Which singer recorded the original 2003 track associated with McDonald's “I'm Lovin' It” campaign?

Justin Timberlake recorded the original 2003 track associated with McDonald's “I'm Lovin' It” campaign.

The campaign's song was developed from a track connected with the German hip-hop group the Junggesellen and was adapted for McDonald's international advertising. Timberlake recorded and performed the vocal version used to introduce the campaign to a broad audience. The song helped give the slogan a musical identity beyond its printed appearance.

The familiar “ba da ba ba ba” hook is often treated as if it were simply a jingle created in isolation. In fact, the campaign was built around a song and then adapted across advertising formats and markets. Timberlake's involvement is therefore a specific part of the campaign's launch history, not the name of the slogan itself.

McDonald's later continued using the phrase and musical signature in many forms, even when the original recording was no longer the central element of an advertisement.