He's always been more famous for being Britney Spears' boyfriend, but now he's about to release his first single.
"I've wanted to do this ever since I was a young lad," Justin told our showbiz programme Newsround Lite.
"It's just about a life-long dream and I figured if I don't do it now when am I going to do it?"
Inspired by urban music
Justin described how his new single, Like I Love You, was inspired by heroes like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.
"I really didn't try to make an effort to make urban music but I am a product of my inspirations. And growing up in a generation where you've got so much music to listen to, it's very inspiring," he said.
The boyband member has sometimes been compared to Michael Jackson, and he told Newsround Lite that he thought the singer has been an inspiration for loads of artists - including Britney and Nelly.
"It's very flattering. He's a legend in my eyes, and he is one of my idols and I grew up imitating Michael. I think you can see that in this generation of popular music," he said.
But he also said people sometimes read too much into songs: "I do not think it is brain surgery - the way that I write is very melody inspired and I think that's the most important part of the song."
Justin's new single, Like I Love You, is out on 21 October. The new album, Justified, is released on 4 November.