"SexyBack" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter
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 ...
for his second studio album, ''
FutureSex/LoveSounds
''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake, released on September 8, 2006 by Jive Records and Zomba. Following a three-year writing hiatus, Timberlake conceived the album in collabora ...
'' (2006). It was released on July 18, 2006, to US mainstream and
rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
radio stations
[Radio single releases . FMQB.com.] by
Jive Records
Jive Records was an American independent record label founded by Clive Calder in 1981 as a subsidiary to the Zomba Group. In the US, the label had offices in New York City and Chicago. Jive was best known for its successes with hip hop, R&B, an ...
as the
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
from the album. The song was written and produced by
Nate Hills,
Tim Mosley
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, and Timberlake. Discussing "SexyBack", Timberlake revealed that he went "left", singing the song in a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
style, not an
R&B style.
He described the song as musicians
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
"covering"
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
's 1970 song "
Sex Machine
A sex machine is a mechanical device used to simulate human sexual intercourse or other sexual activity.Leung, Isaac (2009). The Cultural Production of Sex Machines and the Contemporary Technosexual Practices. In Grenzfurthner, J. et al., eds. ...
".
The track features
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
(who is credited on the album but not the single itself) while Timberlake's voice is
distorted. The
instrumentation
Instrumentation a collective term for measuring instruments that are used for indicating, measuring and recording physical quantities. The term has its origins in the art and science of scientific instrument-making.
Instrumentation can refer to ...
used in the song includes a pounding
bass beat,
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
chords
Chord may refer to:
* Chord (music), an aggregate of musical pitches sounded simultaneously
** Guitar chord a chord played on a guitar, which has a particular tuning
* Chord (geometry), a line segment joining two points on a curve
* Chord ( ...
, and
drum machine sounds.
"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
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine's
other charts, including the
Mainstream Top 40
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...
,
Hot Dance Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine.
History
The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
, and
Hot Digital Songs
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart (previously named Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally starte ...
, 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
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) and three-times platinum by
Canadian Recording Industry Association
Music Canada (formerly Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA)) is a non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, manufacture, produce, and distribute music in Canada. It ...
(CRIA).
The track won the
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as 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 f ...
at the
2007 ceremony. In addition, the song won Timberlake the
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
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
Michael Haussman is an American director, writer, and artist, living in Rome, Italy.
Career
Michael Haussman's music videos have won several awards, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award.
Past films include: ...
based on the latter's work on
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
's 1994 music video "
Take a Bow".
Production
Timberlake began working on his second studio album, ''
FutureSex/LoveSounds
''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake, released on September 8, 2006 by Jive Records and Zomba. Following a three-year writing hiatus, Timberlake conceived the album in collabora ...
'', in December 2005. Within three weeks, "SexyBack" was one of several songs that were recorded for the album,
having been recorded in less than a day.
Timberlake told
The Weekend Mail in 2006 that it was the "second or third song" he did with Timbaland in a list of 10 songs they recorded for the album.
The song was written and produced by
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 ...
,
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
, and
Nate "Danja" Hills
Floyd Nathaniel Hills (born February 22, 1982), professionally known as Danja (), is an American record producer and songwriter from Virginia Beach, Virginia. Starting off as a co-producer for Timbaland, he has since then created an extensive cat ...
, and mixed by
Jimmy Douglass
Jimmy Douglass, also known as "The Senator", is an American recording engineer and record producer. His career has spanned more than four decades.
Career
In the early 1970s at Atlantic Records studios in New York City, he started his studio ...
, using
Pro Tools
Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...
.
Mixing took place in April 2006, using a
Neve VR-series console.
Hills played the
Akai
Akai ( ja, 赤井, ) is a Hong Kong manufacturer of consumer electronics. It was founded as Akai Electric Company Ltd in Tokyo, Japan, in 1946. Grande Holdings in Hong Kong purchased the Akai brand, and now distributes various electronic produ ...
MPC3000, as well as virtual synths on his
Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and ...
computer, while
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
performed instruments on the
Ensoniq ASR-10
The Ensoniq ASR-10 was a sampling keyboard produced by Ensoniq between 1992 and 1998. The ASR-10 was a follow up product to the very popular Ensoniq EPS and Ensoniq EPS-16+ performance samplers, and was also available with a piano style weigh ...
sampling keyboard. Bill Pettaway played the guitar, his part taking only two minutes to record, while Darryl Pearson was the bassist. Both the guitar and bass were digitally imported in Pro Tools during mixing, and only a section of the guitar recording was copied and pasted throughout the song.
Composition
Music
Timberlake described "SexyBack" as "an experiment gone right from the sort of synthesizer influence to the distorted vocals", adding that it was "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 loose and not too rehearsed, it's one of those very experimental records though."
Timberlake revealed 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."
The day before recording, Timberlake and Timbaland had listened to
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
's "
Rebel Rebel
"Rebel Rebel" is a song by English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released in the UK in February 1974 by RCA Records as the lead single from the album ''Diamond Dogs''. Written and produced by Bowie, the song is based around a distinctiv ...
" and
the Rapture's "
House of Jealous Lovers". Timberlake wanted to achieve the songs' "raw energy". Timberlake said that he modeled himself on Bowie and
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
, and described the song as Bowie and
David Byrne
David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
"covering"
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
's 1970 song "
Sex Machine
A sex machine is a mechanical device used to simulate human sexual intercourse or other sexual activity.Leung, Isaac (2009). The Cultural Production of Sex Machines and the Contemporary Technosexual Practices. In Grenzfurthner, J. et al., eds. ...
".
Timberlake said that the song "doesn't qualify as rock or straight funk" and that he was happy with the description "club funk".
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."
"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 Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
''.
The song is composed in the key of
A major
A major (or the key of A) is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps. Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor. The key of A major is the only k ...
— and is set in
time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
of
common time
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note value ...
with a
tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...
of 117
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ( ...
. 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
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
.
Lyrics
Douglas explained the title of the song, and how it affected the concept: "Justin
imberlakegoes in the chorus 'Go head be gone with it', I called the song 'Be Gone With It', just to label it. So they're developing this song and they're going nuts and loving it, and as they play it, and I'm like: 'I don't think this hook is strong enough.' But then, at the very last minute, Justin very, very cleverly decided to call it 'Sexion, 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'' 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 ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...
'' noted that Timberlake sings about whips and chains,
while Bill Lamb of
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, ...
said the song has a "bit of s&m tease about shackles and whips".
Furthermore, ''
The Georgia Straight
''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
''
'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
The ''Las Vegas Review-Journal'' is a daily subscription newspaper published in Las Vegas, Nevada, since 1909. It is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Nevada and one of two daily newspapers in the Las Vegas area.
The ''Review-Journal'' ...
'' reported that Timberlake sings about "threatening to steal your girl." Charlie Brooker for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', in regard to the lyric, "them other fuckers don't know how to act", writing 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
A stylus (plural styli or styluses) is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision w ...
'' noted that the song features "pillow talk",
in reference of the song's "sex-crazed lyrics".
Critical reception
![Justin Timberlake ♫ SexyBack](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Justin_Timberlake_%E2%99%AB_SexyBack.jpg)
In the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' 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'' (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 cul ...
'' 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'' is a daily newspaper published in Auckland, New Zealand, owned by New Zealand Media and Entertainment, and considered a newspaper of record for New Zealand. It has the largest newspaper circulation of all newspapers ...
'' 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 Timberlake's repeated declaration that 'I'm bringing sexy back.
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
' contributor Quentin B. Huff wrote that "SexyBack" was the "fraternal twin" to
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists.
She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...
's 2006 song "
Promiscuous
Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different Sexual partner, partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as pro ...
". Andrew Murfett of ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' 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'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and f ...
'' 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 T. Sanneh (born 1976) is an American journalist and music critic. From 2000 to 2008, he wrote for ''The New York Times'', covering the rock and roll, hip-hop, and pop music scenes. Since 2008 he has been a staff writer for ''The New Yorke ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' 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
''The Diamondback'' is an independent student newspaper associated with the University of Maryland, College Park. It began in 1910 as ''The Triangle'' and became known as ''The Diamondback'' in 1921. Now a weekly online journal, ''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
''The State Journal-Register'' is the only local daily newspaper for Springfield, Illinois, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1831 as the ''Sangamo Journal'' by William Bailhache and Edward Baker, and describes itself as "the oldest new ...
'' 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
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...
'' 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."
Charlie Brooker
Charlton Brooker (born 3 March 1971) is an English television presenter, writer, producer and satirist. He is the creator and co-showrunner of the sci-fi drama anthology series ''Black Mirror'', and has written for comedy series such as ''Bras ...
, columnist for ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', jokingly criticised Timberlake, saying "How DARE this dot-eyed, crop-haired, fun-sized, guff-tongued, pirouetting waif-boy scamper on to the world's airwaves and loudly proclaim to be the sole global administrator of all things sexy? You'd think it takes massive balls to do something like that, but given the shrill, squeaking vocals cheeping through his ghastly little gobhole, it's safe to assume he's got testes the size of capers. He's practically a human dog whistle, the shrieking, high-pitched, mosquito-lunged ponce."
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."
Chart performance
"SexyBack" was commercially successful in the United States. The single debuted at number 90 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 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
Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine.
History
The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic d ...
,
Hot Dance Club Play
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
,
Hot Dance Singles Sales
In the issue dated March 16, 1985, ''Billboard'' magazine debuted its first chart devoted exclusively to 12-inch Singles Sales. The 50-position weekly ranking joined ''Billboard''s established Club Songs chart, reduced to the same 50 positions, ...
,
Pop 100 Airplay
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. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles sa ...
,
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. It ranked songs based on airplay on Mainstream Top 40 radio stations, singles s ...
, and
Top 40 Mainstream
Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/ CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played on a panel of Top 40 radio stations in the Un ...
charts.
"SexyBack" was certified three-times Platinum by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(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.
According to
Nielsen SoundScan
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
, the song had its biggest selling week in September 2006 and sold 250,000 as a digital download. "SexyBack" was on the Hot 100 for a significant thirty-six weeks. As of 2018, the song has accumulated 6.1 million units in the US, combining sales (4.9 million copies sold) and equivalent streams.
In the United Kingdom, "SexyBack" debuted at number 13 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
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
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 songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...
, "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" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album, '' Justified'' (2002). The Neptunes (consisting of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams) wrote and produced the song. The song features backgroun ...
" 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 three-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.
Music video
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "SexyBack" was directed by
Michael Haussman
Michael Haussman is an American director, writer, and artist, living in Rome, Italy.
Career
Michael Haussman's music videos have won several awards, including six MTV Video Music Awards and a Museum of Modern Art Award.
Past films include: ...
and features Spanish actress
Elena Anaya
Elena Anaya Gutiérrez (born 17 July 1975) is a Spanish actress.
She garnered public recognition in Spain for her performance in ''Sex and Lucia'' (2001), which also earned her a nomination to the Goya Award for Best Supporting Actress. She sta ...
. The video was filmed in June 2006. 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 Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...
'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 (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
's ''
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 (or treatment) and the show often includes light-hearted ...
'' on July 25, 2006.
Timberlake and Anaya star as rival spies who become romantically entangled. The video starts off with a cable car looking over a large city (Barcelona, from the West looking East) while a German newscast featuring Alexander von Roon plays on TV and switches to a luxurious-looking hotel in Plaça de Catalunya with Elena Anaya taking off her shirt, revealing her black bra. 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. In the hotel scenes, the spies both conduct espionage at each other. At the club meanwhile, Timberlake is seen chasing a woman whom he recognized as herself. He keeps chasing her but she keeps disappearing out of his sight. Both Justin and Elena stick a tape and places a glass of water on the door so that they would know if someone snuck into their room, while Timberlake heads to the other room to deal with his rival spy Anaya. Elena then goes to the bathroom preparing to take a shower. 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 confronted her, but quickly became erotic and they end up having sex. After that, Elena covered Justin's mouth to not tell anyone about their encounter, and Timberlake leaves her and went back to his room. When Justin was about to enter, he noticed that his tape was ripped, indicating that someone entered his room. Knowing that a bomb was planted, he jump into another balcony before an explosion ensues, avoiding it completely. In the club, Justin and Elena met at the bathroom stall and they immediately kiss each other, proving that they might have a romantic interest after their sex in the hotel. It ends with the figure of Anaya sitting on a chair beside a small television in which a her kiss with Timberlake is frozen on the screen.
Legacy and accolades
"SexyBack" helped introduce
EDM
EDM or E-DM may refer to:
Music
* Electronic dance music
* Early Day Miners, American band
Science and technology
* Electric dipole moment
* Electrical discharge machining
* Electronic distance measurement
*Entry, Descent, and landing demonstrat ...
sounds to
top 40 radio
Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
, as it brought together variations of electronic dance music with Timberlake's R&B sounds.
VH1 listed it third on their list of the "100 Greatest Songs of the ’00s," while 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 Un ...
'' listed it as an honorable mention among "the most timeless tunes of the 2000s", with an editor stating it "sounded wholly unfamiliar and unique." ''
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 cul ...
'' deemed it a "modern day
classic
A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
."
''
Complex
Complex commonly refers to:
* Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe
** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' staff acknowledged in 2013 that the song "arrived on the scene like a hurricane", adding that while it had been established that "the dude from 'N Sync" was "more than capable" when he first released solo material with ''Justified'' four years earlier, "SexyBack" put Timberlake in a position "where you were forced to take him seriously."
"SexyBack" won the
People's Choice Award
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show, recognizing people in entertainment, voted online by the general public and fans. The show has been held annually since 1975, with the winners originally determined using Gallup Polls until ...
for Favorite R&B song at the
2007 awards ceremony. At the
49th Grammy Awards, "SexyBack" won a
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
in the category of
Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as 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 f ...
. 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".
It won Best R&B/Urban Dance Track and Best Pop Dance Track at the 2007
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference (WMC) is a week-long electronic music conference, held every March in Miami Beach, Florida, United States since 1985. It is also known as the premiere platform for electronic dance music. The conference brings togethe ...
's International Dance Music Awards. Additionally, it won an
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
Pop Music Award in 2007 in the category Most Performed Songs.
Live performances
Timberlake performed "SexyBack" and "
My Love" as a medley for the opening of the
2006 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2006 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 31, 2006, honoring the best music videos from June 11, 2005, to June 26, 2006. The show was hosted by Jack Black at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
The 2006 Video Music Awards marked th ...
and again for the
MTV Europe Music Awards 2006
The MTV Europe Music Awards 2006 were held in Copenhagen at the Bella Center. The outside stage hosted a concert that featured The Killers, Keane and Snoop Dogg.
Presenters included Fat Joe, Timbaland and Moby. Notable events during the ceremony ...
, which he also hosted. In addition, he performed the song at the
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was an annual promotional event sponsored by and featuring Victoria's Secret, a brand of lingerie. From 1995 to 2018, Victoria's Secret used the show to market its goods in high-profile settings. Models unde ...
. On August 25, 2013, Timberlake performed "SexyBack" in a medley with other of his songs at the
2013 MTV Video Music Awards.
"SexyBack" was featured on
FutureSex/LoveShow
The FutureSex/LoveShow was the third concert tour by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It showcased his second studio album, ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006). The tour grossed $127.8 million. It was the third highest-grossing concert ...
(2007),
Legends of the Summer (2013),
The 20/20 Experience World Tour
The 20/20 Experience World Tour was the fifth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was launched in support of his third and fourth studio albums, '' The 20/20 Experience'' (2013) and '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 ...
(2013/15) and
The Man of the Woods Tour
The Man of the Woods Tour was the sixth concert tour by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. Launched in support of his fifth studio album, ''Man of the Woods'' (2018), the tour began on March 13, 2018, in Toronto and concluded on April ...
(2018/19).
In addition it was featured on the setlist for three editions of
Rock in Rio
''Rock in Rio'' is a recurring music festival originating in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It later branched into other locations such as Lisbon, Madrid and Las Vegas.
Nine incarnations of the festival have been held in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991, ...
in 2013, 2014 and 2017 and two editions of the
iHeartRadio Music Festival
The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
From 2011 to 2015, the festival was held at the MGM Gran ...
in 2013 and 2018.
Timberlake performed a remixed version of "SexyBack" at
Super Bowl LII
Super Bowl LII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2017 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles defeated the American Football Conferen ...
(2018).
Cover versions
The indie rock band
Rock Plaza Central
Rock Plaza Central is a band from Toronto, Canada. They came to international attention in 2007 with the release of '' Are We Not Horses'', a critically acclaimed science fiction concept album about six-legged robotic horses in the midst of an exi ...
gained attention for their radically different cover of "SexyBack", with brass-and-banjo roots-rock stylings. American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Poison
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
released a cover of the song as a promotional single and a bonus track on the
Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
version of their 2007 cover album ''
Poison'd!
''Poison'd!'' is the seventh and most recent studio album by American glam metal band Poison, released June 5, 2007. The 14-track album features recordings of Poison's favorite rock classics. Nine new tracks and five previously released covers m ...
'' British soul singer
Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae (; born 26 February 1979) is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC po ...
recorded a jazz/swing version whilst appearing on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
's ''
Live Lounge
The Live Lounge is a segment on the British radio stations BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. It was originally hosted by Simon Mayo, and later by Jo Whiley on her weekday mid-morning, and later weekend lunchtime radio shows, then by Fearne Cotton ...
'' in 2007. American pop rock band
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
covered the beginning of the song as part of a medley during their 2012
Overexposed Tour
The Overexposed Tour was the eigthth concert tour by the American pop rock band Maroon 5, in support of their fourth studio album, '' Overexposed'' (2012). The tour consisted of shows in Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania and included the band's ...
.
Cartoon stars
Weebl and Bob
''The everyday happenings of Weebl and sometimes Weebl's friend, Bob'' (best known as ''Weebl and Bob'', and renamed ''Wobbl and Bob'' for its DVD release) is a Flash cartoon series created by Jonti Picking and co-scripted by Chris Vick.
About ...
covered the song with their version "''Pastry''" including the refrain "I'm bringing pastry back"
Track listings
*CD single
#"SexyBack" (Main Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
*Japanese CD maxi single
#"SexyBack" (Main Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Clean Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
*European CD maxi single
#"SexyBack" (Main Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (
Linus Loves
Linus Loves is the alias of Scottish dance music remixer/ producer Duncan Reid and, until 2005, a duo consisting of himself and Kevin McKay. Reid and McKay co-founded Breastfed Recordings together in 2002 with Myles MacInnes, known as Mylo. Mc ...
Remix) – 6:18
#"SexyBack" (Pokerface Club Mix) – 6:34
#"SexyBack" (
Tom Novy
Tom Novy (born Thomas Reichold) is a DJ and producer from Munich, Germany.
Biography
Tom Novy lived in Munich in his youth and attended the Luitpold Gymnasium in Munich. In the mid-1980s he started to DJ and got his first residency at the ...
's Ibiza Dub) – 7:47
#"SexyBack" (Director's Cut Video)
*Digital download
#"SexyBack" – 4:02
*Digital download (SexyTracks The SexyBack Remixes)
#"SexyBack" (Linus Loves Remix) – 6:21
#"SexyBack" (
Armand's Mix) – 7:12
#"SexyBack" (Pokerface Remix) – 6:33
#"SexyBack" (Tom Novy Ibiza Dub) – 7:47
*American 12-inch vinyl
#"SexyBack" (Clean Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Main Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Instrumental) – 4:02
*European 12-inch vinyl
#"SexyBack" (Armand's Mix) – 7:15
#"SexyBack" (Main Version) – 4:02
#"SexyBack" (Pokerface Club Mix) – 6:34
#"SexyBack" (Linus Loves Remix) – 6:18
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of best-selling singles in the United States
This is a list of best-selling singles in the United States, some of which have been certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record co ...
*
List of number-one singles of 2006 (Australia)
*
List of European number-one hits of 2006
This is a list of the European Hot 100 Singles and European Top 100 Albums number ones of 2006, as published by '' Billboard'' magazine.
Chart history
References
{{European record charts
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventi ...
*
List of number-one hits of 2006 (Germany)
This is a list of songs which reached number one on the German ''Media Control charts, Media Control'' Top100 Singles Chart in 2006.
Number-one hits by week
See also
* List of number-one hits (Germany)
* List of German airplay number-one ...
*
List of number-one singles of 2006 (Ireland)
This is a list of the Irish Recorded Music Association's Irish Singles Chart Top 50 number-ones of 2006.
See also
* 2006 in music
*List of artists who reached number one in Ireland
This is an list of recording artists who have reached ...
*
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (New Zealand)
In New Zealand, the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) compiles the top forty singles chart each week. Sales of songs determined 75% of the sorting information, and radio airplay figures were responsible for 25%. From 18 April ...
*
List of number-one songs in Norway
This list shows the songs which have been number one on the official chart list (VG-lista) in Norway. The single list started in 1958, and the albums list in 1967. The show is broadcast every Wednesday by NRK P3, one of Norwegian Broadcasting ...
*
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. In the 2000s the chart week ran from Sunday to Saturday, and the top 40 singles were revealed each Sunday on BBC Radio 1. Before the ...
*
List of ''Billboard'' Hot 100 number-one singles of 2006
*
List of number-one dance singles of 2006 (U.S.)
These are the '' Billboard'' Hot Dance'' '' Club Play and Singles Sales number-one hits of 2006.
See also
* List of number-one dance airplay hits of 2006 (U.S.)
*2006 in music
* List of number-one dance hits (United States)
* List of artists w ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexyback
2006 singles
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
Jive Records singles
Justin Timberlake songs
Music videos directed by Michael Haussman
Music videos shot in Spain
Number-one singles in Australia
Number-one singles in Germany
Number-one singles in New Zealand
Number-one singles in Norway
Number-one singles in Scotland
Song recordings produced by Danja (record producer)
Song recordings produced by Justin Timberlake
Song recordings produced by Timbaland
Songs written by Danja (record producer)
Songs written by Justin Timberlake
Songs written by Timbaland
UK Singles Chart number-one singles
2006 songs