SexyBack
Encyclopedia
"SexyBack" is a song by American recording artist Justin Timberlake
from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
(2006). It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records
as the lead single from the album. The song was co-written and produced by Timberlake, Timbaland
, and Nate "Danja" Hills.
Discussing "SexyBack", Timberlake revealed that he went "left", singing the song in a rock
style, not an R&B
style. He described the song as musicians David Bowie
and David Byrne
"covering" James Brown
's 1970 song "Sex Machine
". The track features Timbaland on backing vocals, while Timberlake's voice is distorted. The instrumentation used in the song includes a pounding bass beat, electronic chords, and beat box sounds. "SexyBack" received mixed reception from critics.
"SexyBack" became Timberlake's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100
, staying seven weeks at the top spot. It also topped several of Billboard magazine's other charts, including the Billboard Pop 100
, Hot Dance Airplay
, and Hot Digital Songs
charts, and entered the top ten on most singles charts. Internationally, it became Timberlake's first single to reach number one in the United Kingdom. In Australia, the track was Timberlake's second number-one single, spending two consecutive weeks at the top. "SexyBack" was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA) and six-times platinum by Canadian Recording Industry Association
(CRIA).
The track won Best Dance Recording
at the 2007 Grammy Awards. In addition, the song won Timberlake the People's Choice Award for Favorite R&B song and the Male Artist of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
. The music video was filmed in June 2006; Timberlake decided to work with director Michael Haussman
based on the latter's work on Madonna
's 1994 music video "Take a Bow".
, Timbaland
, and Nate "Danja" Hills. In December 2005, Timberlake began working on his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
, the follow-up to his 2002 album Justified. Within three weeks, "SexyBack" was one of several songs that were recorded. In September 2006, Timberlake told The Weekend Mail
that "SexyBack" was the "second or third song" he did with Timbaland in a list of 10 songs they recorded for the album. "It was just an experiment gone right from the sort of synthesizer influence to the distorted vocals", said Timberlake. "It's one of the songs that the more you listen to it its just hook after hook after hook. Its just one of those 'flow off the top of your head' tracks, in terms of melody. We wanted to keep it lose and not too rehearsed, it's one of those very experimental records though." Timberlake revealed to MTV News
that he went "left", regarding going more rock, not in how he developed the song, but in the way he sang the song. "I wanted to sing the song like a rock and roll singer, not an R&B singer. That's the approach."
In another interview, Timberlake said that he modeled himself on musicians David Bowie
and Prince
, and described the song as Bowie and David Byrne
"covering" James Brown
's 1970 song "Sex Machine
" and concluded with, "That's all of my influences for that song." Timberlake himself said that the song "doesn't qualify as rock or straight funk" and that he was happy with the description "club funk". In another interview he said he was "keen for a new musical direction" following the release of his first album, Justified. "I listened to the radio for a few months and thought, 'All this sounds like shit, what do I want to hear?'. That's really all I did. Everything's got so repetitive, everything sounds the same. I had to create something unique otherwise there's no point putting it out."
. The song is composed in the key of C major
and is set in time signature
of common time
with a tempo
of 117 beats per minute. The song features a 4/4
beat, a pounding bass beat and electronic sounds, and does not include Timberlake's "famous falsetto". The song's musicscape includes two-note dirty electronic riffs, "leapfrogging keyboards", beat box sound, and incorporates the "same leaky faucet" sounds of musician Obie Trice
's 2004 song "The Setup". In addition, the track features Timbaland on backing vocals.
Timberlake's voice in the song is processed, slowed down to where his voice is unrecognizable, with muffled vocals. The song also features Timberlake's "low register distorted vocals." Timberlake revealed that the vocals in the song were influenced by Prince. In further discussion of the song, Timberlake said that the chorus was "very James Brown-ish, call out and repeat, like 'Sex Machine'." He wrote the track "from top to bottom. 'I'm bringing sexy back, yeah! I'm bringing. . .' It's a very physical song, meant to provoke ... sexual dance. 'Sex Machine' is the closest reference." Timberlake said that the lyric, "bringing sexy back", was one of the first lines he came up with. In addition, he admitted that the song was not going to be titled "SexyBack", saying, "We weren't originally going to call it 'SexyBack'. I definitely didn't think it would become the most worn-out phrase of 2006. It just sounded like a nice opening to the song."
Adam Graham of The Detroit News
noted that Timberlake sings about whips and chains, while Bill Lamb of About.com
said the song has a "bit of s&m tease about shackles and whips". Furthermore, The Georgia Straight
' s Martin Turenne said that Timberlake is "shackled to the bedpost, invites the crack of his mistress's whip." Ben Williams of New York
magazine wrote that Timberlake had been working on his pickup lines, with "You see these shackles baby I'm your slave / I'll let you whip me if I misbehave." Jason Bracelin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal
reported that Timberlake sings about "threatening to steal your girl." Charlie Brooker for The Guardian
, in regards to the lyric, "them other fuckers don't know how to act", wrote that Timberlake's translation is of him telling everyone in the world that they are a "clueless fornicator". Further in his report, Brooker opined that Timberlake "threatens us" by using "language so offensive" with the line, "You motherfuckers, watch how I attack". In addition, Brooker noted that the line, "If that's your girl you'd better watch your back", as Timberlake stating his intention to meddle in the private affairs of others. Barry Schwartz of Stylus
noted that the song features "pillow talk", in reference of the song's "sex-crazed lyrics".
magazine review of the album, contributor Katy Kroll wrote that Timberlake "claims to be bringing 'sexy' back to pop music, and indeed he is. You can almost feel beads of sweat rolling off the title track and 'SexyBack' featuring Timbaland". Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly
was complimentary towards Timbaland, producer of the song, writing that Timbaland offers "tougher, trickier rhythms, minimal live playing, a plethora of hip-hop cameos, and a self-consciously hard, edgy club sensibility" to "SexyBack". Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald
noted, "The producer's angular synthesizer crunch is all over it – at best on the single 'SexyBack' where they dispense with a chorus, leaving the song sustained by its vocal fireworks, electrofunk and Timberland's repeated declaration that 'I'm bringing sexy back. PopMatters
' contributor Quentin B. Huff wrote that "SexyBack" was the "fraternal twin" to Nelly Furtado
's 2006 song "Promiscuous
". Andrew Murfett of The Age
wrote that the song was a "raunchy club banger that slyly suppresses" Timberlake's customary falsetto. He continues, "it's introduced a new phrase into the pop cultural lexicon". Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
was complimentary towards the song, writing that it was "Timberlake at his best, mainstreaming a combination of the wild, edgy dance-pop style of Basement Jaxx with Missy Elliott's more experimental hip-hop to create a boldly inventive sound that still pleases the masses."
Kelefa Sanneh
of The New York Times
wrote: "...'SexyBack', a twitchy, emaciated track that shot to the top of the charts and also became an irritating catchphrase. (Suddenly everyone was bringing AdjectiveBack.)" Dagny Salas of North by Northwestern
commented that Timberlake and Timbaland trade ridiculous lines, with "Get your sexy on/Go ahead, be gone with it" and "Dirty babe/You see these shackles/Baby I’m your slave/I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave." Salas continued in her review that it was not a song that should be good, "but does that really matter when it’s Good in the way that songs are during the summer [...] That kind of good makes songs like 'SexyBack' completely irresistible." Matt Burns of The Post
wrote, "Take the polarizing summer single 'SexyBack', a repetitive song with little structure that doesn't know when to stop, all centered on a ridiculous declaration. Somehow, it works." The Diamondback
' s Michael Greenwald reported that "SexyBack" was "lyrically, musically and vocally the weakest song" on the album. A writer of The State Journal-Register was not impressed with the song and concluded, with SexyBack' is the most annoyingly dumb song to hit Billboard' s No. 1 since 'Hollaback Girl'". Guy Blackman of The Sunday Age
wrote: "The distorted vocals and stilted production of first single 'Sexyback' make Timberlake's claim to be 'bringing sexy back' ... seem almost laughable." Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Justin Timberlake We didn't even know that sexy was missing until 2006. We're just happy Justin brought it back safe and sound."
Upon the song's release, it received divided opinions, which pleased Timberlake. "This is such a departure from the first record," said Timberlake. "More people might like it, less people might like it, but you can't call me a chicken." Timberlake performed "SexyBack" and "My Love
" as a medley for the opening of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
. In addition, he performed the song at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The song won the People's Choice Award for Favorite R&B song at the 2007 awards ceremony
. At the 49th Grammy Awards, "SexyBack" won a Grammy Award
in the category of Best Dance Recording
. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
, Timberlake won Male Artist of the Year for "SexyBack", "Let Me Talk To You / My Love", and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
".
in July 2006. After climbing to number 31, it propelled to number one the following week. "SexyBack" became Timberlake's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from his Futuresex/Lovesounds album. The single spent seven consecutive weeks at the number-one position on the Hot 100. In addition to the Hot 100, "SexyBack" also topped the following Billboard charts: Hot Dance Airplay
, Hot Dance Club Play
, Hot Dance Singles Sales
, Pop 100 Airplay
, Pop 100
, and Top 40 Mainstream charts. "SexyBack" was certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
(RIAA). This song made the then-seventh-biggest jump to number one in the Billboard Hot 100 history, climbing thirty spots from number 31 landing it at the summit of the chart on September 9, 2006. In a Nielsen SoundScan
report, the song sold 250,000 as a digital download.
In the United Kingdom, "SexyBack" debuted at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart
based solely on download sales one week prior to its physical release, and ascended to the top of the chart the following week, becoming Timberlake's first UK number-one single. On the Australian ARIA Charts
, "SexyBack" debuted at number one and spent two consecutive weeks at the top becoming Timberlake's second number one single there (after "Rock Your Body
" reached the summit in 2003), and has been certified two-times Platinum by ARIA Charts. Also, in Canada and Austria, the single has peaked at number three and number five respectively, becoming his most successful single tied with his third released single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
" in both nations. It has also been certified six-times Platinum in Canada.
In Sweden, "SexyBack" peaked at number four, while in France it peaked at number eight becoming Timberlake's first top ten hit from the album, and would later score two more top ten singles with "My Love
" and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around". The song peaked at number one in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway, and at number two in Switzerland and Belgium.
for "SexyBack" was directed by Michael Haussman
and features Spanish actress Elena Anaya
. The video was filmed in June 2006 and shot in a luxury building in Barcelona
, Spain. In discussion of the video filmed in Barcelona, Timberlake said: "Obviously we went for the architecture, the exteriors, the interiors — the vibe in Spain is different than anywhere else in the world. It's so cool to shoot there, but the girls are also pretty hot, so that doesn't hurt either."
Timberlake decided to work with director Michael Haussman, following his work on Madonna
's 1994 music video for "Take a Bow". "It's one of my favorite videos Madonna's ever done," Timberlake said. "Even today, I still remember the visuals, the images, how he captured her. A lot of times, Madonna seems like she's the person in control, and in that video, she seemed vulnerable. It was a cool thing to see." The video was first shown on MTV
's Making the Video
on July 25, 2006.
The video starts off with a cable car looking over a large city (Barcelona, from the West looking East) and switches to a luxurious-looking hotel in Plaça de Catalunya with Elena Anaya taking off her sweater. It then cuts to Timberlake in a different room; then to a club scene and Timberlake in front of a white background. The video alternates between those four viewpoints, with Timberlake and Anaya seeming to be spies in the hotel room and strangers in the club. At a certain point, Timberlake goes over to Anaya's room by jumping over to her balcony. Then when Anaya goes to check it out, Timberlake traps her and they have sex. In the club, it ends with Timberlake joining Anaya in a bathroom stall. In the hotel room scene, Timberlake leaves by the same way he entered and moments later jumps to the next balcony before an explosion ensues. It ends with the figure of Anaya sitting in a chair beside a small television in which a kiss is frozen on the screen.
, favored by Pitchfork Media
, gained attention for their radically different cover of "SexyBack", with brass-and-banjo roots-rock stylings. It was released as a promotional single and a bonus track on the Wal-Mart
version of the 2007 cover album Poison'd!
by American rock band Poison
. British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae
recorded a jazz/swing version whilst appearing on BBC Radio 1
's Live Lounge
in 2007. This song will be covered by baby penguins in the 2011 film Happy Feet Two.
UK CD1
CD Single
CD - Dance Mixes
Remixes
Jose Spinnin Cortes Club Mix 7:55
Steve Lawler Remix 8:45
Tony Moran Club Mix 10:33
OranGeFuzZzZ Mix 13:22
Benjamin Castenda Remix 13:13
Digital Black N Club Mix 6:11
AK47 Remix 6:02
DJ Amaya Hidden Sound Remix 11:44
Burno Ramos Remix 6:09
Bryan Reyes Sexy Boxx Mix
Eric Prydz Mix 14:22
Hex Hector Mix 11:04
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
FutureSex/LoveSounds
In 2005, Timberlake felt inspired to record songs again. Motivated by the "sad state" of pop radio, he decided he needed to experiment with music. Reportedly, it was not until Timberlake turned to producer Timbaland "that he figured out the direction he wanted the record to take"...
(2006). It was released on July 7, 2006, by Jive Records
Jive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
as the lead single from the album. The song was co-written and produced by Timberlake, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, and Nate "Danja" Hills.
Discussing "SexyBack", Timberlake revealed that he went "left", singing the song in a rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
style, not an R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
style. He described the song as musicians David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
"covering" James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's 1970 song "Sex Machine
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
"Get Up Sex Machine" is a funk song recorded by James Brown in 1970 and released as a two-part single on King Records....
". The track features Timbaland on backing vocals, while Timberlake's voice is distorted. The instrumentation used in the song includes a pounding bass beat, electronic chords, and beat box sounds. "SexyBack" received mixed reception from critics.
"SexyBack" became Timberlake's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, staying seven weeks at the top spot. It also topped several of Billboard magazine's other charts, including the Billboard Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
, Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
, and Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
charts, and entered the top ten on most singles charts. Internationally, it became Timberlake's first single to reach number one in the United Kingdom. In Australia, the track was Timberlake's second number-one single, spending two consecutive weeks at the top. "SexyBack" was certified three-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA) and six-times platinum by Canadian Recording Industry Association
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada...
(CRIA).
The track won Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
at the 2007 Grammy Awards. In addition, the song won Timberlake the People's Choice Award for Favorite R&B song and the Male Artist of the Year at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
2007 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year, took place on September 9, in Las Vegas at The Palms. The 2007 VMAs were the smallest VMAs ever held in MTV history, eliminating 13 awards, re-naming many of the remaining awards, and having only four...
. The music video was filmed in June 2006; Timberlake decided to work with director Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman is an American music video, motion picture and television advertisement director, writer and producer.Michael Haussman is a director, writer and artist, whose internationally acclaimed commercials have won numerous awards and are featured in advertising books and trade journals...
based on the latter's work on Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's 1994 music video "Take a Bow".
Background
"SexyBack" was written and produced by Justin TimberlakeJustin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, and Nate "Danja" Hills. In December 2005, Timberlake began working on his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds
FutureSex/LoveSounds
In 2005, Timberlake felt inspired to record songs again. Motivated by the "sad state" of pop radio, he decided he needed to experiment with music. Reportedly, it was not until Timberlake turned to producer Timbaland "that he figured out the direction he wanted the record to take"...
, the follow-up to his 2002 album Justified. Within three weeks, "SexyBack" was one of several songs that were recorded. In September 2006, Timberlake told The Weekend Mail
The Malay Mail
The Malay Mail is a newspaper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, first published in 1 December 1896 when KL was the capital of the then new Federated Malay States, making it the first daily to appear in the FMS....
that "SexyBack" was the "second or third song" he did with Timbaland in a list of 10 songs they recorded for the album. "It was just an experiment gone right from the sort of synthesizer influence to the distorted vocals", said Timberlake. "It's one of the songs that the more you listen to it its just hook after hook after hook. Its just one of those 'flow off the top of your head' tracks, in terms of melody. We wanted to keep it lose and not too rehearsed, it's one of those very experimental records though." Timberlake revealed to MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that he went "left", regarding going more rock, not in how he developed the song, but in the way he sang the song. "I wanted to sing the song like a rock and roll singer, not an R&B singer. That's the approach."
In another interview, Timberlake said that he modeled himself on musicians David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, and described the song as Bowie and David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
"covering" James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's 1970 song "Sex Machine
Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine
"Get Up Sex Machine" is a funk song recorded by James Brown in 1970 and released as a two-part single on King Records....
" and concluded with, "That's all of my influences for that song." Timberlake himself said that the song "doesn't qualify as rock or straight funk" and that he was happy with the description "club funk". In another interview he said he was "keen for a new musical direction" following the release of his first album, Justified. "I listened to the radio for a few months and thought, 'All this sounds like shit, what do I want to hear?'. That's really all I did. Everything's got so repetitive, everything sounds the same. I had to create something unique otherwise there's no point putting it out."
Music and lyrics
"SexyBack" is an "urgent, pulsing track, a cocktail of soaring, distorted vocals and heavy, electronic chords threaded together with rap", according to Camilla Long from The ObserverThe Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
. The song is composed in the key of C major
C major
C major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
and is set in time signature
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
of common time
Common Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with a tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 117 beats per minute. The song features a 4/4
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
beat, a pounding bass beat and electronic sounds, and does not include Timberlake's "famous falsetto". The song's musicscape includes two-note dirty electronic riffs, "leapfrogging keyboards", beat box sound, and incorporates the "same leaky faucet" sounds of musician Obie Trice
Obie Trice
Obie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
's 2004 song "The Setup". In addition, the track features Timbaland on backing vocals.
Timberlake's voice in the song is processed, slowed down to where his voice is unrecognizable, with muffled vocals. The song also features Timberlake's "low register distorted vocals." Timberlake revealed that the vocals in the song were influenced by Prince. In further discussion of the song, Timberlake said that the chorus was "very James Brown-ish, call out and repeat, like 'Sex Machine'." He wrote the track "from top to bottom. 'I'm bringing sexy back, yeah! I'm bringing. . .' It's a very physical song, meant to provoke ... sexual dance. 'Sex Machine' is the closest reference." Timberlake said that the lyric, "bringing sexy back", was one of the first lines he came up with. In addition, he admitted that the song was not going to be titled "SexyBack", saying, "We weren't originally going to call it 'SexyBack'. I definitely didn't think it would become the most worn-out phrase of 2006. It just sounded like a nice opening to the song."
Adam Graham of The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
noted that Timberlake sings about whips and chains, while Bill Lamb of About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said the song has a "bit of s&m tease about shackles and whips". Furthermore, The Georgia Straight
The Georgia Straight
The Georgia Straight is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp...
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine wrote that Timberlake had been working on his pickup lines, with "You see these shackles baby I'm your slave / I'll let you whip me if I misbehave." Jason Bracelin of the Las Vegas Review-Journal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
The Las Vegas Review-Journal is published in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada, and one of two daily newspapers in Las Vegas . It is the flagship publication of Stephens Media LLC...
reported that Timberlake sings about "threatening to steal your girl." Charlie Brooker for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, in regards to the lyric, "them other fuckers don't know how to act", wrote that Timberlake's translation is of him telling everyone in the world that they are a "clueless fornicator". Further in his report, Brooker opined that Timberlake "threatens us" by using "language so offensive" with the line, "You motherfuckers, watch how I attack". In addition, Brooker noted that the line, "If that's your girl you'd better watch your back", as Timberlake stating his intention to meddle in the private affairs of others. Barry Schwartz of Stylus
Stylus Magazine
Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, a number of different podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog....
noted that the song features "pillow talk", in reference of the song's "sex-crazed lyrics".
Critical reception
In the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
magazine review of the album, contributor Katy Kroll wrote that Timberlake "claims to be bringing 'sexy' back to pop music, and indeed he is. You can almost feel beads of sweat rolling off the title track and 'SexyBack' featuring Timbaland". Chris Willman of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
was complimentary towards Timbaland, producer of the song, writing that Timbaland offers "tougher, trickier rhythms, minimal live playing, a plethora of hip-hop cameos, and a self-consciously hard, edgy club sensibility" to "SexyBack". Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald
The New Zealand Herald
- External links :* * *...
noted, "The producer's angular synthesizer crunch is all over it – at best on the single 'SexyBack' where they dispense with a chorus, leaving the song sustained by its vocal fireworks, electrofunk and Timberland's repeated declaration that 'I'm bringing sexy back. PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
' contributor Quentin B. Huff wrote that "SexyBack" was the "fraternal twin" to Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
's 2006 song "Promiscuous
Promiscuous (song)
"Promiscuous" is a dance-pop/R&B song by Canadian recording artist Nelly Furtado, from the album, Loose . It was written by Furtado, Timothy "Attitude" Clayton, Timbaland and Nate "Danja" Hills, with the latter pair handling production of the song...
". Andrew Murfett of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
wrote that the song was a "raunchy club banger that slyly suppresses" Timberlake's customary falsetto. He continues, "it's introduced a new phrase into the pop cultural lexicon". Glenn Gamboa of Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
was complimentary towards the song, writing that it was "Timberlake at his best, mainstreaming a combination of the wild, edgy dance-pop style of Basement Jaxx with Missy Elliott's more experimental hip-hop to create a boldly inventive sound that still pleases the masses."
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa Sanneh
Kelefa T. Sanneh is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for the New York Times, covering the rock 'n' roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
wrote: "...'SexyBack', a twitchy, emaciated track that shot to the top of the charts and also became an irritating catchphrase. (Suddenly everyone was bringing AdjectiveBack.)" Dagny Salas of North by Northwestern
North by Northwestern
North by Northwestern is a daily online newsmagazine at Northwestern University, started in September 2006 by students at the Medill School of Journalism. It is noted for its multimedia coverage of campus events. In 2008 the site was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists with eight...
commented that Timberlake and Timbaland trade ridiculous lines, with "Get your sexy on/Go ahead, be gone with it" and "Dirty babe/You see these shackles/Baby I’m your slave/I’ll let you whip me if I misbehave." Salas continued in her review that it was not a song that should be good, "but does that really matter when it’s Good in the way that songs are during the summer [...] That kind of good makes songs like 'SexyBack' completely irresistible." Matt Burns of The Post
The Post (Ohio newspaper)
The Post is a student-run newspaper in Athens, Ohio, that covers Ohio University and Athens County. It publishes five days a week while the university is in session and distributes 14,000 copies. Though it operates from a university building, the paper remains editorially independent...
wrote, "Take the polarizing summer single 'SexyBack', a repetitive song with little structure that doesn't know when to stop, all centered on a ridiculous declaration. Somehow, it works." The Diamondback
The Diamondback
The Diamondback is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland, College Park. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin...
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
wrote: "The distorted vocals and stilted production of first single 'Sexyback' make Timberlake's claim to be 'bringing sexy back' ... seem almost laughable." Entertainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decade, "best-of" list, saying, "Justin Timberlake We didn't even know that sexy was missing until 2006. We're just happy Justin brought it back safe and sound."
Upon the song's release, it received divided opinions, which pleased Timberlake. "This is such a departure from the first record," said Timberlake. "More people might like it, less people might like it, but you can't call me a chicken." Timberlake performed "SexyBack" and "My Love
My Love (Justin Timberlake song)
"My Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on September 26, 2006, by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" as a medley for the opening of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from the previous year. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City....
. In addition, he performed the song at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. The song won the People's Choice Award for Favorite R&B song at the 2007 awards ceremony
33rd People's Choice Awards
The 33rd People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2006, were held on January 9, 2007 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California...
. At the 49th Grammy Awards, "SexyBack" won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in the category of Best Dance Recording
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the dance music genre...
. At the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards
2007 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, honoring the best music videos from the previous year, took place on September 9, in Las Vegas at The Palms. The 2007 VMAs were the smallest VMAs ever held in MTV history, eliminating 13 awards, re-naming many of the remaining awards, and having only four...
, Timberlake won Male Artist of the Year for "SexyBack", "Let Me Talk To You / My Love", and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
"What Goes Around... Comes Around" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was written and produced by Timberlake, Nate "Danja" Hills, and Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for Timberlake's second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds...
".
Chart performance
"SexyBack" was commercially successful in the United States. The single debuted at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in July 2006. After climbing to number 31, it propelled to number one the following week. "SexyBack" became Timberlake's first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from his Futuresex/Lovesounds album. The single spent seven consecutive weeks at the number-one position on the Hot 100. In addition to the Hot 100, "SexyBack" also topped the following Billboard charts: Hot Dance Airplay
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is featured weekly in Billboard magazine. The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic dance music on the radio in the United States and the stations that program it...
, Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
, Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales
Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...
, Pop 100 Airplay
Pop 100 Airplay
The Pop 100 Airplay was a chart created in 2005 and released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It measured mainstream radio airplay, and was one of the three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Singles Sales and Hot Digital Songs charts, that determined the chart positions of singles...
, Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
, and Top 40 Mainstream charts. "SexyBack" was certified three-times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
(RIAA). This song made the then-seventh-biggest jump to number one in the Billboard Hot 100 history, climbing thirty spots from number 31 landing it at the summit of the chart on September 9, 2006. In a Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
report, the song sold 250,000 as a digital download.
In the United Kingdom, "SexyBack" debuted at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
based solely on download sales one week prior to its physical release, and ascended to the top of the chart the following week, becoming Timberlake's first UK number-one single. On the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, "SexyBack" debuted at number one and spent two consecutive weeks at the top becoming Timberlake's second number one single there (after "Rock Your Body
Rock Your Body
"Rock Your Body" is the third single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified. The song features Vanessa Marquez. She was at that time to Star Trak Entertainment....
" reached the summit in 2003), and has been certified two-times Platinum by ARIA Charts. Also, in Canada and Austria, the single has peaked at number three and number five respectively, becoming his most successful single tied with his third released single "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
What Goes Around.../...Comes Around
"What Goes Around... Comes Around" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was written and produced by Timberlake, Nate "Danja" Hills, and Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley for Timberlake's second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds...
" in both nations. It has also been certified six-times Platinum in Canada.
In Sweden, "SexyBack" peaked at number four, while in France it peaked at number eight becoming Timberlake's first top ten hit from the album, and would later score two more top ten singles with "My Love
My Love (Justin Timberlake song)
"My Love" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds . It was released on September 26, 2006, by Jive Records as the second single from the album...
" and "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around". The song peaked at number one in Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway, and at number two in Switzerland and Belgium.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "SexyBack" was directed by Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman is an American music video, motion picture and television advertisement director, writer and producer.Michael Haussman is a director, writer and artist, whose internationally acclaimed commercials have won numerous awards and are featured in advertising books and trade journals...
and features Spanish actress Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya is a Spanish actress whose career dates back to 1995.Anaya is the youngest of 5 children. She first received international attention in 2001 for her role in the sexually explicit drama Lucía y el sexo and also appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Hable con ella .Her best-known Hollywood film...
. The video was filmed in June 2006 and shot in a luxury building in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain. In discussion of the video filmed in Barcelona, Timberlake said: "Obviously we went for the architecture, the exteriors, the interiors — the vibe in Spain is different than anywhere else in the world. It's so cool to shoot there, but the girls are also pretty hot, so that doesn't hurt either."
Timberlake decided to work with director Michael Haussman, following his work on Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's 1994 music video for "Take a Bow". "It's one of my favorite videos Madonna's ever done," Timberlake said. "Even today, I still remember the visuals, the images, how he captured her. A lot of times, Madonna seems like she's the person in control, and in that video, she seemed vulnerable. It was a cool thing to see." The video was first shown on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Making the Video
Making the Video
Making the Video is an MTV show, consisting of half-hour episodes, which chronicles the process of filming various music videos. Usually the director outlines the concept of the video and the show often includes light-hearted and humorous moments. It always concludes with a premiere of the...
on July 25, 2006.
The video starts off with a cable car looking over a large city (Barcelona, from the West looking East) and switches to a luxurious-looking hotel in Plaça de Catalunya with Elena Anaya taking off her sweater. It then cuts to Timberlake in a different room; then to a club scene and Timberlake in front of a white background. The video alternates between those four viewpoints, with Timberlake and Anaya seeming to be spies in the hotel room and strangers in the club. At a certain point, Timberlake goes over to Anaya's room by jumping over to her balcony. Then when Anaya goes to check it out, Timberlake traps her and they have sex. In the club, it ends with Timberlake joining Anaya in a bathroom stall. In the hotel room scene, Timberlake leaves by the same way he entered and moments later jumps to the next balcony before an explosion ensues. It ends with the figure of Anaya sitting in a chair beside a small television in which a kiss is frozen on the screen.
Cover versions
The indie rock band Rock Plaza CentralRock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central is a Canadian indie rock band. After a pair of glowing reviews from the influential music website Pitchfork Media, they have come to prominence as a major indie rock band...
, favored by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, gained attention for their radically different cover of "SexyBack", with brass-and-banjo roots-rock stylings. It was released as a promotional single and a bonus track on the Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
version of the 2007 cover album Poison'd!
Poison'd!
Poison'd! is the seventh studio album from the American glam rock/glam metal band Poison, released June 5, 2007. The 14-track album features recordings of Poison's favorite rock classics...
by American rock band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
. British soul singer Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae is a British singer-songwriter and guitarist from Leeds, who released her debut album Corinne Bailey Rae in February 2006....
recorded a jazz/swing version whilst appearing on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Live Lounge
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio station BBC Radio 1. Originally hosted by Jo Whiley on her mid-morning radio show and now hosted by Fearne Cotton, it exhibits well-known artists usually performing one song of their own and one by another artist, in an acoustic format...
in 2007. This song will be covered by baby penguins in the 2011 film Happy Feet Two.
Formats and track listings
UK CD1- "SexyBack" (Explicit-Album Version) – 4:03
- "SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
UK CD1
- "SexyBack" (Explicit-Album Version) – 4:03
- "SexyBack" (Tom Novy Ibiza Dub) – 7:48
- "SexyBack" (Linus Loves Remix) – 6:18
- "SexyBack" (Armands Mix) – 7:12
- "SexyBack" (Video)
CD Single
- "SexyBack" (Pop Clean Edit) – 4:03
- "SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
- "SexyBack" (Explicit-Album Version) – 4:03
CD - Dance Mixes
- "SexyBack" (Explicit-Album Version) – 4:03
- "SexyBack" (Armands Mix) – 7:12
- "SexyBack" (DJ Sneaks Sexy Main Mix) – 6:58
- "SexyBack" (Linus Loves Remix) – 6:18
- "SexyBack" (Armands Dub) – 6:14
- "SexyBack" (Dean Coleman Silent Sound Beatdown) – 6:24
- "SexyBack" (Sneak Beats Dub) – 5:24
- "SexyBack" (Tom Novy Ibiza Dub) – 7:48
Remixes
- SexyBack (Steve Lawler Remix) – 8:49
- SexyBack (Eddie Baez Mix) – 9:47
- SexyBack (Dean Coleman Xtra Funk Mix) – 8:11
- SexyBack (Ralphi Rosario Remix) – 9:50
- SexyBack (Petyasb Dub) – 9:52
- SexyBack (Solar City vs. Amokk Club Mix) – 9:14
Offical Remixes
Tom Novy Remix 7:48Jose Spinnin Cortes Club Mix 7:55
Steve Lawler Remix 8:45
Tony Moran Club Mix 10:33
OranGeFuzZzZ Mix 13:22
Benjamin Castenda Remix 13:13
Digital Black N Club Mix 6:11
AK47 Remix 6:02
DJ Amaya Hidden Sound Remix 11:44
Burno Ramos Remix 6:09
Bryan Reyes Sexy Boxx Mix
Eric Prydz Mix 14:22
Hex Hector Mix 11:04
Charts
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
Year-end charts
| Chart (2006) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 46 |
| Belgian Flanders Singles Chart | 34 |
| Belgian Wallonia Singles Chart | 29 |
| Dutch Singles Chart | 42 |
| German Singles Chart | 21 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 40 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 9 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 23 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 22 |
| UK Singles Chart | 10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| US Pop Songs | 6 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications |
|---|---|
| Australia | Platinum |
| Canada | 6x Platinum |
| New Zealand | Platinum |
| United States | 3x Platinum |
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia in 2006
- List of European number-one hits of 2006
- List of number-one hits of 2006 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles of 2006 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
- List of number-one hits in Norway
- List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 2006 (U.S.)