Before anyone starts reading too much into the lyrics of Justin Timberlake's new album, wondering if “What Goes Around” is about a certain pop princess he used to date or if “My Love” is a statement of devotion for his girlfriend of three years, Cameron Diaz, he'd like to make one thing perfectly clear: “There's not a song on this record that's autobiographical. Not one.”

Of course, he knows this declaration won't keep people from speculating about the stories behind the songs on “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” “If people choose not to believe me, that's their prerogative,” he says. But he has provided us with a prior litmus test. “I told you `Cry Me A River' was autobiographical, so that's how you can believe me.”

Regardless of what listeners believe, Timberlake has one request of his fans: “Don't take it so seriously. At the end of the day, it's just music. It's supposed to be fun.”

And fun it is. Timberlake glows when he talks about “FutureSex/LoveSounds.” For the first time he co-produced all the tracks except one on the album (the Rick Rubin-produced “All Over Again”) and had a hand in all aspects of its creation. Combine the 43 million albums that Timberlake sold while at the helm of `N Sync and the 7 million copies his first solo album sold, 2002's “Justified,” and it's clear he has earned the right to call the shots. And he does so with a seemingly impossible combination of Southern grace, quiet-but-unyielding confidence and rock-solid grounding.

“He's kind of 25 going on 50,” says Barry Weiss, head of Jive Records, Timberlake's label. “He's got an old soul.”

The “old soul” lives in Los Angeles with his two boxers, and, he admits almost proudly, no laptop — although he's thinking about buying a Blackberry. Life is moving at supersonic speed for him, yet he remains calm despite the constant orbit of activity around him.

This interview takes place at a soundstage in Hollywood, where Timberlake is shooting two covers: one for Rolling Stone, the other for the Los Angeles Times.