The star also performed a snippet of the song on Instagram.
Justin Timberlake is looking to make waves with his new single “Drown,” which he announced on Instagram Monday (Feb. 19).
Sharing a video of himself performing a snippet of the song’s emotional lyrics while playing piano, Timberlake confirmed that his new track will drop Friday (Feb. 23). “Showed me exactly who you are and I should’ve believed it/ Leave me alone out in the dark with all of the demons,” he sings in the clip. “Should’ve never followed you this far, now I’m in the deep end.”
“Made it out to London, still recovering from this flu,” the “SexyBack” singer captioned the post. “But trying to power through. So excited for new music and everything coming this week…”
“Drown” will mark the Trolls star’s second single release ahead of his sixth studio album Everything I Thought It Was, which arrives March 15. In January, he dropped “Selfish,” earning his highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 in six years (No. 19).
In addition to fans and the charts, the track was also well-received by Britney Spears. The pop star said on Instagram that she was “in love” with her famous ex’s new song just days after “Selfish” dropped, then issued a blanket apology to anyone she may have “offended” with her The Woman in Me memoir, in which Timberlake was mentioned many times, and not always in a flattering light.
That moment of hatchet-burying was seemingly short-lived, however. At his Memphis concert shortly afterward, the “Cry Me a River” musician declared, “I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize to absolutely f—king nobody,” which many interpreted as being a dig at Spears.
Timberlake has been doing a handful of one-night-only concerts in the lead-up to his new album — which will mark his first since 2018’s Man of the Woods — starting with his hometown show in Memphis before performing in New York City. Next up, fans can catch him at the Roundhouse in London Friday (Feb. 23), the same date “Drown” is set to arrive.
In April, he’ll kick off the North American leg of his Forget Tomorrow World Tour.
See Timberlake’s “Drown” announcement below.