Justin Timberlake reveals label thought of ‘SexyBack’ as flop
Justin Timberlake has revealed that he had to persuade his record label to back SexyBack, saying the song’s success taught him to trust his gut.
The 45-year-old Grammy winner discussed the making of his 2006 chart-topper on Complex’s Re-Rank series on Thursday 5 November, sharing behind-the-scenes stories while ranking his ten biggest songs.
He placed SexyBack at number four.
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“And every reason that they gave me that it wasn’t going to work is the reason that I thought it would,” he said.
He added: “It was personally an experience of trusting your gut and doing something so decidedly different. It kind of changed everything.”
Timberlake described the track as one that “makes zero sense, but makes all the sense in the world”.
He and co-writer and producer Timbaland wrote it “so fast”, he said, with the aim of “redefining” what dance music could sound like.
The song proved him right.
Taken from his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, it spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Dance Recording at the Grammy Awards in 2007.
Timberlake has previously named David Bowie, David Byrne and James Brown as inspirations for the track.
The singer’s most recent album, Everything I Thought It Was, came out in 2024, and he used the interview to hint at what might come next.
He suggested something is in the works with Quavo and Pharrell, pointing to a photo of him on a boat with the pair.
He also said he and Timbaland are “always locked in”, stressing that their work is made “from scratch”.
The remark appeared to be a nod to artists using AI to help write songs.
As for the new music itself, he was coy: “We’ll see, but I’m really excited about… I’ve been chef-ing. All in due time.”
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