SexyBack

"SexyBack"
Song

"SexyBack" is a song written and performed by the American singer Justin Timberlake for his second solo album FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). It features Timbaland on backing vocals, and earned Timberlake and Timbaland the 2007 Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording. It was produced by Timbaland, Timberlake and Nate "Danja" Hills and released as the album's lead single on July 7, 2006. "SexyBack" is Timberlake's most successful single in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States, reaching the number one spot in all of these countries.

"SexyBack" was the longest-running number one single of 2006 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, staying seven weeks at the top, and the second-longest chart-topping single released that year, behind only Beyonce's "Irreplaceable", which spent ten weeks at number one -- 3 weeks in 2006 and 7 weeks in 2007.

Music video

File:SexyBackJustinTimberlake.jpg

Justin Timberlake in the music video for "SexyBack."

The music video for "SexyBack" was shot in a luxury building in Barcelona, and features the Spanish actress Elena Anaya (Sex and Lucía, Van Helsing).

Originally, director Michael Haussman wanted to feature French actress Eva Green, the Bond girl from Casino Royale, but she declined twice.

The music video for the song is said to be inspired by the video for Madonna's "Take a Bow", also directed by Michael Haussman. The video was first shown on MTV's Making the Video on July 25. The video was placed at #4 of 2006 on the VH1 Top 40 Music Videos of the Year.

It starts off with a cable car looking over a large city and then switches to a luxurious-looking hotel with Elena Anaya taking off her sweater. Then it cuts to Timberlake seemingly 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. At a certain point, Justin Timberlake goes over to Anaya's room by jumping over to her balcony. Then when Anaya goes to check it out, Justin traps her and they willingly have sex, proving that they might have had a sexual interest in each other. In the club, it ends with Justin cornering Elena in a bathroom stall. A sexual motion is shown. In the hotel room scene, Timberlake leaves by the same way that he entered and moments later jumps back to the balcony before an explosion ensues. It ends with the figure of Anaya sitting in a chair beside a small TV in which a kiss is frozen on the screen.

Credits

• Written By: J. Timberlake, T. Mosley, and N. Hills
• Producers: Timbaland, Danja, Justin Timberlake
• Keyboards: Timbaland and Danja
• Drums: Timbaland and Danja

iTunes

When the album was first released on iTunes, the clean version of "SexyBack" contained the word "motherfuckers". iTunes recognized the problem and re-released the track with the word edited out. They offered one free music download for anyone who purchased the "clean" version of the song.

Achievements

According to Billboard, "SexyBack" is currently the second-highest selling single in a week during 2006, behind only "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean, which set the record in June. "Hips Don't Lie" sold 267,000 digital downloads, while "SexyBack" sold 250,000 digital downloads. "SexyBack" stayed at number one in the United States for seven weeks and has sold in excess of 2,000,000 digital downloads since its release.

This song made the seventh-biggest jump to number one in Billboard Hot 100 history. Climbing 30 spots from #31 landing it at the summit of the chart on September 9, 2006.

"SexyBack" ended 2006 as the 10 best selling single of the year in the UK.

"SexyBack" ended 2006 as the 19 most played single of the year in Latin America, where it peaked at #4, giving Timberlake his most successful single there, and placing him at #28 on the Artist Chart of the Year.

Cover versions

• Canadian R&B songstress Tamia covered "Sexyback" during her Between Friends album promotion tour in Atlanta 16th of February 2007.
• Clay Aiken covers "SexyBack" in a medley of hits on his 2007 summer tour.
• British singers Lil' Chris and Corinne Bailey Rae each covered the song on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. In Lil' Chris's version he bridges the verse and chorus with the words, "Take it to the Walrus" instead of the original which is "Take it to the chorus".
• Nelly Furtado covered the song on her Get Loose Tour and is now in the set list for her tour
• Rock Plaza Central, an indie rock band favored by Pitchfork Media, gained attention for their radically different cover of the song, with brass-and-banjo roots-rock stylings.
• "SexyBack" was released as a bonus track, on the Wal-Mart version of the album Poison'd! by American glam metal band Poison
• American Idol contestants Blake Lewis and Chris Richardson have performed covers of the song at many shows during the American Idols Live 2007 tour.
• Just Surrender a Pop-punk rock covered the song and released it on their myspace on December 14th, 2007.

Chart performance

"Sexyback" has since its release, a worldwide #1 hit, and also became Timberlake's most successful single to date. The song slowly climbed up the Billboard hot 100 before rising from #31 to #1 in a single week, the seventh biggest jump to the summit, and also to become Timberlake's first US #1 single. The song went on to spend seven consecutive weeks at the #1 position and is certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA, selling over 2,000,000 downloads/copies. In addition to the hot 100, "Sexyback" has also topped the following billboard charts, the Hot Dance Airplay, Hot Dance Club Play, Hot Dance Singles Sales, Pop 100, and the Top 40 Mainstream.

In the UK, "Sexyback" debuted at #13 on the UK singles chart 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 #1 single. "Sexyback" has spent a week at the summit on this chart. On the Australian ARIA singles chart, "Sexyback" debuted at #1 and spent two consecutive weeks at #1 becoming Timberlake's second #1 single there, and has been certified Platinum by ARIA selling over 70,000 units.

Also, in Canada and Austria the single has peaked at #3 and #5 respectively, becoming his most successful single tied with "What Goes Around... Comes Around" in both nations as his most successful single there. In Sweden, "Sexyback" peaked at #4 r whilst in France "Sexyback" peaked at #8 becoming Timbrlake's first top ten hit from the album, and would later score to further top ten singles with "My love" and "What Goes Around... Comes Around" which peaked at #10 and #5.

"Sexyback" has also peaked at #1 in Brazil, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and Norway, and has peaked at #2 in Switzerland and Belgium. On the united world chart, "Sexyback" has peaked at #1 for 10 consecutive weeks, becoming his first worldwide #1 single, and has sold over 6,000,000 units worldwide.

Charts

Chart	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs	11
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Singles Sales	4
U.S. Billboard Pop 100	1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks	18
U.S. Billboard Rhythmic Top 40	9
U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream	1
Billboard European Hot 100 Singles	1
Billboard Euro Digital Tracks	2
Australian ARIA Top 50 Singles	1
Brazilian Hot 100 Singles Chart	1
Brazilian Top 40 Dance Traxx	1
Canadian BDS Airplay Chart	3
German Singles Chart	1
French Singles Chart	8
Irish Singles Chart	1
New Zealand RIANZ Top 40 Singles	1
Philippine Top Hits	1
UK Singles Chart	1
UK Top 40 RnB Singles Chart	1
United World Chart	1
Belgium Top 30 Dance	2
Swiss Singles Chart	2
Italian Singles Chart	3
Dutch Singles Chart	5
Mexican Top 100 Airplay	24
Russian Airplay Chart	11

External links

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