Justin Timberlake did a fine job as Sean Parker in The Social Network and all, but he's been absent from popular music for far too long. "People keep asking me when a new song or album is coming out, and I don't know what to say," he told Playboy in 2011. "Music is not my focus right now. It may be someday."
That day might be today. Florida's Radio Now 97.9, reported that the singer will drop a song today or Monday, according to MissInfo. When those reports surfaced, Timberlake Tweeted: "Thursday, January 10th, 2013 at 9:01 am PST..." MissInfo also reports that "according to industry sources" the song will premiere noon EST today. Let us not begin to count down in vain, please.
If that were not enough, the song was allegedly produced by Timbaland and possibly features none other than Jay-Z (according to Radio Now 97.9) and Beyoncé. Producer Carl Paul Tweeted last night: "JUS MADE A MOVIE WIT THE LEGEND TIMBALAND GOT SUM HEAT COMIN SOON BEYONCÈ, JAY-Z, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IM WORKIN". He's since deleted his Twitter account, however, so who knows? Regardless, rumor has it that Beyoncé and Timberlake have been in the studio together in recent weeks.
"Sources close to the project" (what is this, a C.I.A. mission?) also tell Billboard that this signifies an upcoming album entirely produced by Timbaland, and that Timberlake has about 20 tracks recorded.
I cannot begin to imagine how the "white people and R&B" discussion will evolve when a new Justin Timberlake album is thrown into the mix.
Take a stroll down memory lane with the video for "What Goes Around... Comes Around":