Superstar Justin Timberlake has been making music for a long time: nearly 30 years.
Longtime fans watched him step away from NSYNC and forge his own insanely successful solo career, which now includes 10 Grammys, four Emmys and six studio albums.
Timberlake’s most recent album, his first in six years, is called Everything I Thought It Was. It includes 18 songs, one of which debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100. It’s called “Selfish.”
This track is an earworm, like many of the songs Timberlake has written in the past. That said, this one isn’t as racy as some of his past work. Instead, it focuses on Timberlake’s deep love for his wife of more than a decade, Jessica Biel.
Timberlake tells listeners that his wife completely captivates him (“If they saw what I saw/They would fall the way I fell”). He shares that he and Biel have a special bond (“But they don’t know what you want/And baby, I would never tell”) and a deep level of intimacy (“If they knew what I know/They would never let you go”). Because of those traits, he intends to be with her forever (“So guess what?/I ain’t ever lettin’ you go”).
Timberlake believes that Biel was made for him, in more ways than one (“’Cause your lips were made for mine/And my heart would go flatline/If it wasn’t beatin’ for you all the time”).
As for rivals? Forget about it: “And I don’t want any other guys/Takin’ my place, girl, I got too much pride/… So if I get jealous, I can’t help it/I want every bit of you, I guess I’m selfish.”
A few lyrics include mildly suggestive imagery, such as when he describes her lips (“your lips were made for mine”) and his desire for “every bit” of her.
Justin Timberlake isn’t necessarily known for his romantic songs.
Seductive? Yes. Lustful? For sure.
But this one is different.
This isn’t the first time Timberlake has written a song about Jessica Biel or his love for her. But “Selfish,” despite its title, is sweetly centered on the woman he loves so deeply.
There are a few nods at sensuality here. Still, this is ultimately a love song that finds Timberlake declaring his faithful passion for his wife.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
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