Timberlake gets vulnerable on the new song, saying the lead single from his upcoming album Everything I Thought It Was is something “you just don’t hear” often from men.
Get excited, JT fans, because Justin Timberlake is back!
On Thursday, the 42-year-old singer announced his first album in over five years, Everything I Thought It Was, and dropped the first single and music video for his new song, “Selfish,” which he first debuted last weekend at a concert in Memphis.
In the video for the track — which Timberlake co-wrote with Louis Bell, Cirkut, Theron Thomas, and Amy Allen — the Grammy winner can be seen walking through various sets on a studio lot, before it cuts to a suit-wearing Timberlake showing off his dance moves on a stage while bright spotlights following him across the floor.
The song is the lead single from Everything I Thought It Was, which will be released on March 15. It marks his first album since 2018’s Man of the Woods.
In an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, per Rolling Stone, Timberlake opened up about “Selfish,” and shared why he decided to release it as the lead single.
“We were talking about the song itself and just breaking down the idea that you just don’t hear that from men often, that they would express an emotion that makes them vulnerable,” he said. “And then, growing up the way I grew up, you’re taught not to do that. But I don’t know, it just felt like a really honest song.”
“The lyrics just started to come out honestly,” he added. “And when I listened to the whole album, I felt like it’s probably, of all the songs on the album, production-wise, probably the most straightforward, and I don’t want to say simple because it’s complex within its simplicity to me.”
As for the overall album, Timberlake said, per Pitchfork, “I think there are moments that are incredibly honest, but, also, there’s a lot of f–king fun on this album.”
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Timberlake will perform as the musical guest alongside host Dakota Johnson on this week’s Saturday Night Live. Before that, fans will see him reunite with longtime pal, Jimmy Fallon, on Thursday’s episode of The Tonight Show.
The new song and album announcement comes after Timberlake made headlines last year for his reunion with *NSYNC as well as the backlash he received after the release of Britney Spears’ memoir.
In September 2023, *NSYNC reunited in the studio for the first time in over 20 years. Following a surprise appearance at the MTV VMAs, the group released their comeback single “Better Place” as part of the latest Trolls movie.
Meanwhile, as for Spears, the pop star dropped several bombshells about her relationship with Timberlake in her explosive memoir, The Woman in Me.
Timberlake had already taken a lot of heat in recent years for their breakup, but Spears added allegations of infidelity (on both sides), a teen abortion she says he urged her to get, and an awkward encounter at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
Timberlake has not publicly commented on any of Spears’ claims in the book, including the shocking claim he encouraged her to get an at-home abortion she didn’t want at 19 years old because he wasn’t ready to be a father.
“If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it,” Spears wrote. She also said that they kept the decision from everyone, which was why they chose to do it at home and in private.
Spears further claimed in the book that Timberlake ultimately broke up with her via text message, leaving her “devastated.” Fans have been very vocal about their disappointment with Timberlake about what happened two decades ago.
