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2013 song by Justin Timberlake
"Pusher Love Girl"
Song by Justin Timberlake
from the album The 20/20 Experience
ReleasedMarch 15, 2013
Recorded2012
StudioLarrabee (North Hollywood)
GenreR&B
Length8:02
LabelRCA
Songwriters
Producers
  • Timbaland
  • Justin Timberlake
  • Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon

"Pusher Love Girl" is a song by American singer Justin Timberlake from his third studio album, The 20/20 Experience (2013). It was written and produced by Timberlake, Timbaland, and J-Roc, with additional writing from James Fauntleroy. An ode to the "intoxicating effects" of love and sex, "Pusher Love Girl" is a slow-tempo R&B song that goes through several stylistic shifts during its eight-minute duration. It opens with an orchestral intro before moving into its "funky main section". The song concludes with an outro in which Timberlake raps over futuristic hip-hop beats, comparing several narcotics to the love of his significant other.

After The 20/20 Experience was released, the track charted at number 15 on the South Korean Gaon Chart, number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 122 on the UK Singles Chart, and number 20 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart. In reviews of The 20/20 Experience, some music critics regarded the song as one of the best on the album, but others were critical of its length and certain lyrics.

Timberlake debuted "Pusher Love Girl" live during his comeback performance at DirecTV's Super Saturday Night in February 2013. He also performed the song at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards, the SXSW MySpace Secret Show, on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Wireless Festival, and his NPR Tiny Desk Concert. He also included it on the set lists for three of his concert tours: the Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour (2013), The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013–2015), and The Forget Tomorrow World Tour (2024–2025). At the 56th Annual Grammy Awards (2014), "Pusher Love Girl" won the award for Best R&B Song.

Background

[edit]

In September 2006, Timberlake released his second album, FutureSex/LoveSounds,[1] which was a commercial success[2] and received generally positive reviews from music critics.[3] The album spawned six singles, including the US number-one singles "SexyBack", "My Love", and "What Goes Around... Comes Around".[4] After wrapping up a worldwide concert tour to support the album in 2007, Timberlake took a break from his music career to focus on acting,[5][6] with occasional guest appearances on several singles by Madonna, T.I., Jamie Foxx, Timbaland, and Esmée Denters.[6]

Timberlake's music manager Johnny Wright approached him in 2010, discussing possibility of going back to his music career and the difficulties of releasing his future material, because according to Wright, "a lot of the physical record sellers were gone, by the time they've got music again they needed to think about different ways to deliver it". Wright proposed a promotion based on an application or releasing a new song every month. Timberlake, however, was not interested in returning to music; instead, he continued to focus on his film career. Around the "late part of May, first week in June" 2012, Timberlake invited Wright to dinner and revealed that he had spent the last couple of nights in the studio with Timbaland working on new material. Wright was shocked by the revelation, and the two immediately began planning how to promote and release the album. Ultimately, they agreed on a shorter period, seven or eight weeks, between the singles and the album. Wright told Billboard that "such a short window" demanded "a big impact".

In August 2012, producer Jim Beanz reported that Timberlake had started work on his new music project.[8] Shortly after the announcement, Timberlake's publicist denied plans for a new album, stating Timberlake was instead working on Timbaland's upcoming project Shock Value III.[6] Wright stated that although the project involved artists who are primarily Timberlake's friends, it was tough to keep it a secret, so they used codenames. Originally planned for release in October 2012, Timberlake's project was postponed because of his wedding to actress Jessica Biel.

Release and live performances

[edit]

The 20/20 Experience was released on March 15, 2013, by RCA Records;[9] "Pusher Love Girl" places at number one on the album's track list.[10] "Pusher Love Girl" peaked at number 15 on the South Korean Gaon Chart,[11] number 64 on the US Billboard Hot 100,[4] number 21 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart,[12] number 122 on the UK Singles Chart,[13] and number 20 on the UK Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart.[14]

Timberlake premiered "Pusher Love Girl" as part of the set list for his comeback performance at DirecTV's Super Saturday Night in New Orleans on February 2, 2013.[15] Timberlake next performed the song live at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards on February 11, for which he received a standing ovation.[16] Brad Wete of Billboard ranked Timberlake's performance at the ceremony as one of the night's best.[17] He also performed the song live at the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 12[18] and at the SXSW MySpace Secret Show on March 17.[19] During the performance of the latter, Timberlake danced at "full tilt", while "owning his own signature falsetto like a seasoned maestro conducting a symphony orchestra", as noted by Maurice Bobb, a writer for MTV News.[20]

Timberlake performed "Pusher Love Girl" alongside "Mirrors" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 25, 2013.[21] As noted by Jon Blistein, a writer for Rolling Stone, he performed the former with "a small squadron of suit-and-tie-clad back up dancers".[22] Timberlake performed the song on the first day of the Wireless Festival in London on July 12.[23] The song was also included in the set lists for Timberlake and Jay-Z's co-headlining Legends of the Summer Stadium Tour (2013),[24] The 20/20 Experience World Tour (2013–2015),[25] and The Forget Tomorrow World Tour (2024–2025).[26] He also included it on the set list of his NPR Tiny Desk Concert on March 15, 2024.[27]

Composition

[edit]
"Pusher Love Girl"
A 30-second sample of the spoken-word outro to "Pusher Love Girl", which features Timberlake rapping "Childish Gambino style" over futuristic hip-hop beats.[28][29]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Pusher Love Girl" was written by Timberlake, Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley, Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon, and James Fauntleroy, and produced by Timbaland, Timberlake, and Harmon.[30] It is a slow-tempo R&B song lasting exactly eight minutes and two seconds.[31][32] The song "simmers" on an "elastic" soul groove that contains "retro-synth" hooks, hand claps, horns and a "squelchy" bass line.[32][33][34] Jason Lipshutz of Billboard called the song "a more seasoned version" of "Señorita", the opening track of Timberlake's debut album, Justified (2002).[35] The song is an ode to the "intoxicating effects" of love and sex.[36]

Nate Jones of Popdust cited the introduction of "Pusher Love Girl" as being "straight from a Hollywood classic".[28] Allan Raible of ABC News wrote that the "stringed fanfare" is something you would expect to hear on the red carpet of an awards ceremony.[37] Jim Farber of the New York Daily News called the opening "classic enough" for Michael Jackson.[38] After the "sweeping" orchestral intro, the song transcends into a "funky main section", which, according to Helen Brown of The Daily Telegraph, is a "sweet slice of funk-soul seduction".[32][39]

Five minutes into the song, "Pusher Love Girl" morphs into a spoken-word outro where Timberlake raps "Childish Gambino style" over futuristic hip-hop beats. Timberlake compares narcotics, such as heroin, cocaine, plum wine, MDMA and nicotine, to the love of his significant other.[28][29][40] Kitty Empire, writing for The Observer, commented that Timberlake's list of narcotics sound "tempting".[41] Youssef stated that the outro may seem "bloated" to many, but that it enhances the atmosphere and "cross-genre" feel that Timberlake and Timbaland wanted, while also "building on and completing the ideas" that Frank Ocean experimented with on his debut album, Channel Orange (2012).[29] Sarah Dean of The Huffington Post wrote that Timberlake channels his "inner mid-'80s" Prince during this period of the song.[42] Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times wrote that Timberlake raps with "surprising authority".[39]

Vocal style

[edit]
"Pusher Love Girl"
A 30-second sample of the chorus to "Pusher Love Girl", which features Timberlake's trademark falsetto.[42]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Writing for the Houston Chronicle, Joey Guerra stated that Timberlake "hits that unmistakable falsetto" from the first chorus of "Pusher Love Girl".[34] Sobhi Youssef of Sputnikmusic noted that the song introduces Timberlake's "beautiful" falsetto at "the apex of his game".[29] MusicOMH's David Meller wrote that Timberlake's vocals "retained some of its boyish appeal but now has a measured, kind of sophisticated charm",[43] while Dean declared that his "trademark falsetto" sounds "as-good-as-ever".[42] According to Sean Daly of the Tampa Bay Times, the "street-savvy middle range" of Timberlake's vocals further separates him from his boy band start with NSYNC.[44]

According to Brown, in "Pusher Love Girl", Timberlake sounds like he "inhaled" 1970s Stevie Wonder, "breathing it out" as it "disperses into something spacily 21st century".[32] Rolling Stone reviewer Jody Rosen noted that Timberlake borrows Curtis Mayfield's falsetto and Wonder's chord changes in the song.[36] Jed Gottlieb of the Boston Herald wrote that Timberlake "snatches swagger" from Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Al Green soul "with dashes of Frank Sinatra swing and Prince's heavy breathing".[45] Empire wrote that "Walt Disney meets Quincy Jones" on "Pusher Love Girl" and that the song rivals English space rock band Spiritualized for "dovetailing affection with addiction".[41]

Critical reception

[edit]

"Pusher Love Girl" received generally positive reviews from music critics. MSN Music's Robert Christgau cited it as a highlight of The 20/20 Experience,[46] while Genevieve Koski of The A.V. Club called it the best track on the album.[47] Billboard writer Jason Lipshutz called the song an "extended glide", commenting that even though the song includes some dubious lyrics, Timberlake's "easy delivery will leave listeners hopelessly, er, addicted".[35] Jean Bentley of Hollywood.com wrote that the intro to "Pusher Love Girl" is "very much in tune" with the "retro-soul vibe" of Timberlake's recent live performances. She wrote that it is one of the catchiest songs on The 20/20 Experience and commented that it "most certainly" would be his "second or third single".[48] The Boston Globe reviewer James Reed wrote that "Pusher Love Girl" begins the album on a "blissed-out high".[49]

Nate Jones of Popdust stated that the album version of "Pusher Love Girl" improves on the live version that was performed at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. He commented that the "instrumental thump, slightly plodding in the live versions, tightens up until it's propelling the song forward" with an "elephantine self-assurance", clearing "enough space" for Timberlake's Prince impersonation to work "out its sweet shimmy".[28] He commented that it might be "slightly uncouth" to compare "your lover to a drug pusher", but "when you're doing it with harmonies like these, we don't think she'll mind."28 According to ABC News' Allan Raible, the lyrics to "Pusher Love Girl" are "very calculated" and the drug references are meant to give Timberlake, an artist who "somehow lives in a bubble", "edge". Raible wrote that in the song, Timberlake is "supposed to be the bad boy with the pseudo-'50s smile and the charm to match", a comparison that was "tired" when used it in 1975. He concluded by stating that it is "past even being a dead horse by now".

Nick Krewen, writing for the Toronto Star, dismissed "Pusher Love Girl" as a "dull dirge" of a song that "plods along at a midtempo slog lasting five minutes, before a false ending and equally dull coda drag our carcasses another 400 meters after its initial impact". He wrote that "just when we feel we've escaped with minor scratches", Timberlake repeats the line "I'm a junkie for your love" ad nauseam "until the song reaches its merciful resolution".[50] Robert Copsey of Digital Spy wrote that "Pusher Love Girl" begins "perky enough", but that it is "hard to justify" its length when it feels repetitive after the first three minutes and "self-indulgent thereafter".[51] HitFix reviewer Melinda Newman highlighted the lyric "hydroponic jelly bean", asking, "Is there anyone else on God's green earth that could pull off calling someone that?"[33]

[edit]
Organization Year Category Result Ref.
Grammy Awards 2014 Best R&B Song Won [52]

Credits and personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of The 20/20 Experience.[30]

Locations

[edit]
  • Vocals recorded and mixed at Larrabee Studios, North Hollywood, California
  • Horns and strings recorded at EastWest Studios, Los Angeles, California

Musicians

[edit]
  • Timothy "Timbaland" Mosley – producer, songwriter
  • Justin Timberlake – mixer, producer, songwriter, vocal producer, vocal arranger
  • Jerome "J-Roc" Harmon – keyboards, producer, songwriter
  • James Fauntleroy – songwriter
  • Benjamin Wright – strings
  • The Benjamin Wright Orchestra – strings
  • Elliott Ives – guitar
  • The Regiment – horns

Technical

[edit]
  • Chris Godbey – engineer, mixer
  • Jimmy Douglass – mixer
  • Alejandro Baima – assistant engineer
  • Reggie Dozler – horns and strings recorder

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance
Chart (2013) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[11] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 122
UK Hip Hop/R&B (Official Charts)[14]20
US Billboard Hot 100[4]64
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12]21

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Derschowitz, Jessica (June 20, 2006). "Timberlake To Release His 'Lovesounds'". CBS News. Archived from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
  2. ↑ "The Evolution Of: Justin Timberlake". MTV. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  3. ↑ "FutureSex / LoveSounds". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Justin Timberlake Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  5. ↑ Douglas, Ana (May 24, 2012). "After A 6 Year Hiatus, Justin Timberlake Is Going Back to Music". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 Anderson, Kyle (August 7, 2012). "Justin Timberlake Totally Not Working on 'Crazy' New Album, Despite What a Dude Named Jim Beanz Says". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
  7. ↑ Corner, Lewis (August 7, 2012). "Exclusive: Justin Timberlake Working on "Crazy" New Album, Says Jim Beanz". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on August 10, 2012. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Timberlake, Justin (March 15, 2013). "iTunes – Musik – The 20/20 Experience (Deluxe Version) von Justin Timberlake" (in German). iTunes Store (DE). Archived from the original on March 9, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  9. ↑ Schillaci, Sophie (February 6, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Reveals '20/20' Album Cover, Track List". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2026. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  10. 1 2 "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week, March 17 to 23, 2013)" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Justin Timberlake Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved April 6, 2013.
  12. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart for the Week Ending 30 March 2013". ChartsPlus (605): 1–4. March 23, 2013.
  13. 1 2 "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart on 24/3/2013 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 3, 2026.
  14. ↑ Lauren, Craig (February 3, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Makes Super Return at Pre-Super Bowl Gig". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
  15. ↑ Payne, Chris (February 10, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Premieres 'Suit & Tie', 'Pusher Love Girl' at Grammys". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 28, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  16. ↑ Wete, Brad (February 11, 2013). "Grammys 2013: The 10 Best Moments of the Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 28, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Justin Timberlake Performs 'Pusher Love Girl' on 'Late Night'". Rap-Up. March 12, 2013. Archived from the original on May 16, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  18. ↑ Ramirez, Erika (March 17, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Wows at SXSW Myspace Show". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  19. ↑ Bobb, Maurice (March 17, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Gets Crowd 'Turned Up' at SXSW 'Secret' Show". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 19, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  20. ↑ McGovern, Kyle (April 25, 2013). "Watch Justin Timberlake Make 'Ellen' Housewives Collectively Go Insane". Spin. Archived from the original on April 28, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  21. ↑ Blistein, Jon (April 25, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Swings Through 'Mirrors' on 'Ellen'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved June 16, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Jay-Z joins Justin Timberlake onstage at London's Wireless Festival". NME. July 13, 2013. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2026.
  23. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (July 29, 2013). "Justin Timberlake, Jay Z Affirm Their 'Legends' Status with Rose Bowl Bow: Concert Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 1, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
  24. ↑ Farber, Jim (November 7, 2013). "Concert Review: Justin Timberlake Kicks off '20/20 Experience' Tour with Flirty Gig at Barclays Center". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  25. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (April 30, 2024). "Here Is Justin Timberlake's 'The Forget Tomorrow World Tour' Setlist". Uproxx. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  26. ↑ Thompson, Stephen (March 15, 2024). "Justin Timberlake: Tiny Desk Concert". NPR. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, Nate (March 12, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's '20/20 Experience' Reviewed: 'Pusher Love Girl'". Popdust. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Youssef, Sobhi (March 15, 2013). "Review: Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on April 5, 2026. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  29. 1 2 The 20/20 Experience (Liner notes). Justin Timberlake. New York City, NY: RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. 2013. 88765-47850-2.
  30. ↑ Sinha, Piya (March 17, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Puts the Sexy into Married Life in New Album". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  31. 1 2 3 4 Brown, Helen (March 15, 2013). "Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience, Album Review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  32. 1 2 Newman, Melinda (March 15, 2013). "Justin Timberlakes The 20/20 Experience: Album Review". HitFix. Archived from the original on October 4, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  33. 1 2 Guerra, Joey (March 15, 2013). "Not a Drop of Hindsight on Forward-Looking '20/20'". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  34. 1 2 Lipshutz, Jason (March 12, 2013). "Justin Timberlake, 'The 20/20 Experience': Track-By-Track Review". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  35. 1 2 Rosen, Jody (March 11, 2013). "The 20/20 Experience". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  36. 1 2 3 4 Raible, Allan (March 23, 2013). "Review: Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience'". ABC News. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved March 27, 2013.
  37. ↑ Farber, Jim (March 12, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's '20/20 Experience' Review: This Time He Brings Love as Well as SexyBack". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  38. 1 2 Wood, Mikael (March 14, 2013). "Album Review: Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2013.
  39. ↑ Montgomery, James (March 12, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience: The Bachelor, The Bride, And the In-Between". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  40. 1 2 Empire, Kitty (March 16, 2013). "Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience – Review". The Observer. The New Review section, p. 29. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
  41. 1 2 3 Dean, Sarah (March 15, 2013). "Justin Timberlake 'The 20/20 Experience' Review: It's Good to Hear from an Old Friend". HuffPost. Archived from the original on July 14, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  42. ↑ Meller, David (March 15, 2013). "Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  43. ↑ Daly, Sean (March 18, 2013). "Review: Justin Timberlake's New 'The 20/20 Experience' Is a Smooth Ride". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  44. ↑ Gottlieb, Jed (February 20, 2013). "Justin Timberlake Robs from the Past for His New Release". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  45. ↑ Christgau, Robert (June 4, 2013). "Odds and Ends 030". MSN Music. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  46. ↑ Koski, Genevieve (March 19, 2013). "Justin Timberlake: The 20/20 Experience". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on March 20, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  47. ↑ Bentley, Jean (March 11, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience' Is Streaming Online Right Now! An Early Review". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  48. ↑ Reed, James (March 14, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's Unfettered, Confident New Album". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013 – via Boston.com.
  49. ↑ Krewen, Nick (March 19, 2013). "Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience Bloated and Dull: Album Review". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on March 22, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  50. ↑ Copsey, Robert (March 14, 2013). "Justin Timberlake: 'The 20/20 Experience' – Album Review". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  51. ↑ "Grammy Awards 2014: Key Winners". BBC News. January 27, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
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