The Real Meaning Behind Justin Timberlake's Selfish
In January 2024, Justin Timberlake made his solo comeback to the music industry after a six-year gap by releasing "Selfish." He also announced that fans could listen to his 18-track album, "Everything I Thought It Was," on March 15th. The lead single served as a sweet ode to Timberlake's longstanding marriage to Jessica Biel by expressing how he didn't want to lose to anybody else. In an Apple Music interview, Timberlake said that the songwriting process for the track started when his longtime friend, Adam Blackstone asked him to sing something, and Timberlake chose Donny Hathaway's rendition of "Jealous Guy," which got their creative juices flowing.
"We were talking about the song itself and just breaking down the idea that you just don't hear that from men often, that they would express an emotion that makes them vulnerable," he recalled. Timberlake elaborated that similar to many men, he strayed away from being expressive about his feelings because of the ideals of toxic masculinity that had been ingrained in him from childhood.
The "Mirrors" singer revealed that once he gave himself permission to think about his vulnerabilities, the song pretty much wrote itself. "I felt like it's probably, of all the songs on the album, production-wise, probably the most straightforward, and I don't want to say simple because it's complex within its simplicity to me," he noted. In an April 2023 Variety interview, producer Timbaland shared that the LP would have a more upbeat vibe, which contrasts the mellow nature of "Selfish."
Justin Timberlake expresses his insecurities in Selfish
Justin Timberlake is credited as a writer and a producer on his comeback single "Selfish." The song sees Timberlake admit that he often feels possessive about Jessica Biel because he knows he has found a gem of a person and doesn't want to lose her. However, Timberlake doesn't wear his jealousy like a crown and acknowledges that it's not a positive trait, despite feeling powerless in the face of it because of how much he loves Biel. He sings, "So if I get jealous, I can't help it. I want every bit of you. I guess I'm selfish. It's bad for my mental, but I can't fight it."
The "Suit & Tie" singer praises Biel's mother for bringing an angel like his wife into this world. Timberlake knows that if any other man saw how wonderful she was, he would try to steal her in a heartbeat, and the thought exacerbates his envy. He admits that he feels a shred of disappointment whenever he realizes that someone other than her is ringing him because he always wants to pour his heart out to her.
In the bridge, Timberlake expresses how much he loves Biel — "Owner of my heart. Tattooed your mark. There for the whole world to see." He adds that he has shared so much of his hurt with her that she has gained ownership over his hardships as well. Ultimately, Timberlake is happy that he shares such a deep love with Biel that it drives him crazy.
The fallout from Britney Spears' memoirs threatened Timberlake's comeback
In Timbaland's April 2023 Variety interview, he revealed that Justin Timberlake's new album was all set for release. But it seems like the "SexyBack" singer delayed his comeback after the release of his ex Britney Spears' tell-all memoir "The Woman in Me." The book unearthed several tragic moments from Spears and Timberlake's relationship, and he received tons of backlash for it.
In October, an insider told The Sun that Timberlake had brought his A-game to his new album and was incredibly proud of what he created, but he was afraid that it wouldn't be well-received because the memoir had irrevocably altered the public's perception of him. Timberlake's promotion for "Selfish" only came a few days before its release through cryptic posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, but that wasn't the original plan. The insider shared Plan A with the outlet, explaining, "For months the plan was all positive vibes built around the plan of Justin being back with some huge hip-hop tunes. But now it is, 'What will he say about Britney and how will he handle it both in media promotion and even with fans?' ... The biggest fear is whether any of this will impact his sales."
Timberlake's fears were realized as Spears' fans started heavily promoting her own earlier song, which was also titled "Selfish," to undermine his track's release. Although Timberlake shot to the top of the US iTunes Charts with "Selfish," Spears' 2011 release wasn't too far behind as it sat in the fourth spot.