"Señorita" is a song by American singer-songwriter
Justin Timberlake for his debut studio album, ''
Justified'' (2002). It was released on July 7, 2003, 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, ...
as the fourth single from the album. He co-wrote the track with its producers
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...
and
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. With close friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has prod ...
of
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos ...
. According to Timberlake, the song was influenced by
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
. Musically, "Señorita" is an R&B, pop, and jazz up-tempo ballad, featuring an electric piano strut, cowbell in beat of the song, and a rhythm section. The song has been described as a Spanish "number" with a "Latin flavored" cut beat.
In the track, Timberlake sings about a woman, whose attention he is trying to capture. "Señorita" received positive reviews from music critics, who commented on the track's general sound and lyrics.
Commercially, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia and New Zealand, the top twenty in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and the top thirty in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Its music video was nominated for an
MTV Video Music Award
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
in the category for Best Male Video in 2004.
Background and recording
"Señorita" was co-written by Justin Timberlake, and
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are an American songwriting and production duo composed of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, formed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, in 1992. Williams often provides additional vocals on records and appears in the duo's music videos ...
'
Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...
and
Chad Hugo
Charles Edward Hugo (born February 24, 1974) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter. With close friend Pharrell Williams, he formed the production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom he has prod ...
. Before the release of Timberlake's solo album, ''
Justified'', Timberlake and the album's producers, Williams and Hugo, gave
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
a preview of the record in August 2002. While in discussion of "Señorita", Hugo said that he expected the song to make the track listing of ''Justified''.
In another interview, Timberlake revealed that the song was influenced by singer-songwriter
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, sou ...
. Timberlake said that the song had "that groove that really fits into the summer".
While in development, Timberlake said he was "beatboxing the notes".
He wrote the song imagining a "dark-skinned, voluptuous lady whose attention he is trying to capture."
Composition
"Señorita" is a "Spanish number"
infused with an R&B, up-tempo ballad.
The song has been described as a fast "hot mid-tempo" and dance song.
The song is composed in the key of
E minor
E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major.
The E natural minor scale is:
:
Changes nee ...
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 culture, Western musical notation to specify how many beat (music), beats (pulses) are contained in each measu ...
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 (ofte ...
of 96
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 music begins with an electric piano strut, that provides the main chordal accompaniment. A cowbell chimes, in beat of the song, in the background.
Timberlake sings in a "reasonable falsetto vamping". The song's musicscape also features hand claps, a rhythm section,
and "cruises on an unconventional reedy rhythm and crackling beat", according to Chuck Cavalaris of ''
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
The ''Knoxville News Sentinel, also known as Knox News,'' is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, owned by the Gannett, Gannett Company.
History
The newspaper was formed in 1926 from the merger of two competing newspapers ...
''. The track is also considered a "blues inflected track", and a dance jam. Kevin O'Hare of the ''
Sunday Republican'' said the song is "a Latin-flavored cut with a pronounced beat".
Lisa Rose of ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the ''Staten Island Advance'', all of w ...
'' commented that the song has a "jazz-funk ... embellished with a ground-rumbling beat and horn section solos." ''
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company.
History
In May 1905, Amon G. Carter ...
'' said that the song has a "minimalist funk strut", while a contributor of the ''
New Straits Times
The ''New Straits Times'' is an English-language newspaper published in Malaysia. It is Malaysia's oldest newspaper still in print (though not the first), having been founded as ''The Straits Times'' on 15 July 1845. It was relaunched as the ' ...
'' said that the single is "a funk song with an organic feel – and quite close to Stevie Wonder's soulful style."
According to Teresa Gubbins of ''
The Dallas Morning News
''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885 by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ''The Galves ...
'', she described the theme of the song as Timberlake singing about a girl with brown eyes. O'Hare noted that there are "some very amusing" improvisations as Timberlake guides the "guys and the ladies though their background vocal segment."
Stephen Thomas Erlewine of
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
also reported that Timberlake exhorts "the fellas and ladies" in "Señorita" to sing separately "in a cringe-worthy affectation". He directs the men to sing, "It feels like something's heatin' up. Can I leave with you?" and the women to sing, "I don't know what I'm thinking bout / really leavin wit you."
Critical reception
Music critic
David Browne 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 cult ...
'', in review of the album, wrote: "In the latter category, he's more engaging—the stud on the loose, making promises of romance and more in slurpy cuts like 'Senorita' and '
Rock Your Body
"Rock Your Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album, ''Justified (album), Justified'' (2002). The Neptunes (consisting of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams) wrote and produced the song. The song ...
'." Denise Boyd of the
BBC wrote: "The introduction
f'Senorita' immediately grabs your attention." Tyler Martin 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 ...
'' said that the song's rhythm section was "brilliant, a simple, yet distinctive beat that could only come from the Neptunes. The song allows for much amusement in the last minute and a half with a sing-along that is more wonderful and surprising than most artists have offered us this year."
Jonathan Takiff of the ''
Philadelphia Daily News
''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper ''The Philadelphia Inquirer' ...
'' wrote that the track and "Nothing Else", another song from the album, reshape "Stevie Wonder-style Latin pop". Katie McDonald of
Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifi ...
wrote: "The album opens with the Latin and hip-hop influenced 'Senorita'. Although this reviewer was a little amused by Timberlake's use of the word 'Momma' in reference to a girl, this track is nothing to mock. Timberlake's voice complements the dynamic beat; and although the lyrics are in no way profound, at least he wrote them himself." Lisa Verrico of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ...
'' wrote that the song could be
'NSYNC
NSYNC (, ; also stylized as *NSYNC or 'N Sync) was an American boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. Their self-titled debut album was successfully released to Europe ...
"with a salsa flavour". Christian Dahlager of ''
Iowa State Daily
The ''Iowa State Daily'' is an independent student newspaper serving Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, that is published in print and online. It was founded in 1890, and is largely funded by advertising revenues. The Iowa State University ...
'' noted that Timberlake "cops classic
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
" throughout the album, and on the tracks "Señorita" and "Rock Your Body". Howard Cohen of
Knight Ridder
Knight Ridder was an American media company, specializing in newspaper and Internet publishing. Until it was bought by McClatchy on June 27, 2006, it was the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with 32 daily newspaper bra ...
said that in the album Timberlake "appropriates Jackson's trademark '
Thriller
Thriller may refer to:
* Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television
** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre
Comics
* ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...
'-era falsetto squeals and staccato vocal style on the tuneless first single '
Like I Love You', 'Senorita' and a couple other cuts."
The song received criticism as well. Jane Stevenson of
Jam!
Jam! was a Canadian website which covers entertainment news. It was part of the Canoe.com online portal, formerly owned and operated by Quebecor through its Sun Media division, and now owned by Postmedia Network.
Jam! was the only media outlet ...
wrote: "In the minus category is silly lead-off track 'Senorita', which suffers from being too cute and has an awful call-and-answer ending featuring 'the guys and the ladies.'" A music contributor from the ''Daily Free Press'' reported that The Neptunes appeared to have "recycled beats from their
N.E.R.D. project" for ''Justified'' and that "Señorita" sounded like N.E.R.D.'s song,
"Run to the Sun".
Chart performance
In North America, the single was officially solicited to radio in September 2003. "Señorita" appeared on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 and peaked at number 27.
It reached number 5 on the
Mainstream Top 40
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 ...
,
number 10 on the
Top 40 Tracks
Top 40 Tracks was a chart from ''Billboard'' magazine. It debuted in the issue dated December 5, 1998 to preserve the notion of Hot 100 Airplay when it expanded to include airplay data from radio stations of other formats such as R&B, rock and co ...
and number 29 on the
Rhythmic.
The single performed averagely when it was released internationally. It debuted at number 13 in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
for the week ending September 27, 2003. The song failed to achieve any higher position, and it fell for eight consecutive weeks until it left the charts completely.
When it entered the
Irish Singles Chart
The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are b ...
, it did so at number 15. It spent seven weeks on the chart but failed to earn a higher position.
In New Zealand, it charted at number 9 on September 14, 2003. During the following four weeks, it peaked at number 4 and remained there for two weeks. The song spent 15 weeks on the chart.
In Australia, it peaked at number 6 and retired after spending eleven weeks on the chart.
The single additionally charted in mainland European countries, peaking within the top 20 in several.
Music video
The music video for "Señorita" was directed by
Paul Hunter. The video was filmed in July 2003 and shot in a club in Los Angeles. The video also features cameo appearances by both Pharrell Wiliams and Chad Hugo.
In mid-2003, Timberlake was asked about the concept of the video, but said that the video was still in development. He was asked whether he would be aiming his affection at a "lovely lady", to which Timberlake responded, "No. Why would you limit yourself to just one?"
In the "Señorita" video, Timberlake performed with his live band.
The video begins, with the song playing, at an outside scenery of a bar. Inside, Timberlake is seen and goes directly to the bar. He looks at the stage area and immediately goes there. He takes the microphone and begins singing the song. Pharrell is shown playing the drums while Chad is at the keyboards throughout the video. Timberlake continues singing, but grabs the attention of a woman in a red dress (
Natalie Martinez
Natalie Martinez is an American actress and model. She appeared in the 2008 film '' Death Race'', several music videos between 2003 and 2011, and two short-lived telenovelas in 2006 and 2007. Martinez starred in the single season of the crime d ...
). Elsewhere, Timberlake, not on stage, is shown dancing with a woman wearing a white blouse, while he sings the song. In another part of the video, Timberlake dances with a different woman. In the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
, he sings to the two women and dances with them, in separate shots. Following the bridge he is then seen performing on stage. In part of the song, Timberlake directs the crowd of men and women, telling the men to sing, "It feels like something's heatin' up. Can I leave with you?" and the women to sing, "I don't know what I'm thinking bout / really leavin wit you."
Timberlake ends the song with "Gentlemen, good night / Ladies, good morning".
Actor
Owen Wilson
Owen Cunningham Wilson (born November 18, 1968) is an American actor. He has had a long association with filmmaker Wes Anderson with whom he shared writing and acting credits for ''Bottle Rocket'' (1996), '' Rushmore'' (1998), and '' The Royal ...
and his then-girlfriend, Carolina Cerisola, appear in the video. Lanford Beard of ''Middlebury College Student Weekly'', in review of the video, wrote that Timberlake's "Mexicali saloon setting" for the video "embraced a certain macho, trashy playa aesthetic" for him "so we'll take it on the chin that this is the image he's building for himself and – love it or hate it – we might as well get used to it."
In 2004, the video was nominated for an
MTV Video Music Award
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
in the category of Best Male Video.
Live performances

Timberlake performed the song live on the sketch comedy show ''
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 serve ...
'' in October 2003, where he served as host and musical guest. At the
46th Grammy Awards
The 46th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2004 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording of the year beginning from October 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. They recognized acc ...
in 2004, he also performed the song live and was accompanied by
Latin jazz
Latin jazz is a genre of jazz with Latin American rhythms. The two main categories are Afro-Cuban jazz, rhythmically based on Cuban popular dance music, with a rhythm section employing ostinato patterns or a clave (rhythm), clave, and Afro-Brazil ...
trumpeter
Arturo Sandoval
Arturo Sandoval is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 he met Gillespie, who became hi ...
. On August 25, 2013, he performed "Señorita" in a medley with other of his songs at the
2013 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2013 MTV Video Music Awards were held on August 25, 2013, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Marking the 30th installment of the award show, they were the first to be held in New York City not to use a venue within the borough of M ...
.
"Señorita" was featured on
Justin Timberlake: Live from London (2002),
Justified and Stripped Tour (2003),
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
The Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour was a co-headlining concert tour by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake and American rapper Jay Z. The tour supported Timberlake's third studio album, ''The 20/20 Experience'' (2013) and Jay Z's t ...
(2013) and
The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013/14).
Track listings
Canadian CD single
# "Señorita" (album version) – 4:54
# "Señorita" (radio edit) – 4:29
Australian CD single
# "Señorita" (album version) – 4:54
# "Señorita" (instrumental) – 4:54
# "Señorita" (Eddie's extended club mix) – 6:27
# "
Rock Your Body
"Rock Your Body" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his debut studio album, ''Justified (album), Justified'' (2002). The Neptunes (consisting of Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams) wrote and produced the song. The song ...
" (Vasquez club anthem) – 9:15
# "Señorita" (video)
UK CD and cassette single
# "Señorita" (radio edit short intro) – 4:16
# "Señorita" (Eddie's crossover rhythm mix) – 4:18
# "Señorita" (Eddie's extended dance mix) – 6:27
# "Señorita" (Dr. Octavo 2-step mix) – 3:50
UK 12-inch single
:A1. "Señorita" (Num club mix) – 7:43
:B1. "Señorita" (Thick vocal mix) – 7:27
:B2. "Señorita" (Eddie's crossover rhythm mix) – 4:18
European CD single
# "Señorita" (radio edit short intro) – 4:16
# "Señorita" (instrumental) – 4:54
European maxi-CD single
# "Señorita" (album version) – 4:54
# "Señorita" (instrumental) – 4:54
# "Señorita" (Eddie's extended club mix) – 6:27
# "Señorita" (video)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senorita (Song)
2000s ballads
2002 songs
2003 singles
Jive Records singles
Justin Timberlake songs
Music videos directed by Paul Hunter (director)
Song recordings produced by the Neptunes
Songs written by Chad Hugo
Songs written by Justin Timberlake
Songs written by Pharrell Williams
Songs about casual sex