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Not a Bad Thing

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"Not a Bad Thing"
Song
B-side"TKO (Black Friday Remix)"

"Not a Bad Thing" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his fourth studio album, The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 (2013). It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, and Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, with additional writing from James Fauntleroy. It was released as the third single from the album on February 24, 2014 through digital download, following a contemporary hit radio release on February 25. The song is a mid-tempo pop ballad, that makes use of an acoustic guitar throughout, with its lyrics centering around the semantic field of love.

"Not a Bad Thing" received positive reviews, with several contemporary music critics noting the song's production and lyrics being reminiscent of past material produced by former boy band 'N Sync. The song's music video premiered on the The Ellen DeGeneres Show on March 20, 2014. It is a mini documentary, that follows two documentary filmmakers searching for a couple that got engaged on January 12, 2014, while heading to New York City on the Long Island Rail Road train, with the man proposing to his girlfriend to "Not a Bad Thing". The video concludes with the filmmakers being lead to several false leads, with a second part of the video to follow. Timberlake performed the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and during The 20/20 Experience World Tour.

Writing and production

"Not a Bad Thing" was written by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, and James Fauntleroy. The song was produced by Timbaland, Timberlake, and Harmon. Timberlake arranged and produced his vocals, which were recorded at Larabee Studios in North Hollywood, California. Harmon provided keyboards for the song, while Elliot Ives and Timberlake played the guitar. The track was engineered by Chris Godbey, and mixed by Jimmy Douglass, Godbey and Timberlake, with assistance from Alejandro Baima, at Larabee Studios.[1]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

"Not a Bad Thing" is a mid-tempo pop ballad,[2][3][4] with a running duration of eleven minutes and 28 seconds; the album version has an included hidden track entitled "Pair of Wings".[5] "Not a Bad Thing" makes use of an acoustic guitar throughout,[6] with critics noting its resemblance to songs by former boy band 'N Sync,[7][8][9] and the song's focus on the theme of love.[3][4] PopMatters' Brice Ezell saw "Not a Bad Thing" to share the same characteristics as 'N Sync's 1999 "(God Must Have Spent) A Little More Time on You", using the same "emotional earnestness" which made the latter song the "heart-melter" it was during its release.[10] Mikael Wood of Los Angeles Times described the song as a "dewy, blue-eyed soul number" that was realized when Timberlake was discovering the "emotional possibilities of his singing" during his time with the boy band.[7] Popdust's Jacques Peterson noted the track's "'90s vibe" and 'N Sync influence.[6] Holly Gleason of Paste interpreted the lyrics as endorsing love, with the song contrasting the previous tracks on The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, celebrating the "happily ever after trope for all its worth".[3]

Critical response

Not a Bad Thing received general acclaim from critics. Jeremy Thomas of 411mania.com selected "Not a Bad Thing" as one of the stand-out tracks from The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, using it as an example of a song from the album that "has a gentle side that can be appreciated", noting it as a "lovely close" to the album.[4] Similarly selecting the track as a stand-out, Chris Bosman of Consequence of Sound saw the song serving as the "pitch perfect" nostalgic track, pointing out its 'N Sync influence.[9] As well as depicting the latter influence, Melinda Newman of HitFix awarded the track an A grade, labeling it as a "lovely, lilting straight-up pop tune."[11] David Meller of musicOMH described the track as "arduous" due to its length and it having "any sort of edginess or intrigue".[12] Along with several other songs within The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2, Dave Hanratty of Drowned in Sound dismissed "Not a Bad Thing", writing that it contains "sun-kissed and forced smiles".[8]

Commercial performance

"Not a Bad Thing" reached the top thirty on the US Billboard Hot 100 in its fourth week on the chart, at number twenty-seven.[13] In its fifth week it rose to number twenty, and in its sixth week, it again rose to number fourteen.[14][15] The song reached number twelve in its seventh week,[16] before entering the top ten at number eight the following week.[17] The song sold 88,000 digital copies that week, with an audience impression of 79 million.[17] It marked his fifteenth top ten hit on the Hot 100, while being the first top ten single from The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2.[17] "Not a Bad Thing" has also achieved similar success on the US format charts, peaking at number five on the Mainstream Top 40,[18] number nine on the Adult Top 40 and at number twelve on the Rhythmic chart.[19][20] The song has sold over a million copies in the US as of June 2014.[21]

Music video

A preview of the song's music video made its debut on The Ellen Degeneres Show on March 20, 2014,[22] before the full video premiered online later that day.[23] Justin Timberlake does not make an appearance in the video; the video involves two documentary filmmakers searching for a couple that got engaged on January 12, 2014, while heading to New York City on the Long Island Rail Road train, with the man proposing to his girlfriend to "Not a Bad Thing". Throughout the music video, couples are interviewed, sharing their reflections on love, marriage and their relationships, as well as what they think of the unknown couple. In conjunction, the documentarians are shown in the streets of New York City with flyers with the hashtag "#haveyouseenthiscouple," as well as them stopping by a radio interview and texting each other from borough to borough, with the messages showing up on the screen. The search produces several false leads, as they ask strangers and friends for help, with the video ending with a "To Be Continued" title.[24] Following the video's premiere, Ellen Degeneres explained that "Obviously, if you know this couple, contact us, because Justin is trying to find you and we'll put you all together."[24]

Live performances

Justin Timberlake performed "Not a Bad Thing" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on February 21, 2014.[25] Timberlake also performed the song during The 20/20 Experience and 2 of 2's supporting tour, The 20/20 Experience World Tour.[26]

Track listings

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2.[1]

Locations
Personnel
  • Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer, songwriter
  • Justin Timberlake – Mixer, producer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal arranger, guitar
  • Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – keyboards, producer, songwriter
  • James Fauntleroy – songwriter
  • Chris Godbey – engineer, mixer
  • Jimmy Douglass – mixer
  • Alejandro Baima – assistant mixer
  • Elliot Ives – guitar

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[57] Platinum 70,000^
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[58] Platinum 0^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[59] Gold 7,500*
United States (RIAA)[60] Platinum 1,000,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Template:Wikipedia books

Country Date Format Label
Austria[61] February 24, 2014 Digital download Sony
France[62]
Germany[61]
Italy[63]
Spain[64]
Switzerland[61]
United Kingdom[65] RCA
United States[66]
United States[67] February 25, 2014 Mainstream radio
United States[68] March 31, 2014 Hot/Modern/AC radio
Austria[69] April 18, 2014 CD single Sony
Germany[69]
Switzerland[69]
United Kingdom[70] May 5, 2014 — RCA
United States[71] May 27, 2014 AC radio
Italy[72] June 4, 2014 Mainstream radio Sony

References

  1. ^ a b The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 (booklet). Justin Timberlake. New York City, NY: RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. 2013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ Wass, Mike (February 14, 2014). "Justin Timberlake Picks "Not A Bad Thing" As The Next '2 Of 2′ Single: Listen To The Radio Edit". Idolator. Spin Media. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Gleason, Holly (October 1, 2013). "Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience: 2 of 2". Paste. Paste Media Group. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Thomas, Jeremy (October 1, 2013). "Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience 2 of 2 Review". 411mania.com. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  5. ^ Kellman, Andy. "The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 – Justin Timberlake | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved October 1, 2013.
  6. ^ a b Peterson, Jacques (February 10, 2014). "It Looks Like 'Not a Bad Thing' Is Justin Timberlake's Next Single". Popdust. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  7. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (September 30, 2013). "Review: Justin Timberlake edgier on '20/20 Experience — 2 of 2'". Los Angeles Times. Eddy Hartenstein. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  8. ^ a b Hanratty, Dave (September 30, 2013). "Album Review: Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
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