If any musician this century is synonymous with Saturday Night Live, it’s Justin Timberlake. The former *NSYNC performer turned solo artist has hosted the show five times and performed musically on it six times, including a spot in 2000 with the boy band.
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On Saturday (January 27), Timberlake will take the stage at Studio 8H in New York for yet another appearance. And while he said he “flirted” with the idea of hosting this week, he ultimately wanted to focus on the “special” music he’s poised to put out.
[RELATED: Justin Timberlake Drops Huge News Ahead of New Album & Highly Anticipated ‘SNL’ Return]
The pop star is set to release his forthcoming studio album Everything I Thought It Was on March 15. Earlier this week, Timberlake released his newest single, “Selfish,” and announced an upcoming tour.
But music hasn’t been his only aim of late. He’s played the lead role in the film, Palmer, and voiced the animated character Branch in the recent Trolls film series, among other acting gigs. It’s this duel-threat that makes the artist such a hit on SNL.
Here below, we will dive into some of Timberlake’s best performances from the show.
“D–k in a Box”
Any conversation around Timberlake’s association with SNL has to begin with the music video “D–k in a Box.” The NSFW song, which he wrote with Andy Samberg’s Lonely Island outfit, is about trying to get a present for, well, that special someone. Originally aired on December 17, 2006, the song has gone on to earn millions of streams and seemingly as many snickering giggles. Check out the nearly three-minute, outlandish love song here below.
The Barry Gibb Talk Show
While they have a great many hits, the Bee Gees might be a little obscure for the average SNL watcher, but that didn’t stop Jimmy Fallon and Timberlake from writing and performing this oddball (though rather memorable) sketch, The Barry Gibb Talk Show. Fallon plays Barry, Timberlake plays brother Robin, and the two harmonize through awkward moments and glitzy buffoonery. This one aired October 11, 2003. Check it out here below.
“Single Ladies”
Once of Beyoncé’s best-known songs is her hit track, “Single Ladies.” Not only is it a catchy tune, but the black-and-white music video is legendary for the dance moves down to Queen B’s hand movements. But this SNL sketch re-imagines the video with some less-than-capable backup dancers. Not any single ladies, but some over-enthusiastic fellas, led by Timberlake. This one, which aired on November 15, 2008, is laugh-out-loud funny. Check it out here below.
Bring It on Down to Wrappinville
Who else could turn an overly silly, almost throwaway skit into something memorable? Justin Timberlake is so good on SNL, it makes you wonder: Is everything in his life just another skit? Does he move from performance to performance like an acting frog moving from lily pad to lily pad? Is he capable of taking anything seriously? Not that it particularly matters. He’s just so adept at getting into character and playing a role. Musing aside, this skit shows his ability to even play a role of wrapping paper with poise and humor. Check out the December 2013 skit here below.
“Bye Bye Bye”
We end here with Timberlake’s first appearance on SNL, the 2000 performance of the *NSYNC song, “Bye Bye Bye.” It’s interesting to look back on this. Timberlake seems to play second fiddle in the tune, OK to even be in the back row as a dancer with the group. But how far he’s come in a quarter-century. Check out the hit here below.
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Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage
