It’s amazing some of the things that can come out of a broken heart. For many of us, it’s typically just a lot of tears and Netflix-binging. However, for someone like Justin Timberlake, it means churning out a classic hit in just two hours.
In his new book, Hindsight: And All The Things I Can’t See in Front of Me, Timberlake explains that’s how much time it took to write “Cry Me a River”. According to Wonderwall, the singer doesn’t explicitly name who the song is about. However, from context, it’s pretty clear that it was none other than Britney Spears who inspired the track.
Related: Here’s Your First Look Of Justin Timberlake’s First Book [PIC]
Timberlake writes that a 2002 split prompted him to write “Cry Me a River,” which is when he and Spears very publicly broke up.
“I’ve been scorned. I’ve been pissed off. The feelings I had were so strong I had to write it,” he published in his book. “I translated my feelings into a form where people could listen and hopefully relate to it. People heard me and they understood it because we’ve all been there.”
Of course, Timberlake’s own love life is looking better than ever. He’s been happily married to Jessica Biel since 2012 and the two are proud parents to Silas, their 3-year-old son.