Watch Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton Work the Room in 'Say Something' [Fresh Vid]

Justin Timberlake, pop superstar, Memphis native and Leiper's Fork resident, is ramping up the excitement for his forthcoming album Man of the Woods, which is due Feb. 2. He's released a new single from the record, a collaboration with country champion Chris Stapleton (who popped up with Timberlake at last fall's Pilgrimage Festival and whose work was applauded by voters in our 18th Annual Country Music Critics' Poll). The two appear in an impressive new music video, which opens with Timberlake working on some beats in what appears to be a warehouse studio. The camera follows him as he leaves the room, revealing a much larger space with ornate décor, possibly an old hotel, with musicians and even an audience tucked into the nooks and crannies. Stapleton is there, too, with an acoustic guitar, and he and Timberlake join up to take a grand tour of the building as they sing the song, which is called "Say Something." 

It's an anthemic tune about something ostensibly honorable — recognizing that someone with the degree of celebrity Timberlake has can do more good by taking up less space. As in, realizing that weighing in on issues of public concern can easily turn into an event focused on him and his image instead of actually serving the cause at hand. Or, as the chorus goes, "Sometimes the greatest way to say something / Is to say nothing at all."

This record has likely been in production for a long time, so it's not like Timberlake wrote and released the song overnight, but there are justifiable reasons for folks to want him to, well, say something right now. He's drawing fire from the public and the press for appearing at the Golden Globes and visibly supporting the #TimesUp movement against sexual harassment and assault while having just appeared in Woody Allen's Wonder Wheel. He hasn't said anything publicly about the situation, though several other actors have. (Timothee Chalamet, who appears in an upcoming Allen film called A Rainy Day in New York, has pledged his salary to three charitable organizations fighting sexual abuse.)

Timberlake is performing at Super Bowl LII on Feb. 4, without seemingly making much of an effort to give the spotlight back to Janet Jackson, as some have called for. In case you don't remember, the two played the Super Bowl halftime show in 2004, when an infamous wardrobe malfunction — the accidental revealing of Jackson's nipple — resulted in substantial backlash for Jackson, but left Timberlake relatively unscathed. He briefly addressed his relationship with Jackson in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple's Beats Radio 1. Lowe asks if the two were able to make peace after the incident, to which Timberlake responds, "Absolutely. I’m not sure that a lot of people know that. I don’t think it’s my job to do that, because you value the relationships that you do have with people." 

It's commendable that Timberlake is aware of how he can take up way more space than he means to. And for what it's worth, it's better to take time to really consider the message you're putting out and get it right (Matt Damon had a problem with this, and he's finally decided to shut up). (H/T to the Scene's Amanda Haggard.)

But some words from Timberlake would mean a lot. Does he really have anything to lose from publicly supporting Janet Jackson? Would he really hurt anything if he acknowledged that working with Woody Allen was a mistake, as other actors have? As long as he's careful to not grandstand about what a good guy he is for doing it, those seem like worthwhile ways to use his platform. He has a substantial tour coming up supporting Man of the Woods, which stops at Bridgestone Arena on May 9, so he'll have many more opportunities to speak.