Unlike his previous record primarily focused on R&B and pop genres, FutureSex/LoveSounds is less concentrated on one particular sound, thus representing a wider range. Timberlake explains, "It's more broad as far as the styles I wanted to mix in to my own type of thing." A musically "complex" album, FutureSex/LoveSounds is a fusion of rap, rock, funk, soul, gospel, new wave, opera, and world music, characterized by preludes and interludes interspersed on the album's tracks. Entertainment Weekly noted that the album's sound is a "sonic departure" from both NSYNC and Justified. Although "What Goes Around" sounds similar to Justified, Timberlake admitted that it is the only song in the new album to have such similarity. The 20/20 Experience is a neo soul album partly inspired by the expansive song structures of 1960s and 1970s rock. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times found its elaborate structures ambitious in the vein of Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Since his marriage, he incorporated themes of romance in his songwriting, as Complex noted, showing that he "writes his tracks on his emotions, leaving him with a career of personal albums." Moments of emotional pain after betrayal influenced the songwriting of some previous records.

Justin Randall Timberlake was born on January 31, 1981 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Lynn (Bomar) Harless and Charles Randall Timberlake, a Baptist church choir Director. Timberlake grew up in Shelby Forest, a small community between Memphis and Millington. He has two half-brothers, Jonathan (born September 12, 1993) and Stephen (born August 14, 1998), from Charles' second marriage to Lisa Perry. His half-sister Laura Katherine died shortly after birth on May 12, 1997, and is mentioned in his acknowledgments in the album NSYNC as "My Angel in Heaven". His family circle includes a number of musicians; his grandfather introduced him to music from country 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.

In 1993 and 1994, he was a cast member in The Mickey Mouse Club, where his castmates included Future girlfriend and singer Britney Spears, Future tourmate Christina Aguilera, Future bandmate JC Chasez, and Future movie actors Ryan Gosling and Keri Russell. Timberlake then recruited Chasez to be in an all-male singing group, organized by boy band manager Lou Pearlman, that eventually became NSYNC.

The boy band NSYNC formed in 1995, and began their career 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 included the hit single "Tearin' Up My Heart". Their second album No Strings Attached (2000) sold 2.4 million copies in the first week, and included a No. 1 single, "It's Gonna Be Me". NSYNC's third album Celebrity (2001) was also financially successful. Upon the completion of the Celebrity Tour, the group went into hiatus in 2002. In its lifetime, NSYNC was internationally famous and performed at the Academy Awards, the Olympics, and the Super Bowl, as well as selling more than 70 million records worldwide, becoming the fifth-best selling boy band in history.

In early 1999, Timberlake began dating fellow former The New Mickey Mouse Club cast member and singer Britney Spears. Their relationship ended abruptly in March 2002. In April 2003, he began dating 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 musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

Justified's single "Cry Me a River", which is also considered by Rolling Stone to be one of the 500 greatest songs of all time, ranked at number 20 on the magazine's 100 Best Songs of the 2000s. It was further cited by Marilyn Manson as one of the main songs that influenced him. Billboard Editor Jason Lipshutz named the song's music video "one of the more brilliant musical moments in pop music since the dawn of the century." His second album FutureSex/LoveSounds was placed at 46 on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Albums of the 2000s, the ninth best-album of the decade for Entertainment Weekly, and the greatest of the decade for Vibe. The lead single, "SexyBack", helped introduce EDM sounds to top 40 radio, as it brought together variations of electronic dance music with Timberlake's R&B sounds. Aside from earning critical acclaim for its parent album, according to Sia Michel of The New York Times, he was responsible for popularizing in 2006 the catchphrase "I'm bringing sexy back"; it spawned a "phenomenon" in which video-makers spoofed the song.

Timberlake has been active in several charitable pursuits, initially through NSYNC's "Challenge for the Children" aimed at a range of charities, and since 2001 through his "Justin Timberlake Foundation," which initially funded music education programs in schools, but now has a much broader agenda. In October 2005, the Grammy Association presented Timberlake with an award for his humanitarian efforts in Tennessee, alongside writer/director Craig Brewer, also a Memphis native.

Timberlake's fashion and style evolution, from "boy-band synchronized wardrobe days" to "a notable source of fashion inspiration to men all over," has been noticed by the media. As noted by a Billboard Editor, "Since his solo career began with the 2002 release of debut album Justified, Timberlake has honed his unique sense of style," while citing Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Frank Sinatra, as style influences: “guys who were just really never trying to be that [stylish], they just were that." According to American fashion designer Tom Ford, who has dressed Timberlake since 2011 and created more than 600 exclusive pieces for The 20/20 Experience World Tour, Timberlake "has a kind of effortless cool that makes classic menswear tailoring modern."

In 2003, Rolling Stone named him the biggest pop star of the year and featured him on the magazine's cover, commenting that he "attained the one thing most pop stars don't, and the one thing he wanted more than anything else: credibility." For Entertainment Weekly his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, "redefined pop's cutting edge"; for Vibe it "pushed boundaries more forcefully" than works by his male contemporaries. Fuse TV's Editor Jason Lipshutz stated it "changed the game. [The album] was steely and sweaty, a universal dance opus that made room for intimacy. It had the best first half of any pop album in 25 years. You have to go back to 1979 for Off the Wall, to find a pop album with a first half that matches up." He was ranked 66th on the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time. Timberlake appeared for the first time on the Time 100 list of most influential people in 2007. In 2013, Timberlake made his second appearance on the 100 list, with Stevie Wonder writing "Justin has accomplished a lot at a young age, taking advantage of all the possibilities, and yet he's found time to give of himself too—he gets and gives back. He has a spirit. He does God's work through using the most of his talent." In October 2015, he was inducted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame, becoming its youngest member.

In February 2004, during the halftime show of the Super Bowl XXXVIII 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. The garment collapsed and her breast was accidentally revealed." 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.

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 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.

On November 12, 2007, the PGA Tour announced that Timberlake, an avid Golfer who plays to a 6 handicap, would become the host of the tour's Las Vegas tournament starting in 2008. With Timberlake's agreement to host the tournament, its name was changed to the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. He played in the Celebrity pro-am on the day before the competitive tournament and hosted a charity concert during the week of the tournament. The activity was a success, and was repeated in 2009. A review of the value of celebrities to fundraising concluded that Timberlake's contribution to Shriners Hospitals for Children was the single most valuable Celebrity endorsement in the U.S. during 2009, and worth over $US9 million. However, in 2012, the event's chair Raoul Frevel told reporters Timberlake would no longer be involved with the event: "We tried everything we could to get him more involved with our kids and the hospitals. But it seemed that when the TV cameras weren't on, he disappeared."

In November 2007, he donated $100,000 from takings from his Australian tour to Wildlife Warriors founded by Steve Irwin. On March 23, 2008, he donated $100,000 to the Memphis Rock N' Soul Museum and another $100,000 to the Memphis Music Foundation.

Timberlake has co-owned or provided Celebrity endorsement for three restaurants in the United States: "Chi" opened in West Hollywood, California in 2003, and "Destino" and "Southern Hospitalty" in New York opened in 2006 and 2007, respectively. In 2005, Timberlake launched the william Rast clothing line with childhood friend Juan ("Trace") Ayala. The 2007 line contained cord jackets, cashmere sweaters, jeans, and polo shirts. The pair reports inspiration from fellow Memphis native Elvis Presley: "Elvis is the perfect mixture of Justin and I," Ayala says. "You can go back and see pictures of him in Cowboy boots and a Cowboy hat and a nice button-down shirt, but then again you can see him in a tux and a collared shirt with rhinestones on it and slacks. We like to think 'If he was alive today, what would he be wearing?'" Target has announced that a william Rast collection, including denim, outerwear and sportswear for men and women, would launch in December and be available for a month. In 2015, the clothing line earned him a Lord & Taylor's Fashion Oracle Award at the Fashion Group International's Night of The Stars Gala. An avid amateur Golfer, in 2007 Timberlake purchased the run-down Big Creek Golf Course in his home town of Millington, Tennessee, which he redeveloped as the eco-friendly Mirimichi Golf Course at a cost of some $US16 million. It was reopened on July 25, 2009 but closed again on January 15, 2010 for further improvements expected to take six months. In October 2011, Timberlake received the Futures Award at the Environmental Media Awards for his green-conscious golf course. It was reported on November 7, 2014, that Timberlake had sold Mirimichi to Three Star Leasing LLC for $500,000. Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel are minority owners of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Timberlake has donated items for auction for several charities, including by Ten O'Clock Classics and MusiCares. In 2010, Timberlake participated in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon performing "Hallelujah". The cover was made available for digital download with all proceeds donated to organizations doing relief work in Haiti. In 2016, Timberlake was featured in a new version of "Where Is the Love?". The proceeds of the charity single will go to educational programs. In 2017, Timberlake and Eminem helped raise over $2 million for Manchester Arena attack victims.

After New York legalized same-sex marriage in 2011, he voiced his support for LGBT equality in the U.S., stating, "We're people and we're different, all of us. And we should be using our differences to bring ourselves closer together." Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel received the Inspiration Award at the GLSEN Respect Awards in 2015, with the executive Director saying, "They are two vocal and committed allies to the LGBT community who are also devoted to charitable works that improve the lives of youth."

In late 2012, Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel volunteered in Far Rockaway, Queens, over the weekend after the Hurricane Sandy. Joined by their friend Timbaland, the couple helped distribute backpacks of supplies to members of the community who were still struggling after the hurricane.

In the United States, five of Timberlake's singles have topped the Billboard Hot 100, his most recent being "Can't Stop the Feeling!". He topped nine Billboard Year-End charts for 2013, including Billboard 200 Artists and Billboard 200 Albums. For 2014, Timberlake was named Billboard Top Male Artist. Billboard published a list of "Greatest of All Time Pop Songs Artists" in 2017, where Timberlake ranked at number 5, being the top male soloist.

In 2014, Timberlake partnered with Sauza Liquors to re-launch his own version of the beverage as part of the Sauza franchise: Sauza 901. In 2016, he became an investor in beverage company Bai Brands. In 2017, Tiger Woods and Timberlake acquired an ownership stake in the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour.

Timberlake has been referred to as the "President of Pop" and "Prince of Pop" by contemporary journalists. In a 2016 article of The Hollywood Reporter, Editor Scott Feinberg stated Timberlake is "widely regarded as one of the greatest all-around entertainers in the history of show Business."

Throughout his solo career, Timberlake has sold over 32 million albums and 56 million singles globally, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Often cited as a pop icon, Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, including ten Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, three Brit Awards, and nine Billboard Music Awards. According to Billboard in 2017, he is the best performing male soloist in the history of the Mainstream Top 40. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007 and 2013. His other ventures include record label Tennman Records, fashion label william Rast, and the restaurants Destino and Southern Hospitality.

Considered a pop icon by media outlets, his work has influenced numerous artists, including Olly Murs, Maroon 5, Britney Spears, Lorde, Justin Bieber, Joe Jonas, Shawn Mendes, Thomas Rhett, Ed Sheeran, Jason Derulo, Liam Payne, Bridgit Mendler, Tori Kelly, Hunter Hayes, BoA, Seungri, Taeyang, Rain, Lloyd Banks, and Maluma. Bieber and Nick Jonas have cited him as one of their role Models, with the latter stating is for "not only transitioning from where he started, but also balancing acting and singing." Christian hip hop Artist tobyMac has stated Timberlake's work inspires him, commenting "he's setting himself up to be a classic, making decisions and moving on them. That's a great place to be." In the context of male artists that achieved commercial success after leaving their boy bands, Brittany Spanos from Rolling Stone wrote "Timberlake and Michael Jackson set a high bar for what could be attained by solo success in that they not only scored numerous number one hits but they also crafted the mold for what it meant to be a male pop star," while for Variety's Jeremy Blacklow the singer is "the modern case study." Billboard critics discussed in 2018 whether Timberlake is "the Best Male Pop Star of the 21st Century;" those in favor named his crossover appeal, career longevity, showmanship and credibility within the industry among the reasons.