Implementing the divide and conquer strategy,  Justin Timberlake and  Jessica Biel were spotted tending to their own agendas yesterday in New York City. Miss Biel did her best to ignore the paparazzi as she hit up several different stops in Midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile, the “Carry Out” singer looked focused as he made his way around the Big Apple, sporting an all-black ensemble and carrying a portfolio.

On the career front, Justin recently told press that his protégé Esmee Denters is one of the hottest up-and-coming talents in the music biz. “She’s just so consistently talented. She sings like a little bird. She’s really just fantastic and she’s got great stage presence. She commands the stage, but also there’s something about her, like you want to have coffee with her and talk to her because she’s a good person, and I think that goes a long way. I think to have both of those qualities in the same artist is special.”