Ever since the world has been tuning in his excellent FutureSex/LoveSound in 2006, Justin Timberlake has been almost entirely absent from the world of music. It appeared that the gifted artist has been taking more time to focus on his career as an actor rather than spending time in the recording booth. Now, the Memphis native sat down with Playboy and opened up on his current relationship with music.

"You go through these spurts when you miss it. In a perfect world I'd love to be able to involve myself in music and films as they come and go. But I'm always writing music, always thinking about ideas for songs... I don't have a single song ready to go. People keep asking me when a new song or album is coming out, and I don't know what to say. Music is not my focus right now. It may be someday. It could happen next month or next year, but right now it's not where it's at for me."

He further asserts that lack of inspiration is a reason for his step away.

"You need inspiration, you need to hear something loud inside yourself before you can create anything. Unfortunately, the business of music is what taints an artist's desire to make music. I don't want to paint a picture of being jaded, because I love making music. I honestly love it. But there is a level where making music becomes a total life-sucking commitment. For instance, to do an album and a tour, you have to be absolutely certain that whatever you have to say is from the heart, because you're going to say it a thousand times-- and on nights when you don't feel like performing. You need to feel inspiration to get to a level where you're performing like that. But I haven't felt that level of conviction the past few years. And without that conviction, it's crazy to put yourself out there."

What are your thoughts on his reasons?

Source: Pitchfork