Top 20 Songs You Didnt Know Were Written By Justin Timberlake

Madonna
For her 11th studio album, “Hard Candy,” Madonna enlisted the help of Justin Timberlake and his frequent collaborator Timbaland to co-write and produce several tracks. While the writing process was initially rocky, Madonna and Timberlake eventually found their rhythm while working on their first song together, “Devil Wouldn’t Recognize You.” This trippy R&B ballad about a deceptive lover had been a demo that Madonna had tinkered with for years, but she was finally able to transform it into a polished track with Timberlake’s help. The former NSYNC frontman crafted a catchy hook from the line “the devil wouldn't recognize you, but I do,” producing an infectious tune that became Madonna’s favorite on the album.

Esmée Denters [a]
Dutch singer Esmée Denters first caught the attention of music scouts in 2006 by uploading song covers to her YouTube channel. One of the artists she covered was Justin Timberlake, who eventually signed her as the first artist on his label, Tennman Records, in 2007. Timberlake was heavily involved in producing Denters’ debut album “Outta Here,” and also helped craft the lead single of the same name. Fusing elements of dance-pop and R&B, “Outta Here” was a bold debut for the Dutch singer, reaching number three in her home country and breaking into the top 10 in the UK. Despite her promising start, Denters was dropped by Tennman Records before she could release her second album.

Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake
This steamy collaboration between Ciara and Justin Timberlake marked a significant shift in Ciara’s sound, moving from her signature crunk&b style to a retro electro-funk vibe. That change was largely driven by Timberlake, who co-wrote the track with his production team, The Y’s, [b]and songwriter Mike Elizondo. The sultry song, paired with an equally seductive music video, drew comparisons to Timberlake’s sophomore album “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the duo’s chemistry, with some calling the track the “saving grace” of its parent album. “Love Sex Magic” became a major hit, earning Ciara her fifth top 10 single in the U.S. as a lead artist, and charting in the top 10 in several other countries.

Beyoncé
In 2022, Beyoncé embraced disco and dance-inspired sounds in her widely acclaimed seventh studio album “Renaissance.” But the foundation for this style was already evident in her 2013 self-titled album with the track “Blow.” An ode to female sexuality, “Blow” was co-written by Justin Timberlake, who injected it with his signature sultry themes. The song is laced with heavy sexual innuendos that made it so raunchy, it wasn’t released as a radio single in the U.S. That’s just what you get when you have Timberlake on your writing team. Nevertheless, it received widespread praise from critics for its authentic celebration of female sexuality, and still went on to top the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart.

Ariana Grande
By now, nearly everyone is familiar with Justin Timberlake’s hit song “Can't Stop the Feeling!” from the “Trolls” soundtrack, which topped the Billboard charts and even won a Grammy. But that album also featured other equally infectious tracks that flew under the radar. Case in point: “They Don’t Know,” by Ariana Grande. While Grande performed the song, it was co-written by Timberlake, alongside her frequent collaborators, Savan Kotecha[c] and Ilya. “They Don’t Know” is an explosion of pure pop bliss that has all the makings of a hit single — a catchy chorus, Grande’s powerhouse vocals, and a slinky vocal bassline from Timberlake himself. However, it wasn’t released as a single, so it never quite realized its full potential.

Madonna
For Madonna’s album “Hard Candy,” Justin Timberlake also lent his pen to the disco-influenced track “Dance 2Night.” Although he is not credited as a featured artist, Timberlake provides background vocals on the song, trading lines with Madonna as they sing about working things out on the dance floor. The resulting track is as retro as retro can get, with an irresistible funky bassline and shimmery synths that would’ve made it an instant hit in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. However, when it landed in 2008, “Dance 2Night” didn’t receive the recognition it deserved, probably because it was never even released as a single.

The Black Eyed Peas
Before they were churning out chart-topping singles and selling millions of records, the Black Eyed Peas initially struggled to achieve success. In 2003, the group transitioned from their alternative hip-hop roots to a more commercial pop-rap style that was established on “Where Is the Love?,” the lead single from their third album. If you listen closely, you can hear Justin Timberlake’s vocals on the chorus, even though he is not credited as a featured artist. Timberlake had been introduced to the group while working on his debut solo album, and contributed both lyrics and vocals to the track. “Where Is the Love?” became their breakthrough hit, topping the charts in 13 countries and earning two Grammy nominations for the group and Timberlake.

The Lonely Island feat. Justin Timberlake
The Lonely Island helped usher “Saturday Night Live” into the digital age with their viral, laugh-out-loud shorts. One of their most iconic songs remains the raunchy “D*** in a Box,” which aired during the Christmas episode of the 32nd season, hosted by Justin Timberlake. Although Timberlake was featured on the song, it is often the case that the comedy writers handle the songwriting, while the singers merely perform the material. However, this time around, Timberlake was actively involved in the track’s creation, contributing significantly to its lyrics and structure. The eventual song became an instant hit, garnering millions of views within days. Its success was further cemented when it won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

Britney Spears
Although they were in a high-profile relationship for three years while maintaining successful music careers, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake hardly ever collaborated professionally. One of the rare instances where they did was on “What It's Like to Be Me,” the closing track on Spears’ self-titled third album. Timberlake not only co-wrote and produced the song, but also contributed backing vocals. With lyrics that revolve around a guy trying to take advantage of his lover, this track seemed fitting for the pair, considering the turbulence their relationship would face just months later. Regardless of their personal challenges, this song was a testament of the immense talent both pop icons brought to the music world.

Beyoncé
During the recording of her self-titled album, Beyoncé was in a phase of her life where she felt sexually confident and liberated, and she wanted her music to reflect that. Looking to create a sensual tune, she turned to Miguel and Justin Timberlake, two people who know a thing or two about that. Beyoncé reportedly encouraged her co-writers to push the envelope, assuring them that nothing was “off-limits,” and they took her advice to heart. The result was “Rocket,” arguably the album’s most erotic song, in which Beyoncé explicitly and metaphorically describes getting intimate with her lover. While the track is unmistakably hers, it carries enough of Timberlake’s signature style that it could easily fit on his album “The 20/20 Experience.”

Reba McEntire & Justin Timberlake
Now this is what you’d refer to as an “odd couple”. Reba McEntire, who also achieved success with her long-running sitcom “Reba,” is a legendary country music singer with a couple of Grammys under her belt. In fact, it was at the 2007 Grammy Awards that she met Justin Timberlake and asked him to be a part of her upcoming album “Reba: Duets”. With the help of producer and songwriter Matt Morris, JT penned this track, a Celtic love song that surprisingly, both artists feel right at home singing. It isn’t exactly what the kids are bumping to these days, but it’s still a pretty great tune!

Rihanna
“Cold Case Love” was written by Timberlake with help from Rob Knox and James Fauntleroy II, two members of his personal production team affectionately referred to as The Y’s. Not long after the song was released Rihanna admitted that it was about her tumultuous relationship with fellow pop star Chris Brown, who had been arrested a year earlier for assaulting the Barbadian singer. “Cold Case Love”, which was featured on Rihanna’s fourth studio album “Rated R”, received acclaim from critics and was considered a major step forward in her career.

Keri Hilson
R&B singer Keri Hilson enlisted the help of everyone’s favorite former boy band member Justin Timberlake when writing this steamy sex ballad. The two artists got together during the British leg of JT’s FutureSex/LoveShow tour, and the ensuing collaboration ended up being the sixth single released from Hilson’s 2009 album “In a Perfect World…”, “Slow Dance” peaked at number 49 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and earned praise from critics, who called it “sparkly”, and “psychedelic”. The funny thing is, with a few lyrical adjustments, Timberlake could have just as easily kept this song for himself; the style and tone is right up his alley!

Duran Duran
Justin Timberlake has his fingerprints all over this track! Not only did he help write the song but he also produced it and provided background vocals. At this point he might as well just join the band! Alas, legendary British new wave band Duran Duran would be just fine without him. “Falling Down” failed to generate much success in Europe or North America, although somewhat inexplicably it did quite well in Italy, peaking at number 2 on the Italian Singles Chart. Ironically, Britney Spears, who just so happens to be Timberlake’s ex, inspired the music video’s main character. Small world.

Leona Lewis
British singer-songwriter Leona Lewis turned to JT for a little lyrical help on this track, which was featured on her second studio album “Echo” in 2009. Lewis had been trying to hook up with Timberlake for some time, so when he invited her to perform with him at a 2008 charity concert in Las Vegas, she leapt at the opportunity. It had been reported that the two were planning on covering a song by legendary country singer Dolly Parton, but Lewis and Timberlake ended up penning something original instead and the infectious “Don’t Let Me Down” was the result.

Madonna
The third single released from Madonna’s 2008 album “Hard Candy”, “Miles Away” is an electropop track inspired by her long distance relationship with her film director former husband Guy Ritchie. She penned the track with help from Justin Timberlake and record producers Danja and Timbaland. The song was a critical and commercial success for Madonna, who ultimately enlisted Timberlake’s help on many of the album’s songs, including “4 Minutes”, which he wrote, produced and featured on. A downtempo ballad that makes no attempt to hide the fact that her relationship with Ritchie is on the fritz, “Miles Away” is a simple yet honest track made whole by Madonna’s impassioned voice.

Nelly feat. Justin Timberlake
The fifth single released off of the multi-platinum album “Nellyville”, “Work It” hasn’t exactly stood the test of time, but it did manage to make it to number 68 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Lyrics such as “don’t you say a word, I just want to see you work it” and “Keep yo hips poppin’” are far from Nelly, Timberlake or any other artist’s best work, but you can’t help but sing along with JT’s classic falsetto chorus. While the song was panned by critics, who called the song one of “Nellyville’s” “weaker tracks”, it can nonetheless get people moving and ‘working it’ on the dance floor.

Jamie Foxx feat. Justin Timberlake and T.I.
Memphis, Tennessee native Justin Timberlake was a member of the writing team for this Jamie Foxx track back in 2009. Working with T.I. as well as his production team The Y’s, Timberlake crafted a song that is pure hip-hop fun. He features on the track as well, although it almost didn’t happen. The story goes that Timberlake didn’t want to be on the track, but Foxx convinced him by saying, “Man, my people suffered for 500 years. You owe me this.” Credit where credit is due, Foxx is clearly a man who doesn’t mince words. It all worked out in the end, as the song peaked at number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

Rihanna feat. Justin Timberlake
The fifth single off of her Grammy-winning album “Good Girl Gone Bad”, this song’s lyrics compare heartbreak to dealing with substance use disorder, with “rehab” serving as the metaphorical cure. The music video features a sultry Rihanna getting cozy with Justin Timberlake, as he rides a motorcycle and showers outside. But Timberlake didn’t just play the role of Rihanna’s former lover, he also stepped into the shoes of writer and producer for the song, working closely with his frequent collaborator Timbaland. To top things off, he provided background vocals, which blended perfectly with Rihanna’s to create one of the album’s most unforgettable tracks.

Beyoncé
Beyoncé’s self-titled fifth album took the world by storm when it was released in 2013. Topping numerous “Best Album of the Year” lists and ultimately taking home three Grammys, “Beyoncé” was one of the most successful albums of Queen B’s career. She owes some of its success to Timberlake, who co-wrote the songs “Partition” and “Blow,” the latter of which is pure funky disco-inspired fun. “Partition” is where we believe Timberlake had the most influence, as the song’s steamy lyrics and thumping beat are reminiscent of many of the songs off his seminal 2006 album “FutureSex/LoveSounds”.