It’s been 16 years since Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtado collaborated on their No. 1 hit “Give It to Me.” Now, the trio have reunited for their second single “Keep Going Up.”
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The song showcases Timbaland’s bass and drum back beat, swayed by Timberlake and Furtado’s on-and-off vocals. My new life’s much better than the old one / I look around, you’re not around / Now I’m laughin’, remember I was broken sings Furtado. Timberlake later chimes in, I’ve been addin’ commas on my new statements / Yeah, I’ve been on new energy, it’s contagious / I could try to hide it, but can’t contain it / This life keeps goin’ up and I can’t explain it.
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The roots of “Keep Going Up,” go back to Timbaland’s Beatclub creator platform and a recent collaboration with four-piece funk group Last Trip To The Moon.
“After a one-on-one session with the group’s production team members Brandon Stewart and Brandon Cordoba, who created the beat — a regular service the Beatclub platform offers to its users — the rest was history for Timbaland, in what he now refers to as ‘the call that ignited the spark,’” reads a description in a press release. “Shortly after, Timbaland added his signature production style to the track and brought in Timberlake and Furtado as featured vocalists.”
Timberlake and Timbaland have held a close collaborative bond since they both worked on the former *NSYNC member’s 2002 solo debut album, Justified. “Give It To Me” was also featured on Timbaland’s second album Shock Value in 2007. Timbaland also co-produced Timberlake’s 2006 follow-up, FutureSex/LoveSounds, along with his third album, The 20/20 Experience, in 2013.
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In 2006, Timbaland also co-produced and co-wrote Furtado’s third album Loose. In recent years, Timbaland has continued writing and producing for dozens of artists, including Kanye West, Missy Elliott, Chance the Rapper, Burna Boy, Jack Harlow, J. Cole, Megan Thee Stallion, 6lack, and Teyana Taylor, among many others.
Timberlake released his most recent album, Man of the Woods in 2018, which included collaborations with artists like Calvin Harris, SZA, Anderson .Paak, Ant Clemons, Meek Mill, and DJ Khaled. In 2017, Furtado also released her sixth album The Ride.
Listen to “Keep Going Up” below.
Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
