Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River" (2002) - The 25 Best Justin Timberlake Songs | Complex The 25 Best Justin Timberlake Songs 1. Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River" (2002) Producer: Timbaland Album: Justified "Cry Me A River" is a spiteful, revenge-stricken song full of pain, regret, and bitterness that pushed Timberlake's career beyond what anyone expected of him—maybe even himself. For fans of 'N Sync and the fairytale romance of Britney Spears and JT, their breakup was inevitably one of the biggest pop culture spectacles of the '00s. It's impossible for it not to be. It's all they talked about in interviews, and was the first step in a long-winded decline of Spears' career and personal health. The Grammy-winning track, which peaked at No. 3 on the charts, begins with rain falling and a Gregorian chant. If it doesn't give you goosebumps, you've never had your heart broken.

The synth-beat starts and in comes Timberlake's opening lyric: "You were my sun, you were my Earth." You feel all of his pain as a listener, and he got it all out as an artist. He was entirely broken, and this was his farewell to a seemingly fine but secretly fading relationship. Timbaland's contributions are also spot-on: the production, the chants, and "the damage is done, so I guess I be leaving" chants. It's the track that made people completely forget about 'N Sync and start asking what Timberlake wouldd do next. He was never as painfully heartbroken as he was on this track, but maybe that's why Timberlake's career has survived.

After marrying Jessica Biel, he's channeled that love into every single track on The 20/20 Experience, showing that he honestly writes his tracks on his emotions, leaving him with a career of personal albums that allow his fans to get a glimpse into his soul.—Lauren Nostro WatchNow Why 'Wrecking Ball' Is Miley Cyrus' 'Cry Me A River' (Opinion) | Billboard Why 'Wrecking Ball' Is Miley Cyrus' 'Cry Me A River' (Opinion) Getty Images Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake "My new music is gonna shut everyone up," Miley Cyrus posted to Twitter on March 6. In hindsight, that declaration could not have been less true. Since the release of her new single "We Can't Stop" three months after that tweet, the Miley chatter has become unending, with each new raunchy dance move, breakup rumor and oh-my-goodness-did-you-see-that music video inspiring seemingly everyone with an Internet connection to wax poetic about the merits of pop stardom and perceived "race problems" within the medium.

All of this attention is working in Cyrus' favor: the 20-year-old scored her biggest hit yet with "We Can't Stop," which resided in the Top 5 of the Hot 100 chart for most of the summer, and she then topped that with "Wrecking Ball," which became her first No. 1 song on the Hot 100 this week. The anticipation for her fourth studio album, "Bangerz," is palpable and real; after her first real attempt to distance herself from her "Hannah Montana" image, 2010's uneven "Can't Be Tamed," went belly-up, no one is expecting this one to not be hugely successful. Cyrus will be the defining mainstream artist of the second half of 2013, after Justin Timberlake ruled the first six months of the calendar year.

At the beginning of 2013, Cyrus and Timberlake existed at opposite points on the pop spectrum: Cyrus had everything to prove with her next musical project, while Timberlake, whose legacy as a solo star had swelled as fans hungrily anticipated new music, had nothing to prove with the music that did come, last March's "The 20/20 Experience." Of course, Timberlake didn't always have enough juice to justify a neo-soul opus full of seven-minute cuts. A decade ago, Timberlake was in "My music will shut everyone up" mode, too, as he railed against a teenybopper image formed by years of choreographed maneuvering with 'N Sync and a lengthy relationship with a wholesome pop starlet. With the release of his debut solo album in late 2002, Timberlake was pleading his case to survive the boy band era's bursted bubble and be taken seriously as an artist.

The album, fittingly, was called "Justified." "I don't want to cash in on the fact that I got to work with the hottest producers," Timberlake told Interview magazine in February 2003, about his "Justified" collaborations with Timbaland and the Neptunes. "I think that music is an experience, and people should experience it on their own." The interview ended with Timberlake dismissing a question about ex-flame Britney Spears as "gossip." We have all digested Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" music video by now (current VEVO view count after 10 days: 123 million). We have all reacted to the salacious licking of sledgehammers, watched various memes of the singer's naked wrecking ball ride (the Nic Cage GIF will haunt dreams, forever) and been sent YouTube parodies of regular guys re-creating her clothes-free swing. Ask anyone within 15 feet of you what they think of Terry Richardson's "Wrecking Ball" video, and expect a dissertation in return.

For all the furor surrounding Cyrus' latest visual, however, let's take a look back at the 2003 clip for Timberlake's "Cry Me a River," one of the more brilliant musical moments in pop music since the dawn of the century. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the visual is JT's most controversial music video to date, no matter how many pairs of bare breasts appear in this year's "Tunnel Vision" clip. First of all: the Britney look-alike. Months after Timberlake and Spears ended their sky-high-profile relationship, Lawrence opted to include a blonde woman with a complexion strikingly similar to Spears' (her face is obscured by a hat in most of the video, but is shown for a split-second at the conclusion) as the victim of Timberlake's revenge fantasy in the breakup single's video. Did Timberlake deny that Spears inspired the video? Absolutely. But anyone could see that Timberlake and Lawrence knew what they were doing when they based their video around a rich, stylish, faceless blonde who crushes the heart of Timberlake's "character." "Britney Vs.

Justin: The War Is On" was the headline on the front page of Us Weekly after the "Cry Me a River" video was released. JT did not need a sledgehammer to start a riot. Even if the heartless female in the video had been brunette, however, the "Cry Me a River" clip's concept would have raised plenty of eyebrows. The 'N Sync member's reaction to watching his girl leave her mansion with another dude is to break into her home, bring in a scantily clad female to suck on his lip, videotape the exploits and revel in the pain he is about to cause. The final third of the video is pure voyeurism: Timberlake gazes on creepily as the blonde returns home, hides in her closet as she undresses, then presses his palms up against her glass shower door, his presence unbeknownst as she turns around and is emotionally smashed with his videotaped hookup. Everything about the "Cry Me a River" video is cold and metallic, from the bleak shots of the blonde's mansion to Timberlake's careless dismissal of his brunette hook-up partner.

Less than two years removed from the bubblegum bliss of 'N Sync's "Pop" video, "Cry Me a River" was a knowing image adjustment, pummeling the idea that Timberlake was now a dangerous adult into its audience's mind. The "Cry Me a River" video served a duel purpose for Timberlake: to court controversy, and to make its star seem more grown-up. Certainly, Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" video has the same goal -- along with the nudity and slow-motion tonguing, there are shots of bruising emotion, with tears in Cyrus' eyes as she is centered in bright close-ups she cannot escape. "If people get past the point I make, and you actually look at me, you can tell I look more broken than even the song sounds," Cyrus recently said about the "Wrecking Ball" video. Whereas Timberlake displayed his manhood in the "Cry Me a River" video by wounding his ex, Cyrus is the wounded one in "Wrecking Ball," and no longer looks like a child. Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears, Katy Perry: Whose New Song Is Best?

It's easy to speculate about the lyrics of "Wrecking Ball" and how they relate to Cyrus' recent breakup with Liam Hemsworth. It was just as simple to tie Timberlake's line "You were my sun/ You were my Earth" to a certain female pop superstar a decade ago. However, the timing of the release of "Wrecking Ball" in Cyrus' music career is far more crucial than its timing in her personal life. After Cyrus returned to Top 40 with the beguiling, hip-hop-inflected dance song "We Can't Stop," "Wrecking Ball" is an emotional hammer (pun intended) that has repositioned Cyrus as a serious artist with staying power. There is no gimmickry in its composition or delivery: after its preceding single gave a toast to the homegirls with the big butts, "Wrecking Ball" is a soaring, straight-faced ballad about the crushing feeling of unconditional love not being returned. "We Can't Stop" exploded on the impact of its first listen, but "Wrecking Ball" is something subtler, and takes a few replays to convey its devastation.

Likewise, "Cry Me a River" was Timberlake's follow-up to a dance single brimming with hooks and hip-hop influence. "Like I Love You," the lead single from "Justified," was a sleek, scorching Neptunes banger featuring rap duo the Clipse, and introduced Timberlake as a solo artist capable of producing Michael Jackson songs for a new generation. "Cry Me a River," of course, was something deeper, a siren of vulnerability bolstered by Timbaland's operatic collection of beats and beat-boxing. Like "Wrecking Ball," which has topped the Hot 100 chart after "We Can't Stop" peaked at No. 2 on the tally, "Cry Me a River" was a bigger hit than its predecessor, climbing to No. 3 on the Hot 100 after the more immediate "Like I Love You" tapped out at No. 11.

Years later, "Cry Me a River" is considered the far more iconic Timberlake single -- a fate that may also be waiting for "Wrecking Ball." For those either concerned or appalled of Cyrus' recent twerk-happy antics: it's worth remembering that the most accomplished pop singer-songwriter of his generation once exposed a female artist's breast in front of 144 million viewers during a Super Bowl halftime show, and survived. Cyrus is breathtaking and talented, and, now that she has our attention with her own version of "Cry Me a River," can dial down the shock tactics and present her artistic vision in the form of a new full-length. Who knows? In a decade, Cyrus might be releasing a two-part album based on a euphoric marriage, and performing "Wrecking Ball" as the centerpiece of a co-headlined stadium tour. - Cry Me A River - Amazon.com Music Cry Me A River Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought Page 1 of 1 Start over Page 1 of 1 This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Next Special Offers and Product Promotions 1. Cry Me A River (Album Version) 4:49 2. Cry Me A River (Instrumental) 4:49 Product Details By Amazon Customer on May 7, 2016 Format: Audio CD Verified Purchase Justin Timberlake is the best pop singer out there. His music is like no other pop artist. Cry me a river is still a hit with me. I absolutely love it! it was a smash when it came out, and it is still a smash now. lescharts.com - Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River Cry Me A River Johnny Fiasco's Electric Karma Mix 7:51 Bill Hamel Justinough Vocal Mix 7:43 KuschelRock 17 [Special Swiss Edition] Sony Johnny Fiasco's Electric Karma Mix 5:46 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE DANS LES CHARTS FRANï¿½AIS Singles Signs (Snoop Dogg feat. Charlie Wilson and Justin Timberlake) 28/05/2005 My Love (Justin Timberlake feat.

T.I.) 16/12/2006 Give It To Me (Timbaland feat. Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake) 28/04/2007 Ayo Technology (50 Cent feat. Justin Timberlake) 29/09/2007 Love Sex Magic (Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake) 27/06/2009 Suit & Tie (Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z) 26/01/2013 Holy Grail (Jay-Z feat. Justin Timberlake) 20/07/2013 Brand New (Pharrell Williams with Justin Timberlake) 15/03/2014 Love Never Felt So Good (Michael Jackson & Justin Timberlake) 10/05/2014 Brand New (Pharrell Williams with Justin Timberlake) Cabaret (Justin Timberlake feat. Drake) Carry Out (Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake) Casanova (Esmï¿½e Denters feat. Justin Timberlake) Chop Me Up (Justin Timberlake feat.

Timbaland and Three 6 Mafia) Good Foot (Justin Timberlake and Timbaland) Hair Up (Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani & Ron Funches) Hallelujah (Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris feat. Charlie Sexton) Headsprung (Keri Hilson feat. Justin Timberlake) Motherlover (The Lonely Island feat. Justin Timberlake) Murder (Justin Timberlake feat. Jay Z) My Car (Sean Paul feat. Justin Timberlake & T.I) My Love (Justin Timberlake feat. T.I.) My Style (The Black Eyed Peas feat. Justin Timberlake) Put Your Hands Up (Nelly feat. Justin Timberlake) Rehab (Rihanna feat. Justin Timberlake) Release (Timbaland feat. Justin Timberlake) Shades (Diddy Dirty Money feat. Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Bilal & James Fauntleroy) Signs (Snoop Dogg feat. Charlie Wilson and Justin Timberlake) The Auld Triangle (Chris Thile, Chris Eldridge, Marcus Mumford, Justin Timberlake & Gabe Witcher) The Nature (Talib Kweli feat.

Justin Timberlake) The Only Promise That Remains (Reba McEntire with Justin Timberlake) The Woods (Juicy J feat. Justin Timberlake) What U Workin' With? (Gwen Stefani & Justin Timberlake) Winner (Jamie Foxx feat. Justin Timberlake & T.I.) Moyenne des notes: 3.61 (Reviews: 229) Uniquement les reviews en franï¿½ais sont affichï¿½es: Afficher toutes les langues Member ***** Ein in ungeheurem Masse überzeugendes, komplexes Gemisch aus einem schleppenden Beat, wahrhaft orchestralen Soundeffekten und dem gewohnt souveränen Falsett-Gesang von Timberlake - spätestens jetzt durfte man annehmen, dass er die Horror-Blondlöckchen-Zeiten von N'Sync auf immer hinter sich lässt ... Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 16.10.2011 12:56 Member ***** Ich bin kein Justin Fan, aber das ist zur Zeit einer der wenigen, der es zu was bringen könnte.

Song ist gut Storch und Timbaland...das kann ja nur genial werden!!! Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 02.07.2007 13:42 Nach öfterem hören nicht mal so schlecht... Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 13.11.2003 14:24 Member *** Wenn mich nur die hohe Stimme nicht so nerven würde... aber der Song hat schon was, besonders nach öfterem Hören. Am Anfang fand ich den Song ja grottenschlecht, aber dann. Trotzdem: gesamthaft gesehen finde ich ihn knapp unterdurchschnittlich. Von Timbaland gut produzierter RnB-Pop. Vielleicht etwas überschätzt der Justin, aber dennoch saubere Leistung!

Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 29.03.2010 12:40 eigentlich eine 3 aber ich will nicht so sein Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 18.08.2004 22:21 Member *** justin you know how hard is to cry a river.....that's why she didn't do that! Crying a river for you is just a vaste of time....Timbaland save the song with production and little appereance grade wiedermal im radio gehört, gefällt mir auf einmal. Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 08.06.2006 23:26 absolut geiler Beat Box Beat , stimmlich auch nett *TOP* Member ***** Gibt wenige Songs, die ich WIRKLICH gut finde von Justin. Aber dieser hier gehört auf jeden Fall dazu. Speziell und irgendwie cool. Member **** als ich diesen Song das erste mal hörte, dachte ich: was für ein K***. Der Song ist gewöhnungsbedürftig, hat aber was...

Sehr schön!...aber kommt halt doch nicht an Britney's Meisterwerk 'Everytime' ran! Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 25.08.2006 12:53 Member ***** Ein toller Song von Justin Timberlake. Der eingängige Sound und starke Beat toppen diesen Track. Justin's Gesang ist auch eine Wucht. Seitdem er als Solo-Künstler Musik macht, kann man sie ohne schlechte Bedenken anhören. ** Zum Heulen. "Justin, des isch en Gränni! Des isch en furchtbare Gränni! Des muess me doch see, Herr Meier!" Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 10.03.2007 21:14 Member **** justin timberlake ist zwar sicherlich nicht der nachfolger vom king of pop jacko, aber diese nummer ist zweifelsohne gut. sein bester hit.

Member **** da wars doch noch 'ne gelegene abwechslung, dass justin nebst den neptunes auch ein bisschen timbaland für "justified" basteln liess. die britney-story schien ab da mal irgendwo abgehakt zu sein. und nun kommt alles von neuem: der timbaland-beat, die britney-geschichte. tja, what goes around... comes around. Member ****** Na, also da gibt's weitaus schlimmeres... Ja, ich gehe noch weiter und gebe offen zu: der Song gefällt mir! Rauf auf die 6*, auch um etwas Gegensteuer zu geben - man muss ja nicht alles downvoten... Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 24.06.2007 01:52 Arrgh ich hasse diesen Song... na gut, Justin auch... >__< In Sache Ödester Sänger übertrifft ihn keiner. EDIT:Mehr als schlimm. so was gehört bestraft!

Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 31.05.2007 23:43 Member * es ist mehr ein geheule, mein Hund bettelt melodischer um Essen als dass Justin singt.. alles klingt irgendwie gleich und das "leiden" kauft man ihm sowieso in keinem song ab.. sorry.. absolutes no go... Member ****** A C H T U N G Justin Timberlake und Timbaland Fans: Am 19. November 2007 erschein das neue Album von Duran Duran "red carbet massacre". Justin Timberlake und Timbaland haben auf mehreren Song mitgewirkt, sowohl als Sänger, als auch als Produzenten. Justin Timberlake war als Teenager ein Fan der Band Duran Duran. Duran Duran gehören zu den grössten Bands der 80er.

Member ** Hier geht's ja um den Song, aber der ist auch nicht viel besser als der "offizielle" Videoclip - der mich an einen Werbespot für Autos oder Autoreifen erinnet, die auch bei Aquaplaning bestehen sollen ;-) Member **** Spricht mich eigentlich weniger an und hat mir seinerzeit auch nicht gefallen. Jetzt kann ich es komischerweise hören... Tz Sachen gibt's... Member ** ▓ Vervelende en langdradige plaat van "Justin Timberlake" uit januari 2003 !!! Hoewel de plaat de Top 10 bereikte hier in Holland, heb ik de plaat persoonlijk nooit wat aangevonden !!! Opgeklopte rommel, en dat hoort gewoon in de kliko ☺!!! würd mich freuen wenn der mal nen river cryen würde. selbst mit oropax bekommt man hier ohrenschmerzen Member ****** Geil, war aber nie ein Hit!!!! Mir hat es zuerst auch nicht gefallen!!!! Erst mit der Zeit dann!!!!

Member **** Der Song ist gar nicht mal so schlecht und die Stimme von Justin gefällt mir auch ziemlich gut aber dann wieder das gelaber von Doktor Timbaland macht den ganzen Song wieder zum Mist!! Justin nur für dich gibt es aber eine 4 noch!! penetrantes geflenne... gefällit mir nicht sonderlich Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 05.07.2014 14:18 Member *** naja, gefiel mir auf Dauer nicht besonders - 3+...am meisten nerven der bisweilen weinerliche Gesang und der Schwachsinnstitel des Liedes... Member ***** Love this amazing song. Easily in his top 3 tracks. 2nd UK top 10. UK#2 and Ireland#3. Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 24.03.2012 18:03 Member **** Es gibt weitaus schlimmere Timbaland-Produktionen. Ziemlich solide. Gefällt mir recht gut (was bei Songs von Justin Timberlake nicht oft der Fall ist).

Aufgerundete Vier. Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 11.05.2010 12:23 Doch, doch, das hört sich dann schon wesentlich vernünftiger an... Member **** wenn man diesen song heute hört, wirkt er oldschool, aber doch modern. perfekter radiosong und auch um mal zwischendurch auf dem ipod anzuspielen. ;-) Member *** Matige popsong van Justin Timberlake uit zijn album "Justified" (2002). De singel stond in 2003 nog negen weken genoteerd in de Vlaamse Ultratop 50 en bereikte de zevende plaats als hoogste notering. Member ** Die kaputte Kassette im Hintergrund ist noch in Ordnung, besser hätte es mir gefallen, wenn auch die ganze Timberlakeplatte draufgegangen wär...

Member ** Ben niet weg van deze plaat die Justin Timberlake volgens mij schreef over de breuk met Britney Spears Highlight auf seinem Debutalbum ein unglaublich schön arrangierter Ohrwurm. das war das erste Mal, dass TIMBERLAND so eine Art von Musik fabrizierte, während seine vorherigen Produktionen irgendwie ganz anders waren Member *** It has some moments which save it from the 2* I originally gave it. I agree with zadranin, the production is mostly what salvages this. The outro is crap though. Derniï¿½re ï¿½dition: 07.05.2014 02:41 Member ***** A nice track and one of his better ones to be fair. Also a very memorable video clip. Good stuff. Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River (Official) - YouTube Justin Timberlake - Cry Me A River (Official) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Oct 2, 2009 Justin Timberlake's official music video for 'Cry Me A River'. Click to listen to Justin Timberlake on Spotify: As featured on Justified. Click to buy the track or album via iTunes: Suit & Tie.

Ft Jay Z: Take Back The Night: Follow Justin Timberlake Subscribe to Justin Timberlake on YouTube: More great Ultimate 00's videos here: --------- You told me you loved me Why did you leave me, all alone Now you tell me you need me When you call me, on the phone GirlI refuse, you must have me confused With some other guy Your bridges were burned, and now it's your turn To cry, cry me a river Cry me a river-er Cry me a river-er, yea yea I know that they say That somethings are better left unsaid It wasn't like you only talked to him and you know it (Don't act like you don't know it) All of these things people told me Keep messing with my head (Messing with my head) Then you may not have blown it (Yea..) Classic Vibe: Justin Timberlake "Cry Me A River" (2002) - YouKnowIGotSoul.com Classic Vibe: Justin Timberlake “Cry Me A River” (2002) YKIGS April 24, 2011 0 Even though the first single “Like I Love You” did well

 on the charts, it was really this song that set him off as a solo artist.

Justin really hasn’t been doing anything musically since his last album, so I’m anxiously waiting to see what he brings to the table this time around. Learn and talk about Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song), 2002 singles, 2002 songs, Jive Records singles, Justin Timberlake songs 14 External links Writing and production[ edit ] Timberlake acknowledged in December 2011 that the inspiration for "Cry Me a River" was his ended relationship with Britney Spears . Timberlake and Scott Storch wrote "Cry Me a River" with Timbaland , who produced the song. [1] Storch found working with Timberlake easy because of the song's meaning. [2] Reporters believed its lyrics were inspired by Timberlake's romantic relationship with American recording artist Britney Spears , [3] which ended in 2002. [4] Timberlake told MTV News , "I'm not going to specifically say if any song is about anybody. I will say writing a couple of songs on the record helped me deal with a couple of things. To me songs are songs.

They can stem from things that completely happened to you personally or they can stem from ideas that you think could happen to you." [3] In December 2011, Timberlake admitted that he had written "Cry Me a River" after an argument with Spears: "I was on a phone call that was not the most enjoyable phone call. I walked into the studio and he [Timbaland] could tell I was visibly angry." [5] Timbaland recalled, "I was like, 'Man, don't worry about it' and he was like, 'I can't believe she did that to me' and he was like, 'You were my sun, you were my earth'". [5] "Cry Me a River" was recorded at Westlake Recording Studios in Los Angeles by Senator Jimmy D, while Carlos "Storm" Martinez served as the assistant engineer. Jimmy Douglass and Timbaland mixed the song at Manhattan Center Studios in New York City. Timberlake arranged the vocals and was a backup singer alongside Timbaland, Marsha Ambrosius , Tye Tribbett and Greater Anointing.

[1] Storch compared Timberlake's vocals on "Cry Me a River" to R&B and rock singer Daryl Hall . [2] Larry Gold provided the string arrangement and conducting , while Storch and Bill Pettaway played the clavinet and guitar, respectively. [1] Release and response[ edit ] "Cry Me a River" was released as the second single from Justified . [3] Jive Records serviced the song to contemporary and rhythmic radio in the United States on November 25, 2002. [6] [7] On December 23, three remixes were released as a 12-inch single in Canada and France. [8] [9] On January 5, 2003, the song was sent to urban contemporary radio stations in the US. [10] It was released as a CD single in Germany on January 23. The single contains the album version of the song and the remixes on its 12-inch single release.

[11] A CD single, which included Johnny Fiasco's remix of the song and two additional remixes of "Like I Love You", was released on February 3 and 6 in the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively. [12] [13] "Cry Me a River" was released as a CD single in the US on February 18. The single features the album version of the song, its instrumental and four remixes. [14] Following its release, there was media speculation that Spears had written a song as a response to "Cry Me a River"; [3] she denied the rumors, explaining, "You know, it's funny. I read that I wrote this song and I wrote these lyrics and that's not my style. I would never do that." [15] Annet Artani , who co-wrote Spears' 2003 song " Everytime ", stated that the song was written as a response to "Cry Me a River".

[16] When asked during an interview with Diane Sawyer on PrimeTime in 2003, if "Everytime" was about Timberlake, Spears responded, "I'll let the song speak for itself." [17] Composition and lyrical interpretation[ edit ] A 27-second sample of "Cry Me a River", which uses clavinet , beatbox , guitars, synthesizers , Arabian -inspired riffs and Gregorian chants in its composition. [1] [18] [19] [20] Problems playing this file? See media help . "Cry Me a River" is an R&B song [21] with an instrumentation that features clavinet, guitars, [1] [19] beatboxing , [20] synthesizers , Arabian -inspired riffs and Gregorian chants . [18] The instruments are arranged into what critics described as a graceful and mysterious melody. [18] Jane Stevenson of Jam! said the single combines gospel and opera . [22] Tyler Martin of Stylus Magazine enjoyed the way that the song unconventionally mixed a range of experimental sounds.

[23] According to Martin, the wave synth affects the real strings to create an unusual dissonance . [23] The song's chorus devolves into a choral reading in which Timberlake pleads over the group. "Cry Me a River" finishes with a Timbaland vocal sample. [23] "Cry Me a River" is written in the key of G♯ minor , in alla breve , with a tempo of 74 beats per minute . [19] The song's vocal range spans from C♯4 to B5 . [19] Billboard magazine critics called "Cry Me a River" a bittersweet song, in which Timberlake's "familiar tenor belting" is tempered with a soulful falsetto and a "convincingly aggressive rock-spiked baritone " rasp. [24] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly labeled the song "a haunted, pained farewell". [25] Lyrically, the song is about a brokenhearted man who moves on from his past. [26] A Rolling Stone reviewer called the song a "breakup aria ".

[27] According to Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian , "Cry Me a River" stands out for its "slow-building sense of drama", which highlights Timberlake at his "husky best". [28] The song begins with the phrase "You were my sun, you were my earth", which according to Timbaland was Timberlake's inspiration to write the song. [5] [19] Tanya L. Edwards of MTV News observed that Timberlake was wronged and said this is demonstrated by the lyrics: "You don't have to say whatcha did / I already know, I found out from him / Now there's just no chance." [29] The chorus contains the lines: "Told me you loved me, why did you leave me all alone / Now you tell me you need me when you call me on the phone." [30] Slant Magazine 's Sal Cinquemani called Timberlake's 2007 single " What Goes Around... Comes Around " an ostensible sequel to "Cry Me a River" both lyrically and musically.

[31] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard stated that aside from the presence of Timbaland's "fantastically cluttered production", the difference between "Cry Me a River" and Timberlake's 2013 single " Mirrors " is clear: "10 years ago, Timberlake was broken, and now he is whole". [32] Reception and accolades[ edit ] "Cry Me a River" received acclaim from critics. Jane Stevenson of Jam! and Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine regarded it as a stand-out track from Justified. [20] [22] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic selected the song as a highlight in his review of Justified. [33] Peter Robinson of NME called it a "twisted epic" and "an acidic, filthy little song teeming with spite and retribution, with Timbaland's pounding." [34] Rolling Stone's Ben Ratliff viewed his production of "Cry Me a River" as exceptional. [35] Denise Boyd of BBC Music felt that the song's lyrics play as large a role as Timbaland's production, unlike other songs on Justified.

[26] David Browne of Entertainment Weekly concluded that the song is "a genuine stunner" that should leave Timberlake's fellow 'N Syncers concerned that he truly may not need them any more. [25] John Mitchell of MTV News called "Cry Me a River" and "What Goes Around... Comes Around" "kiss-off songs", with Timberlake's revenge on Spears present throughout the lyrics. [36] For Pitchfork Media it was the 3rd best song of 2003. [37] According to Complex , the song "made people completely forget about 'N Sync and start asking what Timberlake would do next." [38] The single won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 award ceremony . [39] It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards .

[40] [41] Rolling Stone ranked "Cry Me a River" at number 20 on their list of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s; a columnist for the magazine wrote that the real inspiration behind the song was the formation of the Timberlake–Timbaland team, "a match made in pop heaven". [42] In 2012, the magazine placed it at number 484 on their list of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time ". [27] VH1 ranked "Cry Me a River" at number 59 on their list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 2000s. [43] The Daily Telegraph listed the song at number 40 on the "100 songs that defined the Noughties." [44] In 2015, Spotify re-ranked Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs in two different lists. "Cry Me a River" ranked at number 14 on "by all Spotify users" and 10 on "streams from millennial users".

[45] Commercial performance[ edit ] "Cry Me a River" debuted at number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in the issue dated December 21, 2002, earning the Hot Shot Debut honor with 29.6 million audience impressions. [46] On February 1, 2003, the single reached a peak of number three, becoming Timberlake's first solo single to reach that position. [47] The song debuted on the US Pop Songs chart at number 37 in the issue dated December 14, 2002 [48] and reached a peak of three on February 1, 2003. [49] For the issue dated December 28, 2002, "Cry Me a River" debuted at number 75 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. [50] It reached a peak of 11 on March 8, 2003.

[51] It also peaked at number two on the US Hot Dance Club Songs , becoming Timberlake's second top-three song, after his debut single " Like I Love You " reached number one. [52] As of August 2003, remixes of the single have sold more than 61,000 units in the United States. [53] The song debuted at number two on the Australian Singles Chart on March 9, 2003. [54] It fell to number six in the following week. "Cry Me a River" became Timberlake's first top-three solo single on the chart. [54] The song remained on the chart for 12 consecutive weeks. It was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for shipments of 35,000 units. [55] The single debuted at number 44 in New Zealand on March 9, 2003. After two weeks on the chart, it reached a peak of 11. It remained on the chart for 11 weeks.

[56] In the United Kingdom, "Cry Me a River", debuted at number two on February 15, 2003. [57] The next week it fell to number three, before returning to its original peak on March 1, 2003; it stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. [58] The song has sold over 365,000 copies in the country as of 2015. [59] It debuted at number 14 on the French Singles Chart on April 5, 2003. After three weeks, "Cry Me a River" peaked at number six, and it stayed on the chart for 21 weeks. [60] It was less successful on the Italian Singles Chart , where it peaked at number 14 and stayed on the chart for four weeks.

[61] "Cry Me a River" also peaked at number five in Belgium (Wallonia), [62] at number six in the Republic of Ireland [63] and the Netherlands, [64] at number seven in Belgium (Flanders), [65] and at number 10 in Germany, [66] Norway, [67] and Sweden. [68] Music video[ edit ] Development and synopsis[ edit ] The music video for "Cry Me a River" was directed by Francis Lawrence in Malibu, California , during the week of October 29, 2002. [3] Lawrence created the video's concept and told MTV News, "[Justin and I] had a conversation on the phone and all he said was he wanted to have some dancing in it, but to do my thing. He told me what the song was about, but in a [general way] as well. He just said it was a kiss-off song and so I came up with this idea and he went for it". [69] Lawrence added that he also included some details in the video, including a reference to Spears's tattoo, which Timberlake enjoyed.

He explained that he and Timberlake did not mention names while creating the video, only discussing the song's general beats. [69] Lawrence also revealed that executives of Jive Records were nervous about some aspects of the video, such as Timberlake's representation of a voyeur and the tone of some scenes he was portraying with a girl. "That's the thing I liked most about this project, was that he was coming into it with a super clean-cut image with 'N Sync and he's such a nice guy and so handsome and what I was into doing was making him be a bit scary. Lurking around the house in the rain, throwing a rock through her window, being a peeping Tom, getting revenge and doing stuff that's not really what a nice guy does." [69] The music video for "Cry Me a River" was released onto the iTunes Store on April 28, 2003. [70] Timberlake stalking the blond woman who allegedly portrays Spears inside her house The video begins with a blonde woman, played by model and actress Lauren Hastings (allegedly portraying Britney Spears [71] ), walking out of her house hand-in-hand with an unidentified man.

[72] The couple leaves in the woman's car (a silver Porsche) as Timberlake rolls down the window of a black Mercedes , from which he and his friend have been watching the woman. [69] Timberlake breaks into the house by throwing a rock through a window and proceeds through the woman's house, with anti-gravity jumps and slides, not causing any other visible damage, except for kicking a picture frame of the woman across the living room. [71] Then he searches some drawers and finds a video camera, while the driver of the car, Timbaland, signals for his female accomplice in the back of the car, played by model Kiana Bessa, to go in. She enters the house and goes with Timberlake to a bedroom, where she starts to undress and kiss him while being filmed. They stay in the bedroom for a moment; then the accomplice exits the house but Timberlake stays. As the blonde woman returns, he follows her around the house and hides in a closet as she showers. He gets closer to her and touches the glass surrounding the shower. The blonde woman senses someone in the room and turns around, but Timberlake is gone.

She leaves the bathroom and goes into her bedroom, where the video he made with his new lover plays on the television. Peter Robinson of NME wrote that the video shows "what Justin looks like after he's had sex. Clue: he looks pretty good." [73] According to Virginia Heffernan of The New York Times , Timberlake channels the character Neo from The Matrix film series, "pacing anxiously around wet and metallic interiors". [74] At the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards , the video for "Cry Me a River" won in the categories of Best Male Video and Best Pop Video . [75] It had also been nominated for Video of the Year , Best Direction in a Video and Viewer's Choice . [76] Following the release of the music video, Us Weekly ran a cover story titled Britney Vs. Justin: The War Is On. Timberlake denied that Spears inspired the video, saying, "The video is not about her.

The video is about me." [72] However, Spears told Rolling Stone in October 2003 that she received a call from Timberlake saying there would be a look-alike of her would be in a music video with him. She states that he reassured her by saying, "Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal". [77] Spears, who had not seen the video, says she allowed him to do so but became infuriated after watching it. She recalled that when she asked why he had made a video about her, he replied, "Well, I got a controversial video." [77] She stated that it was a great publicity stunt , commenting, "So he got what he wanted. I think it looks like such a desperate attempt, personally." [77] After the release of Spears' video for " Toxic " (2003), Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News said her video "[made] "Cry Me a River" look like child's play". [78] In 2013, Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz opined the clip was "one of the more brilliant musical moments in pop music since the dawn of the century.

The visual is JT's most controversial music video to date." He added, "The "Cry Me a River" video served a dual purpose for Timberlake: to court controversy, and to make its star seem more grown-up." [79] Live performances and cover versions[ edit ] Taylor Swift is one of the artists who covered "Cry Me a River". Timberlake performed "Cry Me a River" for the first time at the 13th annual Billboard Music Awards , held on December 9, 2002, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas . He was accompanied by a string section and a 20-member choir. [80] He also performed the song on the Justified World Tour (2003–04), his first worldwide tour. [81] The song was eighth on the set list of Justified/Stripped Tour (2003), his joint North American tour with Christina Aguilera . Timberlake performed "Cry Me a River" on a promotional concert held at House of Blues in West Hollywood, California on June 17, 2003.

[82] He performed a rock -inspired version of the song on Saturday Night Live on October 11, 2003; [83] and it was fourteenth on the set list of his second worldwide tour, FutureSex/LoveShow (2007). [84] On October 23, 2010, while performing at the annual charity gig "Justin Timberlake and Friends" in Las Vegas, Timberlake began the show with a slow and "sultry" performance of "Cry Me a River" and segued into a cover of Bill Withers ' 1971 single " Ain't No Sunshine ". [85] He later resumed "Cry Me a River" before segueing into a cover of Drake 's 2010 song " Over ". Jillian Mapes of Billboard described the performance as "completely lovely in an effortless sort of way." [85] Timberlake performed "Cry Me a River" at concert he held during the 2013 Super Bowl weekend in New Orleans .

[86] Timberlake performed "Cry Me a River" in a medley with other of his songs at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards . After the performance he accepted a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the ceremony. [87] Timberlake included the single on the set list of his fifth worldwide concert tour, The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013–15). [88] The song was first covered by Welsh alternative metal band Lostprophets , recorded in a BBC Radio One session. It appears as a b-side of the single Last Train Home , released in 2004. [89] American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift performed a cover of "Cry Me a River" in Memphis, Tennessee , during the Speak Now World Tour (2011–12). [90] Justin Bieber recorded a cover of the song together with Kanye West 's 2007 single " Stronger ", which he posted on his YouTube account. [91] Canadian rock band The Cliks also covered the song for their 2007 album Snakehouse .

[92] British singer Leona Lewis covered "Cry Me a River" during her debut concert tour The Labyrinth (2010). The Sheffield Star described the version as a "beautifully, sitting quietly, almost a capella". [93] American indie pop duo Jack and White covered the song on their 2012 extended play Undercover. [94] Recording artist Kelly Clarkson covered the song on September 1, 2012, as a fan request during her 2012 Summer Tour with The Fray . [95] Alternative rock band Coldplay revealed that the single was an inspiration for the drumbeat of their song " Lost! ". [96] In January 2013, American singer Selena Gomez performed an acoustic version of "Cry Me a River" at the UNICEF charity concert in New York City. [97] In February 2015, Scottish synthpop band Chvrches performed a cover of "Cry Me a River" on BBC Radio 1 's Live Lounge . [98] American alternative metal band 40 Below Summer performed a cover of the song in their 2015 album Transmission Infrared .

Question: Who got to no.2 in the charts in 2002 with ‘Cry Me a River’?
Answer: JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE