In a much-anticipated return to the iconic Saturday Night Live stage, singer and songwriter, Justin Timberlake, wowed the audience with his performance of the new single Selfish and another track, Sanctified, from his upcoming album, Everything I Thought It Was. Timberlake’s appearance marked his first on the show in a decade.
However, despite the positive reception for Timberlake’s return, it seems that his ex-girlfriend, Britney Spears, is stealing the spotlight in a surprising way. Spears’ 2011 track also titled Selfish, a lesser-known piece from the deluxe edition of her Femme Fatale album, surged to the number one position on the charts shortly after Timberlake’s latest release.
Introduced to the stage by his longtime friend and Tonight Show host, Jimmy Fallon, Timberlake’s comeback comes as Spears’ loyal fan base rallied behind her music. Despite both songs slipping a few spots, Spears, 42, is currently outperforming Timberlake, 42, on iTunes.
The longstanding animosity between the two pop icons dates back to Timberlake’s 2002 single, Cry Me a River, where he apparently accused Spears of infidelity. The accompanying music video even featured a look-alike of Spears, intensifying the bitterness between the ex-lovers.
Last year, Spears fueled the fire with the release of her memoir, The Woman in Me, recounting their tumultuous three-year relationship. In the book, she claimed to have undergone an abortion due to Timberlake’s reluctance to become a father at the time. Furthermore, she accused Timberlake of adopting a “blaccent” during the early days of their relationship, referencing an incident with R&B singer Ginuwine.
Spears’ allegations resurfaced recently when Timberlake performed Sanctified on SNL alongside rapper and singer Tobe Nwigwe and a black church congregation. Social media erupted with comments drawing connections between the lyrics of his past hit and the controversy surrounding his relationship with Spears.
Timberlake’s new album, Everything I Thought It Was, marks his first release since 2018’s Man of the Woods. According to exclusive reports from Page Six, the Grammy winner is gearing up for an “ambitious era,” including a concert tour.
Since his 2001 breakup with Spears, Timberlake moved on to marry Jessica Biel in 2012, and they share two sons: Silas, 8, and Phineas, 3. Meanwhile, Spears, who shares two sons, Sean Preston, 18, and Jayden James, 17, with ex-husband Kevin Federline, faced a divorce last year from her third husband, Sam Asghari, after just over a year of marriage.
Comments
0 comment