Justin Timberlake has confirmed he is working on fresh material, and the list of collaborators is turning heads. In a new interview with Complex’s Re-Rank series, the singer said he has been in the studio in Miami and name-dropped Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Don Toliver and Timbaland as part of the process. The comments amount to the clearest signal yet that Justin Timberlake new music is on the way, though he stopped short of a release date.
“I’ve been chef-ing,” Timberlake said, adding that details would arrive “all in due time.” He also made a point of stressing that the work is being built from scratch, a remark that seemed aimed at clearing up any speculation about how the tracks are being put together.
A Miami Session With Don Toliver
Timberlake went into detail about one recent studio encounter, with Don Toliver. The connection began when Toliver sought permission to sample “Rock Your Body” for his track “Body.” For Timberlake, the decision was simple once his 11-year-old son, Silas, weighed in. Silas is a Toliver fan, and Timberlake recalled asking him about the request. The answer was immediate encouragement, which Timberlake described as an easy yes. He also said he had been enjoying Toliver’s album.
Timberlake later attended Toliver’s concert at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Part of the reason for going was to judge whether the show would be appropriate for his son, but Timberlake also ended up onstage for a brief performance. After the show, he asked Toliver whether he had a studio on the road. When Toliver said yes, Timberlake suggested they get to work. The pair stayed at the arena for a couple of hours and came away with a few ideas. Whether any of those ideas make the final cut remains to be seen.
Timbaland, Pharrell and Quavo in the Mix
Timberlake described himself as permanently connected with Timbaland, a longtime collaborator. He also referenced being spotted on a boat with Quavo and Pharrell, which he treated as fair evidence that something is brewing. The combination of names points to a record that could pull from Timberlake’s established pop and R&B toolkit while bringing in current voices.
The interview arrives more than a year after Timberlake finished his Forget Tomorrow world tour, which supported his sixth solo album, Everything I Thought It Was, released in 2024. That project is barely in the rearview, but Timberlake is already looking ahead.
Looking Back at ‘SexyBack’
Timberlake also revisited the 20th anniversary of FutureSex/LoveSounds, his second album. He remembered that his label was initially skeptical of “SexyBack,” the album’s lead single. He wanted listeners to hear the song without immediately recognizing his voice, aiming for a sound that felt almost androgynous so that anyone singing along could inhabit the role. The label’s concerns were blunt: the track did not sound like him, it was too fast, and nothing else on radio was running at 118 BPM.
For Timberlake, those objections were the argument in favor. He saw the song’s difference as its strength, and the result validated that instinct. “SexyBack” spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for best dance recording in 2007. Timberlake framed the experience as a lesson in trusting your gut and doing something decidedly different.
Off the Stage and Into the Kitchen
Music is not the only venture on Timberlake’s plate. He and his wife, Jessica Biel, have joined the protein beverage brand Proda as co-founders. The move fits the kitchen imagery Timberlake used to describe his studio work, though the new music remains the main event for fans.
For now, Timberlake is keeping the specifics under wraps. What is clear is that he has been recording in Miami, that the list of collaborators is substantial, and that he is excited about what is taking shape. The phrase “all in due time” leaves the timeline open, but the signal is unmistakable: Justin Timberlake new music is in the works.
