Superstar Justin Timberlake doesn't think of himself as "cool," PEOPLE reported via GQ.

The triple threat covered the "Men of the Year" issue of GQ, on newsstands this month, along with fellow Men of the Year Matthew McConaughey, Kendrick Lamar, Will Ferrell and James Gandolfini.

"Listen, I'm not cool," Timberlake, told GQ. "Being cool is about keeping your blood pressure steady. So no. Don't be cool. Be passionate. Be dedicated. Be tenacious. Be uncompromising. Be pissed. Be happy. Be sad."

The 32-year-old's "not cool" career path has included doing the unexpected and not listening to critics. At the time of the GQ interview, the singer, dancer and actor had just been hit with a "double whammy" of critical scorn for movie "Runner Runner" and new album "The 20/20 Experience: 2 of 2."

The thriller, which also starred Ben Affleck, had a hugely disappointing opening weekend that barely brought in $8 million. Variety had just run an op-ed called "Why Justin Timberlake Should Stop Acting." On the music side, Billboard told Timberlake, in his own words, "Tell him to leave his second half at home."

The new record was still Timberlake's second No. 1 album of the year.

"I've made a career out of doing things that I should not be doing. I wasn't cool about it," he said. "Because being cool would have meant I passed up on those opportunities. If you do that, it's because you're afraid. And what are you afraid of? You know?"

Timberlake said he doesn't want to be characterized by one single moment from a career that includes appearances on "Saturday Night Live," a role in Oscar-winning film "The Social Network" and several hit albums.

"I don't see myself as someone who's ever going to be defined by one moment," he said. "It's on to the next."

Timberlake's next project will be his nearly 80-date "20/20 Experience" solo tour, which will hit Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and more, as well as many locations in the United States. He's also starring in the new Coen brothers film, "Inside Llewyn Davis," which is slated for a late December release.

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