"3-Way (The Golden Rule)" is a song recorded by American
comedy music
Comedy music or musical comedy is a genre of music that is comic or humorous in nature. Its history can be traced back to the first century in ancient Greece and Rome, moving forward in time to the Medieval Period, Classical and Romantic eras ...
group
the Lonely Island featuring American singers
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
and
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
. It appeared as an
SNL Digital Short
An ''SNL'' Digital Short is one in a series of comedic and often musical video shorts created for NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. The origin of the Digital Short brand is credited to staff writer Adam McKay, who created content for the show in c ...
in the May 21, 2011 episode of the American
sketch comedy
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. The form developed and became popular in vaudeville, and ...
television series ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves ...
'' (''SNL''), which saw Timberlake and Gaga as the
host and musical guest, respectively. It was released as a
single on May 24, three days after the broadcast. The
R&B song was written by
Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
,
Akiva Schaffer
Akiva D. Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American film director, comedian, actor, and writer. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. He began his career with The Lonely Island m ...
,
Jorma Taccone
Jorma Christopher Taccone (; born March 19, 1977) is an American comedian, director, actor, and writer. He is one-third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island, with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. In 2010, Taccone co-wr ...
, and Timberlake, while produced by
The Futuristics with additional production from
Asa Taccone
Asa Taccone (born September 20, 1983) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and frontman of the band Electric Guest with whom he has released three albums since 2012. He is noted as a close collaborator of The Lonely Island and has con ...
and Ryan & Smitty. Samberg and Timberlake were nervous about presenting the idea to Gaga, who initially failed to find the humor in the song.
The music video, which aired on the ''SNL'' broadcast, is a sequel to the "
Motherlover" sketch and finds Samberg and Timberlake reprising their roles from that skit as they sing about having a
threesome
In human sexuality, a threesome is commonly understood as "a sexual interaction between three people whereby at least one engages in physical sexual behaviour with both the other individuals". Though ''threesome'' most commonly refers to sexu ...
with Gaga. The song and sketch received positive reviews from critics who called it one of the funniest moments of the episode. "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" received a nomination at the
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, were held on Sunday, September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the c ...
for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics, but it lost to another song from the same ''SNL'' episode.
Background and writing
In the midst of the announcement that
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
would host ''Saturday Night Live'' on May 21, 2011, many media commentators speculated that there would be a recurrence of the two characters that he and comedian
Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
portrayed in past SNL Digital Shorts ("
Dick in a Box
"Dick in a Box" is a song by the American comedy group The Lonely Island featuring American singer Justin Timberlake. The artists wrote the song with Katreese Barnes and Asa Taccone, who both produced it with Jorma Taccone. ''Saturday Night Li ...
" and "
Motherlover").
Speculation only increased when photos of Samberg and Timberlake shooting a music video, donning the same suits worn in "Dick in a Box", were released to the media.
The track named "3-Way (The Golden Rule)", was written on May 19, with the music video being shot a day later. It was written by
Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
,
Akiva Schaffer
Akiva D. Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American film director, comedian, actor, and writer. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. He began his career with The Lonely Island m ...
,
Jorma Taccone
Jorma Christopher Taccone (; born March 19, 1977) is an American comedian, director, actor, and writer. He is one-third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island, with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. In 2010, Taccone co-wr ...
,
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
, and
The Futuristics, with the latter producing the track with
Asa Taccone
Asa Taccone (born September 20, 1983) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and frontman of the band Electric Guest with whom he has released three albums since 2012. He is noted as a close collaborator of The Lonely Island and has con ...
and Ryan & Smitty.
Samberg confirmed that the song was written with keeping Gaga in mind since she was set to appear on ''Saturday Night Live'' that week, along with Timberlake. "We knew we wanted to do another one with Justin and thought it would be awesome to get
aga
Aga or AGA may refer to:
Business
* Architectural Glass and Aluminum (AGA), a glazing contractor, established in 1970
* AGA (automobile), ''Autogen Gasaccumulator AG'', 1920s German car company
*AGA AB, ''Aktiebolaget Svenska Gasaccumulator'', a ...
involved just to up the ante, because we had already done two", he concluded.
Composition
A
new jack swing song, "3-Way (The Golden Rule)"'s premise follows the early 1990s pop duo (Samberg and Timberlake) finding themselves invited to a threesome with "the girl
hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
met at the
Payless ShoeSource
Payless (formerly known as Payless ShoeSource Inc.) is an international discount footwear chain. Established in 1956 by cousins Louis and Shaol Pozez, Payless was a privately held company owned by Blum Capital, and Golden Gate Capital. In 1961, ...
" (Gaga).
Gaga's character acknowledges that "most guys won't freak together," but the two conclude that "it's not gay, when it's in a three-way," and that they should follow "The Golden Rule". The song features a reference to the sitcom ''
Three's Company
''Three's Company'' is an American sitcom television series that aired for eight seasons on ABC from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984. It is based on the British sitcom '' Man About the House''.
The story revolves around three single room ...
''.
Gaga related the nervousness of Samberg and Timberlake asking her to do the song in an interview on May 23:
I wish that they filmed the backstage scenario as both Justin and Andy Samberg tried simultaneously to pitch this idea to me and they both choked on the way in. Justin was like 'Umm so umm, we have a skit idea and umm, well I'm not really good at this I'll have Andy tell you.' Then Andy came and was like 'Well umm bluh blah we have this skit idea.' Then they both came in finally and they told me the story and I'm like, 'Guys, I get it.' They're like 'We really like each other.'"
Reception
The song and sketch received positive reviews from critics. Matt Donnelly of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' praised the skit, writing, "Timberlake and Samberg work an intentionally cheesy R&B shtick with hilarious results."
Ken Tucker of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...
'' commented, "The old-school rap details were impeccable as always," though he was unsure about the intentions of the song's lyrics. "I'm going to give
he Lonely Islandthe benefit of the doubt and say the lyric was a ''satire'' of the fear of being thought gay," he continued.
Nick Carbone of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
'' called the skit "hilarious" and praised Gaga's acting abilities in the skit and throughout the ''SNL'' episode. ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
''s Aaron Couch wrote that with the skit, "Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg may have topped their
Emmy-winning digital short ''D--- in a Box'' ."
''
People
A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of prope ...
s Alla Byrne and ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' staff both listed it as one of the funniest moments of the episode.
A writer for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' complimented Gaga's addition to the track, saying "Gaga is a delight in this bit, and not just because she looks kinda amazing when done up as an early-Nineties
bridge-and-tunnel fox. Just check out the look on her face when Samberg and Timberlake do their 'helicopter dick' routine. Pure gold!"
However, Annie Galvin from ''
Slant Magazine'' criticized the song, saying that the composition of the track was comparable to that of their previous release "Motherlover", explaining that it fell "flatter than most of the other songs on the album". "3-Way" received a nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics at the
63rd Primetime Emmy Awards
The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, honoring the best in prime time television programming from June 1, 2010 until May 31, 2011, were held on Sunday, September 18, 2011, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California. Fox televised the c ...
. However, it lost to the song "Justin Timberlake Monologue" from the same episode of ''SNL''. "3-Way (The Golden Rule)" debuted at number 7 on the
Gaon Download Chart
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
, with sales of 42,274 copies.
In the United States it reached a peak of number 3 on the ''
Billboard''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart, while reaching number 1 on the Comedy Digital Tracks chart.
Music video
The music video for "3-Way" was shot on May 20, 2011, the same day the song was recorded, and aired as the
SNL Digital Short
An ''SNL'' Digital Short is one in a series of comedic and often musical video shorts created for NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''. The origin of the Digital Short brand is credited to staff writer Adam McKay, who created content for the show in c ...
during the May 21 ''SNL'' broadcast.
Timberlake and Samberg appear in the video as their characters aka "2:30 AM,"
from the "
Dick in a Box
"Dick in a Box" is a song by the American comedy group The Lonely Island featuring American singer Justin Timberlake. The artists wrote the song with Katreese Barnes and Asa Taccone, who both produced it with Jorma Taccone. ''Saturday Night Li ...
" and "
Motherlover" sketches.
"3-Way" is a sequel to the "Motherlover" sketch.
The clip begins with each half of the duo exiting the house of the other's mother (played by
Patricia Clarkson
Patricia Davies Clarkson (born December 29, 1959) is an American actress. She has starred in numerous leading and supporting roles in a variety of films ranging from independent film features to major film studio productions. Her accolades in ...
and
Susan Sarandon
Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...
)
as the mothers grab the young men seductively. Timberlake and Samberg then greet each other, simultaneously saying, "Your mom says hi.
Jinx
A jinx (also jynx), in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck.
The word ''"jynx"'' meaning the bird wryneck and sometimes a charm or spell has been in use in English since the seventeen ...
!" before they are seen in various locations around town as they sing the song's introduction ("yeah yeah yeah" repeated several times). Timberlake sings about his plans to have a sexual encounter with a girl he met the previous week at a Payless ShoeSource store, while Samberg reveals similar plans about "a cutie
..who loves the way I knock on her boots." They then leave, agreeing to meet back with each other in a few hours. They are both then seen outside of Gaga's apartment, where it is revealed that both of them agreed to have sex with her, though they did not know the other was also planning to do the same. She explains that she invited them both there so that they could have a threesome, which they quickly agree to do, citing the "golden rule" that "it's not
gay
''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'.
While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...
when it's in a 3-way." Later, Gaga walks back into the bedroom with a bowl of cereal to find Timberlake and Samberg under the covers together, apparently not realizing she has left.
Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel adapted from ''The Wack Album'' liner notes.
*
Andy Samberg
Andy Samberg (born David A. J. Samberg; August 18, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer and screenwriter. He is a member of the comedy music group The Lonely Island and was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 200 ...
–
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
,
singing
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or with ...
*
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
– songwriter, singing
*
Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...
– singing
*
Akiva Schaffer
Akiva D. Schaffer (; born December 1, 1977) is an American film director, comedian, actor, and writer. He is a member of the comedy group The Lonely Island along with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. He began his career with The Lonely Island m ...
– songwriter
*
Jorma Taccone
Jorma Christopher Taccone (; born March 19, 1977) is an American comedian, director, actor, and writer. He is one-third of the sketch comedy troupe The Lonely Island, with childhood friends Andy Samberg and Akiva Schaffer. In 2010, Taccone co-wr ...
– songwriter
*
The Futuristics –
producer, songwriter
*
Asa Taccone
Asa Taccone (born September 20, 1983) is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and frontman of the band Electric Guest with whom he has released three albums since 2012. He is noted as a close collaborator of The Lonely Island and has con ...
– producer, keyboards
*Ryan & Smitty – producer
*Jason Goldstein –
audio mixing
Audio mixing is the process by which multiple sounds are combined into one or more channels. In the process, a source's volume level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated or enhanced. This practical, aesthetic ...
*Brian "Big Bass" Gardner –
audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master), the source from which all copies will be produced (via me ...
*Adrien Finkel – background vocals
Charts
References
External links
*
{{authority control
2011 singles
2011 songs
Justin Timberlake songs
Lady Gaga songs
Polyamory in fiction
Songs written by Justin Timberlake
The Lonely Island songs
Universal Republic Records singles
Song recordings produced by the Futuristics
Songs written by Joe Khajadourian
Songs written by Alex Schwartz