The song was composed in two parts, with the ending section (characterized by more emphasis on R&B instrumentation) composed separately to the majority of the song (which is permeated by an electric guitar). It was included in his album The 20/20 Experience, released the same year.
The music video was released on March 12, 2013. It is dedicated to William and Sadie Bomar, Timberlake's maternal grandparents.
Like the song itself, the video is divided into two radically different sections. The majority of the video chronicles the life of a couple from when they first fall in love at a billiards game to their elderly years; it then cuts to Timberlake dancing in a funhouse's hall of mirrors.
The music video can be watched here.
Tropes in "Mirrors" and its music video:
- Call-Forward: In the funhouse, the couple receive a photo reel that shows their elderly selves, forecasting their eventual fate of growing old together.
- Dead All Along: The husband in the elderly segments, as hinted by symbolism. As the video begins, the husband seems to mime the wife's movements, while in the background mirrors, he is seen departing from this world.
- Epic Rocking: The song is eight minutes long, an extremely long runtime for a pop song. This was done by grafting two songs that normally would be independent together.
- Happily Married: The couple remains happily together to old age and death, in spite of a stressful pregnancy.
- Killed Offscreen: The husband succumbs to old age first offscreen, leaving the wife as a widow reflecting upon their life together.
- Love at First Sight: When they first meet, the husband drops his billiards game and convinces the wife to dance together, completely smitten with her. She reciprocates.
- Meaningful Background Event: At the beginning of the music video, the husband's reflection in their room's mirrors walks away from the room, symbolizing him being dead during the old-age segments.
- Out of Focus: Justin Timberlake himself only appears in the ending dance sequence, unconnected to the music video's main story.
- Time-Shifted Actor: Three different sets of actors and actresses are used to portray the main couple: one for their first meeting and funhouse date, a second set for Their First Time and the pregnancy, and a third for their elderly selves.
- Tragic Keepsake: The book the couple gets at the funhouse. After the husband passes away, the wife takes out the book to reflect on their old relationship and the happy times they had together until then.
