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2002 couldn’t have been summed up better than byCry Me A River. Not only did it solidify Justin Timberlake’s solo career, stepping far beyond the boyband bubble of NSYNC, but it also became a soundtrack for heartbreak. The track was released months after Timberlake and Britney Spears’s high-profile breakup.
In his memoir,Hindsight & All the Things I Can’t See in Front of Me, Timberlake revealed that he penned the song as a means to channel his feelings of‘scorn‘ following the end of his relationship with Spears. Also, in one interview, he talked about the song, which won the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, explaining how he wrote that song aimed at her.
Also Read:High School Musical Originally Wanted to Cast Justin Timberlake With Another Controversial Singer Instead of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens
Justin Timberlake WroteCry Me A RiverAfter a Call With Ex-girlfriend Britney Spears
Following the release ofCry Me a River,Justin Timberlakespoke withMTV News, choosing not to explicitly confirm if the song was about anyone specific. He emphasized that songs could draw inspiration from personal experiences or hypothetical scenarios.
“I’m not going to specifically say if any song is about anybody,” he told the publication.
“I will say writing a couple of songs on the record helped me deal with a couple of things. To me songs are songs. They can stem from things that completely happened to you personally or they can stem from ideas that you think could happen to you.”
However, in 2011, Timberlake changed his stance, revealing that the song was born out of frustration after a contentious phone argument with Britney Spears. He described entering the studio visibly angry during that period.
“I was on a phone call that was not the most enjoyable phone call,” he said at the time. “I walked into the studio, and he [Timbaland] could tell I was visibly angry.”
In his 2018 autobiography,Hindsight, Justin Timberlake talked about the song released in November 2002: (ViaPEOPLE)
“I’ve been scorned. I’ve been pissed off. The feelings I had were so strong I had to write it. I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and hopefully relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we’ve all been there.”
Acclaimed producer Timbalandwas alsointerviewed in that same 2011 article.“I was like, ‘Man, don’t worry about it’ and he was like, ‘I can’t believe she did that to me’ and he was like, ‘You were my sun, you were my earth,‘” Timbaland recalled.
Also Read:“It pains her that people think she is married to a creep”: Justin Timberlake’s Past With Britney Spears Reportedly Has Taken a Toll on His Marriage With Jessica Biel
What Did Britney Spears Say AboutCry Me A River?
Britney Spearsaddressed theCry Me A Riverrumors a few times over the years, including tellingRolling Stonethat Justin had warned her – somewhat – about what to expect from the music video.
She said her ex called her and told her: ‘And by the way, you’re in a video that’s coming out. Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.’
The record label advised her that she had the power to change the music video if she so wanted, but she declined.
‘Then it came out, and I said, “I should’ve freakin’ said no to this s**t!”’
She claimed she called him immediately after seeing the music video, asking why he did it, to which he allegedly responded: ‘Well, I got a controversial video.’
‘And I was like, “You did. Yay for you.”So he got what he wanted.’
Now, Timberlake is married to7th Heavenactress, Jessica Biel. They have a son together named Silas Randall Timberlake.
Also Read:“He basically had s-x every day at work”: Amanda Seyfried Outed Co-star Justin Timberlake After Starring in Friends With Benefits With Mila Kunis
Prantik Prabal Roy
Articles Published :778
Prantik Prabal Roy is a content writer at FandomWire. With over three years of experience in content writing for various media houses, he takes great interest in telling stories about Hollywood celebrities and the world revolving around them. He has done his Master’s in English literature and diploma course in journalism. Being a literature student, he has the ability to delve into the matter and analyse it thoroughly to give the readers a clear view on the specific topics.
