Not a Bad Thing
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"Not a Bad Thing" 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 fourth
studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...
, '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'' (2013). It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, and
Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Jerome Harmon (born September 25, 1968), better known as J-Roc, is an American songwriter and music producer from Fort Worth, Texas. He frequently collaborates with Timbaland. Jerome Harmon has produced for Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, C ...
, with additional writing from
James Fauntleroy James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for writing credits on tracks by high-profile artists such as Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick ...
. It was released as the third single from the album on February 24, 2014. The song is a
mid-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 ...
pop
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, that makes use of an
acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...
throughout, with its lyrics centering on the semantic field of love. "Not a Bad Thing" received positive reviews from several contemporary music critics. The song's music video premiered on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' on March 20, 2014. It is a mini documentary, that follows two documentary filmmakers searching for a couple that got engaged on January 12, 2014, while heading to New York City on the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
train, with the man proposing to his girlfriend to "Not a Bad Thing". The video concludes with the filmmakers being led to several false leads, with a second part of the video to follow. Timberlake performed the song on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' and during
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 ...
. The song reached number 8 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and topped 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 ...
.


Production and release

"Not a Bad Thing" was written by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley,
Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Jerome Harmon (born September 25, 1968), better known as J-Roc, is an American songwriter and music producer from Fort Worth, Texas. He frequently collaborates with Timbaland. Jerome Harmon has produced for Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, C ...
,
James Fauntleroy James Edward Fauntleroy II (born May 16, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Inglewood, California. He is best known for writing credits on tracks by high-profile artists such as Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, Kendrick ...
and debut by Joey Giltner. When looking for a new love song, Timberlake received song and from a new writer this song was received and decided to record. The song was produced by Timbaland, Timberlake, and Harmon. Timberlake arranged and produced his vocals, which were recorded at Larabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. Harmon provided keyboards for the song, while Elliot Ives and Timberlake played the guitar. The track was engineered by Chris Godbey, and mixed by Jimmy Douglass, Godbey and Timberlake, with assistance from Alejandro Baima, at Larabee Studios. RCA executives reportedly believed that "Not a Bad Thing" could be ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2''s largest commercial success. However, they instead opted to release " Take Back the Night" and " TKO" first, to represent the album's R&B sound and distinguish "Not a Bad Thing" from the sonically similar "
Mirrors A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...
". A radio edit of the song was digitally released on February 24, 2014 in Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The next day, it impacted the
contemporary hit 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 ...
in the United States. On March 31 was sent to US
adult contemporary radio Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet s ...
and on May 27 to its UK equivalent. "Not a Bad Thing" was released as a
CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...
in Austria, Germany and Switzerland; apart of the radio edit of the song it also featured the " TKO (Black Friday Remix)". "Not a Bad Thing" impacted the mainstream radio in Italy on June 4.


Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Not a Bad Thing" is a
mid-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 ...
pop
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
, with a running duration of 11 minutes and 28 seconds; the album version has an included
hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...
entitled "Pair of Wings". Critics noted the song's resemblance to songs by former
boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
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 European ...
, which Timberlake had previously been a member of. and the song's focus on the theme of love.
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 ...
' Brice Ezell saw "Not a Bad Thing" to share the same characteristics as NSYNC's 1999 "
(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You" is a song by American boy band NSYNC. It was released as the third single from their self-titled debut album in the U.S. While some of the previous singles were released in Europe, this one was ...
", using the same "emotional earnestness" which made the latter song the "heart-melter" it was during its release. Mikael Wood of ''
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 ...
'' described the song as a "dewy, blue-eyed soul number" that was realized when Timberlake was discovering the "emotional possibilities of his singing" during his time with the boy band. Holly Gleason of '' Paste'' interpreted the lyrics as endorsing love, with the song contrasting the previous tracks on ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'', celebrating the "happily ever after trope for all its worth".


Critical response

"Not a Bad Thing" received general acclaim from critics. Jeremy Thomas of 411mania.com selected "Not a Bad Thing" as one of the stand-out tracks from ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'', using it as an example of a song from the album that "has a gentle side that can be appreciated," noting it as a "lovely close" to the album. Similarly selecting the track as a stand-out, Chris Bosman of
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...
saw the song serving as the "pitch perfect" nostalgic track, pointing out its 'NSYNC influence. As well as depicting the latter influence, Melinda Newman of
HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...
awarded the track an A grade, labeling it as a "lovely, lilting straight-up pop tune." David Meller of
musicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
described the track as "arduous" due to its length and it having "any sort of edginess or intrigue." Along with several other songs within ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2'', Dave Hanratty of
Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...
dismissed "Not a Bad Thing", writing that it contains "sun-kissed and forced smiles."


Commercial performance

"Not a Bad Thing" reached the top 30 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in its fourth week on the chart, at number 27. In its fifth week it rose to number 20, and in its sixth week, it again rose to number 14. The song reached number 12 in its seventh week, before entering the top 10 at number 8 the following week. The song sold 88,000 digital copies that week, with an audience impression of 79 million. It marked his 15th top ten hit on the Hot 100, while being the first and only top 10 single from '' The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2''. "Not a Bad Thing" has also achieved similar success on the US format charts, peaking at number 1 on 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 ...
, number 1 on the
Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...
and at number 4 on the
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 ...
chart. On the Mainstream Top 40, Timberlake became the male artist with the most number-one songs and top 10 singles.
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical s ...
later tied with Timberlake for the most number-one singles among men when his
Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...
's collaboration "
Uptown Funk "Uptown Funk" is a song by British record producer Mark Ronson from his fourth studio album, ''Uptown Special'' (2015), featuring American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released as the album's lead single on 10 November 2014 via dow ...
" reached the top spot in early 2015. The tie was broken by Timberlake's "
Can't Stop the Feeling! "Can't Stop the Feeling!" is a song recorded by American singer Justin Timberlake. It was released on May 6, 2016, as the lead single of the soundtrack to the film ''Trolls'' (2016), in which Timberlake voiced the character "Branch" and served as ...
" in June 2016. In 2014, "Not a Bad Thing" was ranked as the 45th most popular song of the year on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. As of 2018, the song has sold 1.5 million downloads in the United States.


Music video

A preview of the song's music video made its debut on ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
'' on March 20, 2014, before the full video premiered online later that day. Justin Timberlake does not make an appearance in the video; the video involves two documentary filmmakers searching for a couple that got engaged on January 12, 2014, while heading to New York City on the
Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...
, with the man proposing to his girlfriend to "Not a Bad Thing". Throughout the music video, couples are interviewed, sharing their reflections on love, marriage and their relationships, as well as what they think of the unknown couple. In conjunction, the documentarians are shown in the streets of New York City with flyers with the
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"#haveyouseenthiscouple," as well as them stopping by a radio interview and texting each other from borough to borough, with the messages showing up on the screen. The search produces several false leads, as they ask strangers and friends for help, with the video ending with a "To Be Continued" title. Following the video's premiere,
Ellen DeGeneres Ellen Lee DeGeneres ( ; born January 26, 1958) is an American comedian, television host, actress, writer, and producer. She starred in the sitcom ''Ellen'' from 1994 to 1998, which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award for " The Puppy Episode". Sh ...
explained that "Obviously, if you know this couple, contact us, because Justin is trying to find you and we'll put you all together." A second video documenting several love stories that fans submitted on Twitter under the hashtag #NotABadLoveStory collecting photos and videos was shared on Timberlake's Vevo channel on YouTube.


Live performances

Justin Timberlake performed "Not a Bad Thing" on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh incar ...
'' on February 21, 2014. Timberlake also performed the song during ''
The 20/20 Experience ''The 20/20 Experience'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake. It was released on March 15, 2013, by RCA Records, as the follow-up to his second studio album ''FutureSex/LoveSounds'' (2006). It is considered ...
'' and ''2 of 2'' supporting tour,
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 ...
.


Track listings

*;CD single #"Not a Bad Thing" (Radio Edit) — 4:26 #" TKO" (Black Friday Remix) featuring
J. Cole Jermaine Lamarr Cole (born January 28, 1985) is an American rapper and record producer. Born on a military base in Germany and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Cole initially gained recognition as a rapper following the release of his d ...
,
ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper, music producer and record executive. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a membe ...
and
Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper, songwriter and record executive. He rose to prominence as one-half of the hip hop duo Clipse, which was mainly active from 1994 to 20 ...
 — 4:32 *;Digital download #"Not a Bad Thing" — 4:26


Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2''. ;Locations *Vocals recorded and mixed at Larrabee Studios,
North Hollywood North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
, California ;Personnel *Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer, songwriter *Justin Timberlake – Mixer, producer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal arranger, guitar *Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – keyboards, producer, songwriter *James Fauntleroy – songwriter *Chris Godbey – engineer, mixer *Jimmy Douglass – mixer *Alejandro Baima – assistant mixer *Elliot Ives – guitar


Charts


Weekly charts


Monthly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

* List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 2014 * List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 2014 (U.S.)


References


External links

* {{authority control 2013 songs Justin Timberlake songs Song recordings produced by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Song recordings produced by Justin Timberlake Song recordings produced by Timbaland Songs written by James Fauntleroy Songs written by Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon Songs written by Justin Timberlake Songs written by Timbaland 2014 singles Pop ballads 2010s ballads