It isn’t easy to shed a boyband or girl group image. 
Over the years, plenty of artists have tried and failed to hit the heights of superstardom that they have seen in a group setting. In many ways; the bigger the group, the more of an uphill battle it is to prove to fans that a solo career is a serious, worthwhile endeavor.  
Without re-litigating the entire NSYNC-to-solo-star trajectory of Justin Timberlake, it is important to look back at what was one of the more seamless breakout transitions to solo stardom in pop history, and where Justin Timberlake stood in the pop world in the years leading to SexyBack.
In 2002, NSYNC finished up their heralded Celebrity Tour that was praised by critics as a more ‘accessible and down-to-earth’ show. 
As if specifically crafted to give all of the boys in the group a glow-up, the tour included medleys of the Beatles and the Temptations, and focused on downtempo songs with more musicality to them. The pop hits were still there of course, but the message was certainly that NSYNC had grown up.
The tour was short; just under two months long - and they even canceled BOTH Canadian dates in Toronto and Montreal in the run-up, (thanks for that boys) and by April 28th - just in time for fans to say “It’s gonna be MAY” - it was all over. 
Justin was just getting started though, and began working on his debut album Justified almost immediately. Working with 2000s hitmakers like The Neptunes, Scott Storch, and Timbaland, JT was ready to embrace the R&B sound that NSYNC had been toying with near the end of their run, but never fully committed to.
Although Jackson-Inspired Singles “Like I Love You”, “Senorita” and “Rock Your Body” didn’t have as much success as the album’s most iconic song “Cry Me A River” they certainly were not flops - and Justified went triple platinum in America, double platinum in Canada, and SIX times platinum in the UK.
By 2004, Justified was nominated for multiple GRAMMY awards, and beat out Christina Aguilera, George Harrison, Annie Lennonx and Michael McDonald for best pop vocal album. 
All of this is to say what is blatantly obvious - Yes, Justin Timberlake was a star, all by himself.
Moving on from music as a whole in the years that followed, Justin Timberlake spent the majority of 2004-2006 getting his feet wet in Hollywood, with roles in such films as Edison, Alpha Dog, Black Snake Moan, and Southland Tales.
While not exactly undeniable successes, the films did help Justin continue to shed any last remnants of boyband smell on him, and allowed him to reinvent himself as a true polymath - Justin wasn’t just a run of the mill every day *singer* - he was a full-fledged *artist*, a tastemaker, and he was ready to bring us into the future - and with him; he was bringing Sexy… back.
This is the true story of Justin Timberlake's 2006 return hit 'Sexyback'
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