Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981), occasionally known by his initials JT, is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer.
Raised in Tennessee, he appeared on the television shows Star Search and The All-New Mickey Mouse Club as a child. In the late 1990s, Timberlake rose to prominence as one of the two lead vocalists and youngest member of NSYNC, which eventually became one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.
Timberlake began to adopt a more mature image as an artist with the release of his debut solo album, the R&B-focused Justified (2002), which yielded the successful singles "Cry Me a River" and "Rock Your Body", and earned his first two Grammy Awards.
In the early 2000s, breakup bangers were a safe bet to grab headlines and strong chart positions. They came in the form of the defiant, such as Kelly Clarkson's Since U Been Gone, the snarky, like Beyonce's Irreplaceable, and in the case of Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River, the acerbically bitter.
When it comes to Cry Me A River, a song aimed his ex Britney Spears, such was the tabloid frenzy surrounding it that it inspired a response in the form of Sweet Dreams My LA Ex.
The track - released 18 years ago this week - was penned by '90s popstar-turned-songwriter Cathy Dennis, who thought Britney might be interested in having a pop back at her former boyfriend.
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