Justin Timberlake

Singer

As a member of *NSYNC, one of the most successful groups in music history, Justin Timberlake has sold millions of albums worldwide and even more merchandise. When the singer broke free from the boy band to release a solo album, no one could have expected he would become one of the most popular pop artists in the world. Like Michael Jackson, one of his musical icons, Timberlake is one of the few former band boy members who was able to distance himself from his past and become just as successful on his own. Timberlake's R&B/pop style has earned him fans of all genres, and his songwriting, producing, and dancing continue to wow fans worldwide.

Born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee, Timberlake grew up with a strong relationship with his mother, Lynn, that continues through adulthood. His father, Randy Timberlake, played bass in a bluegrass band with Lynn's brother. After his parents divorced, both remarried and Timberlake was mostly raised by his mom and his stepfather Paul Harless. Timberlake began singing in public at the church where he grew up in Millington, Tennessee. Early on, it was clear that he had talent and soon his mother began to enter him into a string of talent shows. In 1991, Timberlake won the Preteen Mr. American Pageant and sang on the Star Search television competition show. After moving to Orlando, Florida, in 1993, Timberlake got a gig that parlayed his singing, dancing, and stage presence into a television job. For almost two years, Timberlake appeared on The New Mickey Mouse Club with other future mega stars including Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and *NSYNC's JC Chasez.

After his stint with the Disney company, Timberlake received a phone call that changed his life. In 1996, Timberlake joined his friend Chasez, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick in the new singing group *NSYNC. In the tradition of the Jackson 5 and New Kids on the Block, *NSYNC wooed teenager girls' hearts and stormed the record charts with bubblegum pop songs. After touring in Germany and gaining a strong European following, in 1998 *NSYNC returned to the United States for the release of their self-titled debut album. The return of the boy band was triumphant with record sales of over 10 million.

Only 14 when he joined *NSYNC, Timberlake had little to do with the group's debut. For their follow-up, two years later, both Timberlake and Chasez received songwriting credits on No Strings Attached. The group's sophomore record sold a phenomenal one million copies on the first day and 2.4 million in just one week. The group's hit song "Bye Bye Bye" was nominated for a Grammy, giving the group credibility in the pop field. For *NSYNC's 2001 album, Celebrity, Tim-berlake wrote six songs, including the very successful single "Pop."

Solo Debut

In 2001, Timberlake and Spears ended their much-publicized romantic relationship that had begun years earlier. The songwriter used his experiences to write songs for a solo album. In November of 2002, Jive released Timberlake's explosive debut Justified. Certified triple platinum in the United States, People's Chuck Arnold called the album, "… soulful inspiration from Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson." With Justified, Timberlake matured into adulthood with a soundtrack to match. Citing artists Al Green, Prince, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson as some of his biggest influences, Justified was emphatically more R&B, hip-hop, and blue-eyed soul than anything he had done with *NSYNC. "All I try to do is just to make R&B music. That's where I shine…. It's what I like to do," Timberlake told VH1.com. As detached from boy band material as possible, Justified crossed over musical genres. Producers like The Neptunes used live instrumentation and a hip-hop and rock mix to fuel singles "Like I Love You," "Rock Your Body," and "Senorita." A big name in hip-hop, producer/artist Timbaland created a field of sonic beats for the autobiographical "Cry Me a River," a song said to be about Timberlake's relationship with Spears.

After taking a 14-piece band on the road and spending the summer of 2003 touring with Christina Aguilera on the "Justified & Stripped" tour, Timberlake decided that it was time for him to take a break. "I was really burned-out on the music," he told W's Robert Haskell. "After that album, I just didn't have any creative juice left. It was my first solo record, and it was kind of like every idea I had about myself since I was a little boy." While the artist did some work, like hosting Saturday Night Live in October and singing the McDonald's jingle "I'm Lovin' It," Timberlake took time to enjoy the simple things in life. "That was amazing for me," Timberlake told Rolling Stone's Austin Scaggs about his almost two-year break. "Just the little things, like sitting home on the weekend or making a Sunday tee time. Play golf, then come back home, have a beer and call it a day."

Timberlake's only major appearances in 2004 included winning two Grammy Awards (Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me a River"), and his infamous performance with Janet Jackson at February's Super Bowl XXXVIII. During the duo's performance, Timberlake went to remove part of Jackson's outfit. Unlike in rehearsal, during halftime, Jackson's breast was almost fully exposed. Dubbed a "wardrobe malfunction," Timberlake apologized for the accident, which Jackson later revealed was intentional.

No Sophomore Slump

After appearing on the Snoop Dogg hit song "Signs"—a direction that clearly showed Timberlake's crossover appeal—the singer had surgery in May to remove nodules from his vocal chords. As the year came to a close, Timberlake began work on is sophomore album at producer Timbaland's studio in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Working more like a freestyle rapper than a former boy band singer, Timberlake would often freeform his lyrics and melodies in the studio, taking musical chances at every turn. "I knew that I needed something new," he told Scaggs. "I wanted to take more of a chance—experiment."

For the Record …

Born Justin Randall Timberlake on January 31, 1981, in Memphis, TN; son of Lynn and Randall Timberlake.

Joined *NSYNC, 1996, group signed to RCA Records and released *NSYNC, 1998; group signed with Jive Records, released No Strings Attached, 2000; and Celebrity, 2001; signed to Jive as a solo artist, released Justified, 2002; won two Grammy Awards, 2004; released FutureSex/LoveSounds, 2006.

Awards: Grammy Awards, Best Pop Vocal Album for Justified, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Cry Me a River," 2004.

Addresses: Record company—Jive, 2100 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Website—Justin Tim-berlake Official Website: http://www.justintimberlake.com.

FutureSex/LoveSounds hit shelves in September of 2006. With a distinctly sexier and brasher sound, the album gained comparisons to works by Prince and Michael Jackson. For his new record, Timberlake's songs were less biographical. The album's first single, "SexyBack" (with Timbaland beats and vocals), showed a daring side to the star. "I don't really think I'm bringing sexy back," Timberlake admitted to Scaggs. "But when a twenty-eight-year-old-male or female is standing in a club in New York City at 2:30 in the morning and that f****ing song comes on, I want them to feel like they are. That's what music should do. When I was a kid and I heard 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand,' I wanted to find someone's hand to hold."

Justin Conner of Interview wrote "… the album taps into electroclash, disco, and gospel, remixing and matching old sounds to make them modern." FutureSex/LoveSounds also contained a mélange of song topics. From the falsetto and heavy synth beat of "My Love" with rapper T.I. to the bold "Losing My Way," a track inspired by a documentary on crystal meth, the album contained all of the emotions and repercussions of sex and love. "… FutureSex/LoveSounds is about the very nature of how sex and love are interchangeable and immutable and contradictory and complementary all at once …," wrote Jennifer Vineyard of MTV.com.

In the business for 15 years and in his mid-twenties, Timberlake has had a more successful (monetarily and artistically) career than artists twice his age. Though he loves it, as he told Scaggs, he can't keep doing it forever. "The dream is to be able to have a schedule like I've had in the last five years, to put out a record and tour, then take a little break, maybe do some films. But I don't want to work this hard forever."

Selected discography

(With *NSYNC) *NSYNC, RCA, 1998.
(With *NSYNC) Home for Christmas, RCA, 1998.
(With *NSYNC) No Strings Attached, Jive, 2000.
(With *NSYNC) Celebrity, Jive, 2001.
Justified, Jive, 2002.
FutureSex/LoveSounds, Jive, 2006.

Sources

Periodicals

Interview, October 2006, p. 112.

People, September 18, 2006, p. 47.

Rolling Stone, September 6, 2006.

W, September 2006, p. S114.

Online

"Apologetic Jackson Says 'Costume Reveal' Went Awry," CNN.com, http://www.cnn.com (November 10, 2006).

Justin Timberlake Official Website, http://www.justintimberlake.com (November 10, 2006).

"Justin Timberlake: Wanna Be Starting Somethin'," VH1.com, http://www.vh1.com/artists/interview/1472671/06132003/timberlake_justin.jhtml (November 10, 2006).

"Justin's Album Shows off Two Sides: Over-The-Top-Saucy, Unassumingly Sweet," MTV.com, http://www.mtv.com (November 10, 2006).

*NSYNC Official Website, http://www.nsync.com (November 10, 2006).