Justin Timberlake has revealed that he had to convince his record label to support his 2006 hit ‘SexyBack’, saying the experience reinforced the importance of trusting his instincts and pursuing a different musical direction.

The 45-year-old Grammy-winning singer discussed the making of the chart-topping track during an appearance on Complex’s Re-Rank series on Thursday (November 5), where he shared behind-the-scenes stories while ranking his 10 biggest songs.

Timberlake placed ‘SexyBack’ at number four on the list, recalling how his record label initially questioned the song’s potential.

“And every reason that they gave me that it wasn’t going to work is the reason that I thought it would,” he said.

Reflecting on the experience, the singer said the decision to pursue an unconventional sound proved to be a turning point in his career.

“It was personally an experience of trusting your gut and doing something so decidedly different. It kind of changed everything,” he added.

Timberlake described the track as a song that “makes zero sense, but makes all the sense in the world”.

He said he and longtime collaborator Timbaland wrote the song quickly, aiming to redefine the sound of dance music.

Released as part of his second studio album, FutureSex/LoveSounds, ‘SexyBack’ went on to spend seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2007.

Timberlake has previously cited David Bowie, David Byrne and James Brown among the artists who inspired the track.

The singer, whose latest album Everything I Thought It Was was released in 2024, also hinted at possible new musical projects during the interview.

He suggested that a collaboration with Quavo and Pharrell Williams could be in development, referring to a photograph showing the three artists together on a boat.

Speaking about his continued partnership with Timbaland, Timberlake said the two remained “always locked in” and emphasised that their music was created “from scratch”.

His remarks appeared to allude to the growing use of artificial intelligence in songwriting and music production.

However, Timberlake remained reluctant to disclose details about his upcoming work.

“We’ll see, but I’m really excited about… I’ve been chef-ing. All in due time,” he said.