Music became an outlet for Justin Timberlake after his sour split from Britney Spears in 2002, resulting in one of his most successful numbers: “Cry Me A River.” The breakup anthem was on his first solo album, released the same year, and was inspired by the heartbreak he had suffered. The song’s official music video apparently alluded to the circumstances surrounding Timberlake’s breakup and even featured a Spears lookalike. Francis Lawrence, the song’s musical director, however, told Dazed that there was an “unspoken agreement” not to discuss the muse’s identity explicitly, even on set (although it would be silly not to). not know who the song was about).
Timberlake wrote his revenge ballad in two hours, he revealed in his 2018 book “Hindsight.” As quoted by People, he wrote, “I was scorned. … The feelings I had were so strong that I had to write it down.”
When asked about the song, Spears, in a revealing 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, said, “I think guys have egos, and when their egos are hurt and their pride is messed up, they act weird.” She claimed that Timberlake called her before the video was released, to let her know she was there. Spears reportedly responded with her own musical release in 2003: “Everytime.” Per PopSugar, the song reportedly reflected on the cheating allegations that broke up the relationship.
