LoveStoned
"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. In contrast to the album's theme about sexual innuendos with themes of love, "LoveStoned" contains sexually suggestive lyrics. Musically "LoveStoned" is an upbeat dance song, contrasting with the interlude of "I Think She Knows" which has a more slow, quiet, 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.
"LoveStoned"
June 29, 2007
- Thomas Crown (Virginia Beach)
- The Studio (Philadelphia)
- 7:24 (album version)
- 5:27 (radio edit)
- Justin Timberlake
- Tim Mosley
- Nate "Danja" Hills
- Timbaland
- Justin Timberlake
- Nate "Danja" Hills
Composition[edit]
"LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" is an R&B and art rock song.[9] The song is composed in the key of F minor and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 120 beats per minute.[10] The first part of the song, "LoveStoned", starts off to "a boast" and the interlude "I Think She Knows" transitions into "an adoring two-minute love song about someone special".[7] The song also includes "human beatbox sounds".[11] The musicscape features string arrangements on both songs and includes Timberlake's "famous falsetto".[7] 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.[12] 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."[13] 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".[14] Russell Baillie of The New Zealand Herald reported that the song has a "prowling funk" sound.[15] Jon Pareles of The New York Times noted that the sound was similar of recording artist Michael Jackson's 1983 song "Billie Jean". Pareles concluded that the track's "pulsating guitar arrangement" were those similar to rock band U2.[16]
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".[5] Barry Schwartz of Stylus magazine interpreted Timberlake's point of view, citing that "LoveStoned" is "high from sex".[17] Cameron Adams of the Herald Sun said that FutureSex/LoveSounds is a "bedroom" album and included "LoveStoned" as part of it.[18] Turenne concluded that the single is not just a song, "it's the start of an S&M porno script".[14]
Commercial performance[edit]
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,[33] at number 17 in the Hot Digital Songs chart. It appeared on Billboard's Pop 100 in the number seven position.[34] "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" reached the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Dance Airplay.[34] Upon release, "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" was downloaded 39,000 times on iTunes as of February 2007.[35] As of 2018, the song has sold 1.12 million copies in the country.[36] "LoveStoned" became FutureSex/LoveSounds's first release to fail to achieve top 10 status on the Billboard Hot 100
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.[37] It peaked at number 11, spent nineteen weeks on the chart, before retiring at number 95.[37] The song attained top five positions in the Netherlands, South Africa, and Turkey,[38][39] and entered the top ten in Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Sweden.[38]
Music video[edit]
Directed by Robert Hales, filming for the music video took place at Web Studios in Salford, England.[40][41] In order for the lighting effects, Timberlake and Hales were required to use 600 kilowatts of lighting power, the most the studios ever used.[42] Visual effects for the video were produced by the multi-disciplinary design studio, Blind.[43]
In the video, Timberlake is illustrated in the form of a blue frequency. Throughout this portion of the video, a woman and a heart are also seen in this form. Mid-way in the song, Timberlake can be 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 in a white background with electronic pulses traveling along the hills behind him, symbolizing his state of mind is in a trance.
The video for "LoveStoned/I Think She Knows" premiered on Yahoo! Music on June 13, 2007, and on MuchMusic's MuchOnDemand on June 14, 2007.[41] Total Request Live (TRL) premiered the video on June 18 and it debuted at number nine on June 19.[44][45]
The music video on YouTube has received over 90 million views as of April 2024.[46]
Live performances[edit]
Timberlake performed "LoveStoned" live at MTV Europe Music Awards 2006[47] at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.[48] and again at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.[49]
The song was part of the set list for FutureSex/LoveShow (2007), Legends of the Summer (2013), The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013–15) and The Man of the Woods Tour (2018–19).
In addition it was featured on the setlist for three editions of Rock in Rio in 2013, 2014 and 2017.