Girlfriend (NSYNC song)

When originally announced as a single, the intention was for the album version from Celebrity of the track "Girlfriend" to be released along with a video and released to television. However, just weeks before the release, NSYNC announced that the Neptunes would remix the song for its single release and feature two all-new verses with rapper Nelly. When Nelly was approached to record the song, he was initially met with resistance from his record label Universal Records, who stated that he was trying to "ruin [his] career". Nelly insisted on appearing on the song, which they eventually conceded.^[2] It was his first major cross-collaboration.^[3]

The song contained a hip-hop influence and was sent to Top 40 and Hot AC radio in January 2002 before being released commercially on March 12, 2002, as an enhanced CD.^[4][5]

In 2015, Billboard's Jason Lipshutz ranked it tenth on the list "Top 20 Essential Boy Band Songs," writing, "straddling the lines of pop, R&B and hip-hop, the song could have been the precursor to the boy band's stylistic shift, but instead proved to be the starting point for Justin Timberlake's solo career."^[6]

Background

Two music videos exist for the single, which were both directed by Marc Klasfeld. The first video was released in late December 2001, while the Neptunes Remix debuted on March 12, 2002.^[7]

Synopsis

The music video featured the band dancing on cars, singing to girls and a drag race, which was won by Justin Timberlake. The Neptunes Remix featured scenes of Nelly spliced between shots of the pre-existing video. He is shown rapping next to Timberlake during both of his rap verses, as well as interacting with female models in the backseat of the car throughout this version of the video. Scenes of Timberlake initiating the drag race in the interlude, which is shown in the original video, are omitted in the remix to accommodate Nelly.

Credits are from the UK CD single liner notes.^[11]

Recording

• Recorded at Right Track, Battery Studios (New York City), and WIRE Studios (Orlando, Florida)

Personnel

• Justin Timberlake – songwriting
• Chad Hugo – songwriting, production, remix production
• Pharrell Williams – songwriting, production, remix producing
• The Neptunes – producing, remix producing
• Brian Garten – recording, additional vocal recording
• Paul Gregory – assistant recording engineer
• Rowie Nameri – assistant recording engineer
• Matina Scarpino – assistant recording engineer
• Jean-Marie Horvat – mixing
• Josean Possey – assistant mixing engineer
• Chaz Harper – mastering