A Brief History of Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake’s Musical Relationship

At first, it seemed an unlikely pairing. One, a rising star in country music. The other, a former boy band member-turned-solo sensation. But after their legendary 2015 CMA Awards performance of “Tennessee Whiskey” and several subsequent collaborations, including the CMT Award-nominated duet “Say Something”, Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake have more than proven themselves a match made in Music City heaven.

“Chris is a genius”, Justin exclusively told CountryLiving.com in February of working with the country star on the song. “Chris is like a chosen guy. You know, you don’t believe in that, and then you meet a guy like Chris Stapleton and it’s just…within him. We just have a really great relationship–it’s super easy”.

So what brought these talents together in the first place? Ahead of the CMTs, we’re tracing the timeline of the bromance that is Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton.

How Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton Met

It makes sense that the two men would have connected. Memphis-born Justin has plenty of friends in Nashville, where in 2012, Chris was well-known (at least locally) as a talented songwriter.

“We’ve known each other for a few years now, maybe three”, Chris said in a 2015 interview with Billboard, “I don’t know exactly how long. We met through mutual friends”.

The guys bonded over music as well as fatherhood. “When his wife [actress Jessica Biel] was pregnant, we talked about some things about being a dad”, Chris, who now has four kids with wife Morgane Stapleton, told the publication. “We talk about dad stuff and regular life stuff–and we talk about music a lot, too. And we always check in on each other. Even if we don’t talk for six months or something, we [say], ‘Hey man, how you doing? All right, you good? Cool'”.

Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton’s Musical Debut

When it came to collaborating, Chris made the first move. Before his album Traveller even came out, he sent a copy to Justin.

“We kept threatening to find a reason to do something”, he told Billboard after their epic medley of George Jones’ “Tennessee Whiskey” and Timberlake’s “Drink You Away” at the 2015 CMA Awards. “And these nominations came up, and I thought maybe we could have a shot at a performance slot, so I called him up and asked if he’d be interested in coming on the show and playing with me. And he was like, ‘Yeah, man, tell me when and I’ll be there’. So we took that notion to the CMAs, and they were kind enough to make it happen”.

Justin’s clout got the guys an unprecedented eight-minute time slot–and the performance put Chris on the map on a national level. Since then, the country singer has raked in five Grammys, six Academy of Country Music Awards, seven CMA Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards.

Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake’s Duet “Say Something”

Other than a few appearances here and there, the next time the two teamed up, was for Justin’s 2018 record Man of the Woods. Though the R&B singer insisted was not a country album, the tracks contain definite country influences, most notably the song “Say Something”, featuring Chris Stapleton on guitar and vocals.

“I really just went out to Los Angeles to write songs with him”, Chris, who co-wrote three songs on the album and played guitar at the beginning of “Filthy”, said to Billboard. “It’s a very fluid process with him, there’s a lot going on. That was one of those things where there wasn’t necessarily a plan. He was like ‘All right, you hop in there and take a verse’, and I’m like, ‘You want me to do what?’ … It came out great. I had a blast with him, he’s a great creative force and one of those guys that if you get a chance to work with him, you should”.

The same weekend Justin headlined the Super Bowl, he and Chris Stapleton performed their duet on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Shortly after, during his performance at the 2018 Brit Awards, Justin brought out a surprise guest–Chris, of course–to assist on another live rendition of the song.

Chris also appears in the music video for “Say Something”, which is up for not one but two CMT Awards: Collaborative Video of the Year and the coveted Video of the Year. No word on whether or not Justin will show up to the CMTs, but Chris is confirmed to perform at what will be his first awards show appearance since welcoming twin baby boys.

Most recently, at the Nashville stop for Justin’s tour, Chris took the stage, where the duo once again rocked a reprisal of the latter’s “Tennessee Whiskey”.

One thing’s for sure: The artists and friends make beautiful music together. Here’s hoping for many more collaborations (or should we say bro-llaborations?) from these stars in the future.

Country Living