2007 called and it wants its trio back. From Timbaland, Nelly Furtado, and Justin Timberlake’s last single “Give It To Me,” which skyrocketed to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, to this brand new single “Keep Going Up,” they have proven that they’ve still got it in them to make fans feel good about themselves. While I think it was a pretty underwhelming comeback, I won’t deny that it has some charming qualities. So uh… Who’s been “going up” since we last heard from Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Nelly Furtado? And can you believe it’s been 16 years?
“I’ve been working on my gains, lately / I’ve been loving myself on the, daily,” Furtado sings in the feel-good song about being at a time in her life where she’s prioritizing her happiness, and most especially, cutting off the people that drain her energy and good vibes. “I’m no longer settling, I’m upgrading.”
“I’ve been adding commas on my new statements / Yeah, I’ve been on new energy it’s contagious / I could try to hide it, but can’t contain it / This life keeps going up, and I can’t explain it,” Timberlake sings, celebrating the new heights he’s reached following some struggles.
For me, the song lacks a certain amount of catchiness to propel its feel-good messages, and while, I can’t even begin to deny it, there’s a nostalgic element to it, it’s not enough to lift this song out of the “average space.” Sue me.
However, Timbaland thinks differently. “I don’t know what it was, but this song is special. I hope it stays up to everything that the people want. If people want the 2006 back, I think we did it justice. I think we gave it a song with meaning. Meaning, it can relate to you or your friends. ‘I keep going up, if you keep going up.’ Like no matter what you go through, Imma be here for you. You know what I’m saying? And that’s what that song is. It has all different meanings, and you still dance to it. You still jam to it. That’s why this song is one of the best of my lifetime. It feels like ‘We Are The World,” he told ET.
Timbaland personally believes that this song will age well, adding, “I want to create just a little window of nostalgia for this generation just to understand what greatness is. I feel like “Keep Going Up is the song that loosens up the party, and make you have a drink.”
