. Eventually, ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's musical library and archive.

2008–2012: Musical hiatus and focus on acting

The song " 4 Minutes" was first played by Timbaland at Philadelphia's Jingle Ball on December 17, 2007. When released on March 17, 2008, "4 Minutes" was revealed to be a duet between Timberlake and Madonna, with backing vocals by Timbaland. It was the lead single from Madonna's eleventh studio album ''Hard Candy'', which featured four other song-writing collaborations with Timberlake, being also one of the executive producers. The single was an international hit, topping the charts in over 21 countries worldwide. Timberlake also appears in the music video, which was directed by Jonas & François. On March 30, 2008, Timberlake performed the song at Madonna's Hard Candy Promo Show at Roseland Ballroom in New York City. On November 6, 2008, Timberlake performed the song with Madonna on the Los Angeles stop of her Sticky & Sweet Tour.

In June 2007, Timberlake co-wrote, produced and provided vocals for the songs "Nite Runner" and "Falling Down" for Duran Duran's album '' Red Carpet Massacre'', released on November 13, 2007. "Falling Down" was released as a single in the UK on the previous day. Also in 2007, Timberlake made an appearance on 50 Cent's third album ''Curtis''. Timberlake, along with Timbaland, is featured on a track called " Ayo Technology", which was the album's fourth single. Also, another possible collaboration was to occur with Lil Wayne for his album '' Tha Carter III'' with Nelly Furtado and Timbaland. With the wrapping up of the FutureSex/LoveSounds tour of Australasia and the Middle East in November 2007, Timberlake resumed his film career. Projects underway early in 2008 were starring roles in Mike Myers' comedy '' The Love Guru'' (released June 20, 2008) and Mike Meredith's drama '' The Open Road'' (released August 28, 2009). In March 2008, it was announced that he would be an executive producer in an American adaptation of the hit Peruvian comedy ''My Problem with Women'' for NBC. On November 20, 2008, ''TV Guide'' reported that Timberlake's next single, "Follow My Lead", which also featured vocals by Timberlake's protégée, former YouTube star Esmée Denters, would be available for exclusive download through Myspace. All proceeds would go to Shriners Hospitals for Children, a charity dedicated to improving pediatric care for sick children. In February 2008, Timberlake was awarded two Grammy Awards. At the 50th Grammy Awards ceremony, he won the Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for " What Goes Around...Comes Around", and the Award for Best Dance Recording for " LoveStoned/I Think She Knows".

In 2008, a collaboration between Timberlake and T.I., " Dead and Gone", was featured on T.I.'s sixth studio album, ''Paper Trail'', and was released as its fourth single late in 2009. In November 2008, it was confirmed that Timberlake would make a guest appearance and produce some tracks on R&B/ pop singer Ciara's upcoming album '' Fantasy Ride'' due out May 5, 2009. Timberlake featured on Ciara's second single " Love Sex Magic", the video being shot on February 20, 2009. The single became a worldwide hit, reaching the top ten in numerous countries and peaking at number-one in several countries including Taiwan, India, and Turkey. The song was nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals at the 52nd Grammy Awards. Timberlake hosted the 16th ESPY Awards, and the musical number "I Love Sports" was later nominated for an Emmy award. Timberlake and his production team The Y's, along with Mike Elizondo, produced and co-wrote the song "Don't Let Me Down" for Leona Lewis's second studio album, ''Echo'', released on November 17, 2009. Timberlake also co-wrote and performed on " Carry Out", the third single from Timbaland's album '' Shock Value II'', released on December 1, 2009. Timberlake appeared on Jimmy Fallon's debut as host of ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' on March 2, 2009. Timberlake was the executive producer on the MTV reality series '' The Phone'', which premiered on April 21, 2009. In late 2009, Barbadian singer Rihanna released the album '' Rated R'', with Timberlake being one of the writers and producers. They both worked together previously for her third studio album '' Good Girl Gone Bad''.

From 2010, Timberlake increased his acting work. He played Sean Parker, the founder of Napster, in the acclaimed film ''The Social Network'' (2010). He also appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010. In 2011, he starred alongside Cameron Diaz in ''Bad Teacher'' and alongside Mila Kunis in ''Friends with Benefits'', and played Will Salas, the protagonist of ''In Time'', a science fiction film by Andrew Niccol. He provided a feature and appeared in the music video for the song " Motherlover" from The Lonely Island's second album '' Turtleneck & Chain'', and directed and made a cameo in the FreeSol music video "Hoodies On, Hats Low", which was released in August 2011. The ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' sketch " History of Rap" was performed for the first time by both Fallon and Timberlake in 2010. In July 2011, United States Marine Kelsey De Santis uploaded a YouTube video asking Timberlake to be her date to the United States Marine Corps birthday ball; they attended the event on November 13, 2011, in Richmond, Virginia. His fifth ''Saturday Night Live'' episode, as host and musical guest, was the most-watched episode in 14 months, with Charles Barkley as host and Kelly Clarkson as musical guest.

2013–2017: ''The 20/20 Experience'', ''2 of 2'', and ''Trolls''

Timberlake began working on his third studio album '' The 20/20 Experience'' in June 2012 with "no rules and/or end goal in mind". He publicly announced his return to the music industry in January 2013, releasing the album's lead single "Suit & Tie" featuring Jay-Z later that month, which would eventually peak at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. After four years not performing in concert, Timberlake appeared the night before the 2013 Super Bowl and performed during the "DirecTV Super Saturday Night" on February 2, 2013, in New Orleans. On February 10, 2013, he performed "Suit & Tie" with sepia-toned lighting at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, with Jay-Z joining him from the audience. On February 11, 2013, "Mirrors" was released as the second single from ''The 20/20 Experience''. The song would eventually peak at number two on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number-one on the UK Singles Chart. ''The 20/20 Experience'' was released on March 19, 2013 through RCA Records due to the disbandment of Jive Records. The album set a digital sales record for being the fastest-selling album on the iTunes Store and debuted at number-one on the charts by moving just over 968,000 copies in the U.S., the biggest sales week of 2013. It eventually became the best-selling album of the year in the country.

Timberlake performed at the "In Performance at the White House: Memphis Soul" concert, held in the East Room of the White House and hosted by President Barack Obama, celebrating Memphis soul music from the 1960s. Afterward, Timberlake officially announced The 20/20 Experience World Tour, following his and Jay-Z's co-headlining concert tour Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour. Timberlake also appeared on Jay-Z's twelfth studio album '' Magna Carta... Holy Grail'' on three songs: "Holy Grail", "BBC" (along with Nas, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Niigo & Beyoncé), and "Heaven". On August 25, 2013, Timberlake received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards. He also took home three competitive awards, including Video of the Year for "Mirrors". During his performance, Timberlake briefly reunited with his fellow former NSYNC bandmates for a medley of their hit songs "Girlfriend" and "Bye Bye Bye".

Timberlake's fourth studio album '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'' was released on September 30, 2013 and debuted at number-one on the ''Billboard'' 200. Its lead single " Take Back the Night" was released on July 12, 2013, following by the second single " TKO". Timberlake was given a production and writing credit on track six on Beyoncé's self-titled fifth studio album, which was released in December 2013. At the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, Timberlake was nominated for seven awards, eventually winning three: Best R&B Song for " Pusher Love Girl", Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Holy Grail", and Best Music Video for "Suit & Tie", which was directed by ''The Social Network'' director David Fincher. On February 25, 2014, " Not a Bad Thing" was released as the third single from ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2''. The song reached the top 10 on the Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Top 40 chart. In 2014, Timberlake appeared on Michael Jackson's second posthumous record '' Xscape'' on the song " Love Never Felt So Good", which was produced by Timbaland, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon and Timberlake. On May 14, 2014, a music video was also released featuring clips of Jackson, with Timberlake accompanied by several of Jackson's fans performing some of Jackson's signature moves. The video was directed by Timberlake and Rich Lee. During 2015, Timberlake performed along with Jimmy Fallon the ''Saturday Night Live'' 40th Anniversary's cold open, returned to ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' as a guest to perform a sixth edition of the sketch " History of Rap", and performed along with Chris Stapleton at the 49th Annual Country Music Association Awards.

Showcasing the final date of The 20/20 Experience World Tour at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, the space-age themed concert film titled '' Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids'' and directed by Jonathan Demme premiered at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on September 13. Timberlake dedicated the film to Prince for influencing his music. Ahead of its debut at the film festival, the streaming service Netflix released it on October 12. Timberlake composed the soundtrack and served as music supervisor for the 2017 film '' The Book of Love'', which his wife Jessica Biel produced and starred in.

Timberlake voiced the lead character in DreamWorks Animation's musical comedy ''Trolls'' opposite Anna Kendrick. The film was released in November 2016, and returned for its next two entries '' Trolls: World Tour'' and ''Trolls: Band Together'' in 2020 and 2023 respectively. He also served as the executive music producer, performing original music for the film. The lead single, "Can't Stop the Feeling!", was released on May 6, 2016. Timberlake was invited by Swedish broadcaster Sveriges Television (SVT) to perform "Can't Stop the Feeling" live during the interval act at the grand finale of the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 on May 14, 2016. The single debuted at number one on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100, and reached the top spot in other 16 countries. It became his eighth U.S. Mainstream Top 40 number-one song. It became the best-selling song of the year in the U.S. with 2.4 million downloads sold. On February 26, 2017, Timberlake opened the 89th Academy Awards with a performance of "Can't Stop the Feeling!", since the song earned him a nomination. Also that year, Timberlake starred with Kate Winslet and Juno Temple in Woody Allen's drama film '' Wonder Wheel'', and headlined several festivals and live sets, including Rock in Rio, the United States Grand Prix, and the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, which he co-produced.

2018–2022: ''Man of the Woods'' and Super Bowl LII halftime show

Speaking of his fifth studio album in 2016, Timberlake stated, "I think where I grew up in America has a lot of influence. Growing up in Tennessee—very central of the country—Memphis is known as the birthplace of rock & roll, but also the home of the blues, but Nashville's right down the street so there's a lot of country music." In following interviews, Timberlake confirmed working with producers Timbaland and Pharrell Williams, while stating, "It sounds more like where I've come from than any other music I've ever made... It's Southern American music. But I want to make it sound modern – at least that's the idea right now."

His fifth studio album '' Man of the Woods'' was released on February 2, 2018, two days before he headlined the Super Bowl LII halftime show in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 4, where Timberlake performed a medley of his songs featuring both the Tennessee Kids and the Minnesota Marching Band alongside him, as well as a duet of "I Would Die 4 U" with a video projection of late singer Prince on screen. The show contained multiple selections from ''Man of the Woods,'' which is named after his son Silas, whose name means "from the forest". The album's first single, " Filthy", was released on January 5, along with its accompanying video directed by Mark Romanek. The electro-funk song has reached number nine in the U.S. and number 5 in Canada. The songs " Supplies", " Say Something" featuring Chris Stapleton and " Man of the Woods" were also released along with music videos ahead of the album. His collaboration with Stapleton also reached the top 10 in the U.S. and Canada.

''Man of the Woods'' topped the ''Billboard'' 200 with the biggest first week sales of the year at the time, selling 293,000 total units. ''Man of the Woods'' also marks Timberlake's fourth consecutive No. 1 album and has since been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). ''Man of the Woods'' concluded 2018 as the sixth best-selling album of the year. An accompanying tour of the same name began on March 13, 2018, in Toronto, Canada and concluded on April 13, 2019, in Uncasville. ''The Man of the Woods Tour'' was the sixth-highest-grossing tour of 2018.

In May 2019, Timberlake received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music. Missy Elliott and Alex Lacamoire also received doctorates at the ceremony.

Following the announcement of '' Trolls World Tour'', Timberlake teased potential collaborations with a number of artists, through a series of Instagram posts, which included frequent collaborators Pharrell Williams, Nathaniel Hills and Rob Knox, as well as new collaborators such as Anderson .Paak, Brandy Norwood, Lizzo, and Meek Mill. On February 26, 2020, SZA and Timberlake released the single " The Other Side", a song part of the '' Trolls World Tour'' soundtrack, alongside its music video. On March 9, 2020, Timberlake released a teaser for his upcoming song "Don't Slack", which features Anderson .Paak, and is also part of the '' Trolls World Tour'' soundtrack. The song was released on March 10, 2020.

In September 2020, Timberlake and producer Timbaland teased a potential upcoming collaboration with Canadian musician Justin Bieber, as well as collaborations with Justine Skye, Hit-Boy and Ty Dolla Sign. In December 2020, Timberlake and Ant Clemons released the single "Better Days", which received its premier on the Rock the Runoff virtual concert, held by Stacey Abrams' organization Fair Fight.

In January 2021, Timberlake performed as part of the inauguration of Joe Biden. Performing from his hometown of Memphis, Timberlake performed his collaboration with Ant Clemons during the ''Celebrating America'' special. Timberlake performed at Pharrell Williams' Something in the Water festival in Washington D.C., where he was joined on stage by T.I. and Clipse for his five-song set.

2023–present: ''Everything I Thought It Was''

In May 2023, Timbaland revealed that Timberlake's sixth studio album was completed, adding that their pair had revived the sound from the ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' era. On September 1, 2023, Timbaland released the single " Keep Going Up", in collaboration with Furtado and Timberlake. Timberlake also reunited with his fellow former band members of NSYNC later that month and released the single " Better Place" in support of the ''Trolls Band Together'' soundtrack. In addition to "Keep Going Up" and "Better Place", Timberlake had also collaborated with Meek Mill on the song Believe, Romeo Santos on the song " Sin Fin", DJ Khaled on his album ''Khaled Khaled'', on the song "Just Be", Justine Skye on her album, ''Space & Time'', on the song "Innocent", Jack Harlow on his album '' Come Home the Kids Miss You'', on the song "Parent Trap"; a remix of Coco Jones' " ICU" and a further remix of the song " 3D" by Jungkook. Timberlake had also worked with Calvin Harris, producer of " Fuckin' Up the Disco" and "No Angels", on his song " Stay with Me", alongside Pharrell Williams and Halsey.

On January 19, 2024, Timberlake performed a free one-night-only concert at the Orpheum in Memphis where he live-debuted his new single "Selfish" after teasing a new project on social media in previous days. In promotion of the record, on January 25, 2024, Timberlake appeared on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon''; he announced the release of "Selfish" and revealed that the album had taken four years to produce.

"Selfish" debuted at number 19 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, marking Timberlake's highest debut in six years on the chart. It became his 39th career solo entry on the Hot 100, and his 29th to reach the top 40. On the release day of "Selfish", he also announced that his sixth studio album, ''Everything I Thought It Was'', would be released in March 2024. Timberlake appeared as a musical guest on the January 27, 2024, episode of ''Saturday Night Live'', singing "Selfish" and "Sanctified". On January 30, he appeared on ''The Kelly Clarkson Show'' and held an "intimate" concert at Irving Plaza in New York City on January 31, his 43rd birthday. He appeared as the musical guest, where he performed "Selfish" on ''The Graham Norton Show'' recorded in London on February 22, 2024, the night before he cancelled ''A'' ''One Night Only'' concert, to be held at the Roundhouse, London, on February 23, 2024. Timberlake was recovering from an illness. The promotional single "Drown" was released on February 23, 2024. Timberlake also appeared on Complex Networks ''Sneaker Shopping'' on March 11, 2024, and mentioned the release of his new album at the end of the video.

On March 13, 2024, in anticipation of the album release, Timberlake performed a one-off concert at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The show featured a surprise reunion with his NSYNC bandmates, with the group playing a medley of hits and the new album track “Paradise.” Timberlake then performed on NPR's Tiny Desk series on March 15 for a half-hour-long concert. Timberlake also announced the release of a documentary showing the album's creation process. The second single off the record, "No Angels", was released on March 15, 2024, the same day as the album's release. ''Everything I Thought It Was'' debuted at number four on the U.S. ''Billboard'' 200, giving Timberlake his sixth consecutive top five album in the country.

In April 2024, Timberlake opened the iHeartRadio Music Awards, performing both singles off the album, "Selfish" and "No Angels". Timberlake also promoted the album on the Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which began on April 29, 2024, in Vancouver, Canada. On February 23, 2024, Timberlake announced summer 2024 Europe tour dates. In March 2024, prior to the tour launching, Trace William Cowen of ''Complex'' reported that the Forget Tomorrow World Tour had become Timberlake's fastest selling tour to date. They stated that the tour had amassed over $140 million globally in initial ticket sales from over 70 dates and that more than one million attendees are expected. Cowen concluded that "Justin Timberlake's Forget Tomorrow World Tour Is Set to Become His Biggest Yet." On May 20, 2024, ''Pollstar'' announced that nine additional shows were added due to "overwhelming demand" and reported that over 1 million tickets were already sold, becoming Timberlake's fastest selling tour to date. The tour received generally positive reviews.

Personal life

Relationships and children

In early 1999, Timberlake began dating fellow former ''The All New Mickey Mouse Club'' cast member and singer Britney Spears. Their relationship ended abruptly in March 2002. Spears wrote in her 2023 memoir '' The Woman in Me'' that she became pregnant during their relationship and had an abortion in late 2000 after Timberlake said they were not prepared for parenthood and he did not want to be a father. In 2003, he briefly dated British singer Emma Bunton. In April 2003, he began a relationship with actress Cameron Diaz soon after they met at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. After much speculation of breakups throughout their relationship, the couple split in December 2006 shortly after she introduced him as a musical guest on ''Saturday Night Live''.

In January 2007, Timberlake began dating actress Jessica Biel. They became engaged in December 2011 and married on October 19, 2012, at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Fasano, Italy. Their first child, a son, was born in April 2015. In July 2020, they had a second son.

Legal issues

Shortly after midnight on June 18, 2024, Timberlake was arrested in Sag Harbor, New York for driving while intoxicated (DWI). In addition to being charged with one count of DWI, Timberlake was issued two citations, one for running a stop sign and one for failure to keep in lane. He was released nine hours later following his first arraignment at Sag Harbor Village Justice Court. The Sag Harbor Police Department would later release his mugshot. Timberlake was scheduled to return to court on July 26, 2024. According to his arrest report, Timberlake alleged to authorities that he only had one martini shortly before he was pulled over. Despite making this claim, Timberlake refused a breathalyzer.

On June 22, 2024, bartender employees at the hotel where Timberlake was staying before his DWI arrest confirmed to ''People'' that he only had one martini while at the hotel bar. One employee stating that “If he was drinking more, it wasn't here." However, according to the arrest report, the officer who pulled Timberlake over after he drove through a stop sign and failed to keep on the right side of the road stated that his "eyes were bloodshot and glassy" at the time, and that "A strong odor of an alcoholic beverage was emanating from his breath, he was unable to divide attention, he had slowed speech, he was unsteady afoot, and he performed poorly on all standardized field sobriety tests." During the stop, Timberlake reportedly said, "this is going to ruin the tour." The officer asked "what tour?" And Timberlake replied with "the world tour." That exchange went viral, spawning several memes. Despite the arrest, Timberlake still continued to perform concerts, including a concert in Chicago on June 21, 2024, where he appeared to address the arrest, saying "We've been through ups and downs and lefts and rights... It's been a tough week - but you're here, and I'm here...I know sometimes I'm hard to love, but you keep on loving me and I love you right back."

Timberlake, who was performing overseas in Poland, would not attend his July 26, 2024, court arraignment, with his lawyer Edward Burke attending instead. Despite Burke's arguments that Timberlake was not intoxicated at the time of his arrest, Sag Harbor Village Justice Carl Irace ordered for Timberlake to be re-arraigned on August 2. For the August 2 arraignment, Timberlake, who was still on tour, appeared virtually from Antwerp, Belgium. During this arraignment, Timberlake pled not guilty to a revised misdemeanor charge of driving drunk. Irace also agreed to review Burke's motion to dismiss the DWI charge. However, Timberlake's New York license was suspended by the judge for an indeterminate amount of time.

Timberlake was scheduled to have another hearing on August 9, 2024. In contrast to the August 2 hearing, Timberlake was not required to attend this court hearing. On September 11, 2024, it was revealed that Timberlake would plead guilty to a less serious traffic offense during his September 13 court appearance, with the DWI charge being dropped. Under his plea deal, Timberlake agreed to plead guilty to driving while impaired, a lesser offense which carries a penalty of a $300 to $500 fine and a 90-day driver license suspension.

On September 13, 2024, during an in-person appearance at the Sag Harbor Village Justice Courthouse, Timberlake pled guilty to a noncriminal driving while impaired traffic violation. Irace then sentenced Timberlake to a $500 fine with a $260 surcharge, 25 hours of community service at the nonprofit of his choosing and required him to make a public safety announcement. It also revealed that Timberlake's refusal to take a breathlyzer automatically triggered a suspension of his driver's license under New York state law.

Residences

In July 2002, Timberlake purchased a mansion in Hollywood Hills for $8.3 million from Helen Hunt. In 2010, Timberlake purchased a unit at 311 West Broadway in SoHo, formerly owned by Oscar de la Renta, for $6.56 million. He sold the unit in 2018 for $6.35 million, incurring a loss.

In 2015, Timberlake bought a house in the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky, Montana. In May 2017, Timberlake and his wife, Jessica Biel, paid $20.2 million for a penthouse unit at 443 Greenwich Street in Tribeca, Manhattan.

Earnings

''Forbes'' began reporting on Timberlake's earnings in 2008, calculating that he earned $44 million between June 2007 and June 2008 for his music, tour, commercials, and hospitality, making him the world's 4th best-paid music personality at the time, above Madonna and Celine Dion. That year, he was ranked twelfth on the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list and second on the "Best-Paid Celebrities Under 30" list.

According to ''Billboard'', Timberlake was the third highest-paid musician of 2013, with earnings of $31 million. He was ranked 26th with earnings of $57 million on the Celebrity 100 list for 2014, and 19th on the 2015 list with $63 million. Timberlake was listed at number three on the ''Billboard'' Money-Makers List of 2014.

He was ranked 41st on the 2019 Celebrity 100 list by ''Forbes'', with earnings of $57.5 million in 2019.

Artistry

Timberlake possesses a lyric tenor vocal range. He began including beatboxing

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases