"LoveStoned" (also known as "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows") is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake from his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006). It was released on June 29, 2007. It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley and Nate "Danja" Hills. Unlike the rest of the album, which focuses on themes of sexual innuendos, "LoveStoned" contains sexually suggestive lyrics. Musically, "LoveStoned" is an upbeat dance song, contrasting with the interlude of "I Think She Knows," which has a slower, quieter, guitar-driven sound.[1] The song won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording at the 2008 ceremony. The official remix by Justice, Tiësto and Kaskade was released later.
After the release of his debut solo album Justified in 2002, Timberlake thought he "lost his voice" in the sense that he did not like what he was doing.[2] He felt "burnt-out" after Justified; this partly changed his career's direction, and he took a break from the music industry and instead appeared in films.[2] The first role he took during this time was as a journalist in the thriller Edison Force, filmed in 2004 and released on July 18, 2006.[3] He also appeared in the films Alpha Dog,[4]Black Snake Moan,[5]Richard Kelly's Southland Tales,[6] and voiced Prince Artie Pendragon in the animated film Shrek the Third, released on May 18, 2007.[7]
When he felt inspired to compose songs again, he did not choose to reunite with his former band, 'NSYNC, although he considered it after his first record.[8] Instead, he went to Justified collaborator Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley's studio in Virginia Beach, Virginia, to begin sessions for his second album.[2][9] However, neither of them had an idea of what the album would be–no plan for it, and even a title.[9] "LoveStoned / I Think She Knows" was written by Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Nate "Danja" Hills as a sexual love song.[10][11] In an interview with MTV News, while promoting his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, Timberlake revealed that the first half of the album generally focuses on sex. "LoveStoned" contains sexually suggestive lyrics, with the line, "She's going home with me tonight".[12] "LoveStoned" was originally scheduled to be released to mainstream radio in the United States in April 2007.[13]
"LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" begins as an R&B song before segueing into art rock around the five-minute mark."[14][15] The song is composed in the key of F minor and is set in a time signature of common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute.[16] The first part of the song, "LoveStoned", starts with "a boast" and the interlude "I Think She Knows" transitions into "an adoring two-minute love song about someone special".[12] The song also includes "human beatbox sounds".[17] The musicscape features string arrangements on both songs and includes Timberlake's "famous falsetto".[12] In an interview with Rolling Stone, Timberlake admitted that the "drony guitar interlude" featured in "I Think She Knows" was inspired by the alternative rock band Interpol.[18]The Guardian's Alexis Petridis said of the unexpected shift in tone, "the sweaty, slap-bass funk vanishes, in favour of vigorously strummed, vaguely Sonic Youth-ish guitars, luscious strings and a gorgeous Kraftwerk-inspired counter-melody."[19] Martin Turenne of The Georgia Straight described "LoveStoned" as "a space-age disco track in which he [Timberlake] rhapsodizes about a statuesque goddess who casts a lustfully narcotic spell, leaving him defenceless against her predatory wiles".[20] Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald reported that the song has a "prowling funk" sound.[21]Jon Pareles of The New York Times noted that the sound was similar to recording artist Michael Jackson's 1983 song "Billie Jean". Pareles concluded that the track's "pulsating guitar arrangement" was similar to rock band U2.[22]
Christy Lemire of the Associated Press described the theme of the song as, "Justin sees a gorgeous girl on the floor and longs to bring her back to the VIP Room and/or just cut to the chase and take her directly home".[10] Barry Schwartz of Stylus Magazine interpreted Timberlake's point of view, citing that "LoveStoned" is "high from sex".[23] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun said that FutureSex/LoveSounds is a "bedroom" album and includes "LoveStoned" as part of it.[24] Turenne concluded that the single is not just a song, "it's the start of an S&M porno script".[20]
Critical reception
Justin Timberlake performing "LoveStoned" during his 2007 FutureSex/LoveShow concert tour.
In the Entertainment Weekly review of the album, critic Chris Willman wrote: "Superior tracks, like 'LoveStoned' and 'What Comes Around', suggest a happy middle path, where Timberlake can equally embrace Timbaland's canny beats and his own vocal helium."[25] Tim Finney of Pitchfork described the song as "brilliantly ... tight, clipped disco funk" and went on to say that it "descends precipitously into the gorgeous melancholy of 'I Think That She Knows', all MOR-rock guitar churn and weightless strings, the same chorus ... transformed from infatuation to the paranoid and elegiac admission of an addict".[26] Lauren Murphy of Entertainment.ie noted "LoveStoned" as excellent and "a sexy, layered affair with inspired violin intervals, and the consecutive interlude is a classy sliver of deftly-produced pop".[27] Lucy Davies of BBC Music wrote: "'LoveStoned' is a great track, with chopping violins, beatboxing, and bongos. 'I Think She Knows', the interlude which follows, is quite beautiful, shimmering, and brilliantly constructed."[28] Jonah Weiner of Blender wrote, "From the grinding 'SexyBack' to the percolating 'LoveStoned' ... the vibe is all infectious, feverish build-up."[29]Rolling Stone believed that "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" was the "madcap peak" of the "historic creative roll" of Timberlake and Timbaland, describing the song as "flowing from hip-hop bump-and-grind to an ambient wash of Interpol-inspired guitar drone."[14]
French electronic duo Justice released a remixed version of "LoveStoned" in July 2007.[33] Dutch musician Tiësto was asked to remix "LoveStoned" and released his version of the song on his weekly radio show titled Tiësto's Club Life, which he then later released on iTunes.[34] Guitarist Kaki King recorded a cover portion of "I Think She Knows" for Engine Room Recordings' compilation album Guilt by Association Vol. 2, which was released in November 2008.[35] "Penn Masala", the popular South Asian fusion a cappella group, recorded an a cappella cover of "LoveStoned" fused with the song "Ya Ali" from the Bollywood film Gangster. The song was chosen for Best of A Cappella (BOCA) 2010.[36]
Commercial performance
In North America, the single was officially solicited to radio in June 2007. "LoveStoned" appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and debuted at number 85,[37] at number 17 on the Hot Digital Songs chart. It appeared on Billboard's Pop 100 in the number seven position.[38] "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" reached the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay.[38] Upon release, "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" was downloaded 39,000 times on iTunes as of February 2007.[39] As of 2018, the song has sold 1.12 million copies in the country.[40]
The track peaked within the top ten in nine countries. "LoveStoned" appeared in the UK Singles Chart on June 23, 2007, in the number 63 position.[41] It peaked at number 11, spent nineteen weeks on the chart, before retiring at number 95.[41] The song attained top five positions in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Turkey,[42][43] and entered the top ten in Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Sweden.[42]
Music video
Directed by Robert Hales, filming for the music video took place at Web Studios in Salford, England.[44][45] In order for the lighting effects, Timberlake and Hales were required to use 600 kilowatts of lighting power, the most the studios ever used.[46] Visual effects for the video were produced by the multi-disciplinary design studio, Blind.[47]
In the video, Timberlake is depicted as a blue frequency. Throughout this portion of the video, a woman and a heart are also seen in this form. Midway through the song, Timberlake is seen playing an electric guitar. Also, the first half of the "I Think She Knows Interlude" is cut out in the video. At the end, Timberlake is shown singing against a white background, with electronic pulses travelling along the hills behind him, symbolising his trance-like state of mind.
↑Willman, Chris (December 18, 2007). "The 10 Best Songs of 2007". Entertainment Weekly. p.2. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved May 14, 2009.
↑Newman, Amanda (November 21, 2009). "Best of A Cappella 2010". The Contemporary A Cappella Society. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
↑Kyles, Kyra (December 29, 2006). "Sacha Baron Cohen broke out this past year, making us laugh, and opening our eyes — Mr. Popular". Chicago Tribune. RedEye. p.42.
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