Timberlake wrote and produced the song with Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with additional writing from James Fauntleroy.

The accompanying music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, was released in March 2013 and depicts a tale of two lovers through several decades.

The song was met with positive reviews by critics upon release and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.

Timberlake performed "Mirrors" on television shows including Saturday Night Live and the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards as part of a medley number.

"Mirrors" was written and produced by Justin Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with additional writing from James Fauntleroy.

But the way it felt to have my life be touched by her..."[4] "Mirrors" is a mid-tempo[5] progressive soul[6] and R&B[7] ballad[5] with an approximate length of eight minutes and five seconds.

[7] Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times described it as a cross between Timberlake's 2002 single "Cry Me a River" and "November Rain" by Guns N' Roses.

"[9] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that aside from the presence of Timbaland's "fantastically cluttered production", the difference between "Mirrors" and "Cry Me a River" is clear: "10 years ago, Timberlake was broken, and now he is whole.

"[18] Vibe's Charley Rogulewski wrote that the strength of the song is in Timberlake's Neo blue-eyed soul delivery of the "catchy" lyrics, "I don't want to lose you now.

Jenna Hally Rubenstein of MTV Buzzworthy commented in a positive review, "Unlike "Suit & Tie"'s sultry and retro vibes, the selfie-taker's new jam reminds us a bit more of Justin's FutureSex/LoveSounds days with layered synths and ridiculously club-ready pop production courtesy of JT's main man Timbaland.

"[32] Scott Shetler of Popcrush gave the single four stars out of five, writing: "The song relies on Timbaland's familiar handclap-style beats and layers of synths and vocals, which instantly embed their way into your brain ... over a bed of gentle piano twinkling and a distorted Timbaland vocal loop, JT delivers some falsetto crooning and a heavy dose of "oohs" and "aahs.

""[33] Another favorable review came from Digital Spy's Robert Copsey, who wrote: "Despite musical shifts in the intervening 11 years and the absence of a cheating girlfriend, [the single] still manages to sound remarkably fresh.

"It's like you're my mirror/ My mirror staring back at me," he tells his lover over head-nodding Timbaland beatboxing and grandiose strings, before spilling his guts about how he should never have left them in the first place.

"[36] However, Marc Hogan of Spin Magazine provided a mixed review, stating "And how does the former 'N Sync singer choose to crown his return to pop prominence but with a pickup line even MxPx wouldn't touch?

Backed with music that's a cross between luxe Bruno Mars '80s-grenade balladry and those human beatbox hiccups that, in all honesty, were starting to be played out even when Timberlake tapped Timbaland to use them, brilliantly, on FutureSex/LoveSounds?

"[19] Andy Kellman of Allmusic unfavorably described the song as "less an epic than a drawn-out midtempo pop ballad" and "not one of [Timberlake's] more remarkable singles.

[56] "Mirrors" peaked number two on the German Singles Chart[57] and was certified platinum by Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BMVI) for selling over 300,000 digital copies in the country.

[62] "Mirrors" was certified double platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for selling over 140,000 copies in the country.

[64] The music video was directed by Floria Sigismondi[66] and saw its world premiere as the highlight of an hour-long special on The CW in celebration of The 20/20 Experience's release.

It features montages of three separate time periods of a couple's life, from their initial introduction and whimsically falling in love on a funhouse date (portrayed by actors Ariane Rinehart and Keenan Cochrane), to the difficult start of their marriage with a pregnancy (portrayed by Chloe Brooks and James Kacey), to when they have grown old together and the old lady (Judith Roberts) packing up her recently deceased husband's belonging whilst reflecting on their life together.

"It's a clip that packs an emotional wallop, a downright beautiful examination of the ebbs and flows of love and the true connection that continues once our time here is over.

"[65]Timberlake's grandmother Sadie Bomar told Italian weekly Grazia that "Justin didn't tell me he was doing it [making the video], it was a surprise.

[70] Maura Johnston from Spin wrote: "The love scenes between the elder version of the couple are particularly touching; when it's eventually revealed that they've been happening only in the woman's mind, they become heartbreaking.

Plus, there's some fine JT dance moves: Wearing a long coat, silver-tipped shoes, and a severe side part, he shows off his footwork in a hall of mirrors, creating an illusion of endless Justins.

The Huffington Post noted that the duet "makes for the perfect blend of harmonies -- and a convincing love story told through lyrics.

[77] In April 2013, Paradise Fears covered this song, with lead vocalist Sam Miller adding his own personal flair to it.

[79] Mike Wass of Idolator felt it was not a "bad" performance, but that "her high-pitched vocal is just a little too cutesy for a song that demands a certain amount of soul.

"[80] In August 2015, country singer Hunter Hayes performed a bluegrass version of the song at Nashville's famed Blackbird Studio for YouTube channel CountryNow.

Stephen L. Betts from Rolling Stone gave it a positive review, writing "his performance focuses on a passionately delivered vocal laced with touches of R&B in his voice.

"[81] Canadian country group Hunter Brothers recorded a cover of the song that was included on their debut studio album, Getaway, in March 2017.