Justin Timberlake Says He Wrote 'Can't Stop The Feeling' For Baby Son Silas

Justin Timberlake says fatherhood has changed the way he makes music.

In a Q&A for the 2016-2017 Variety and AARP Movies for Grownups Screening on Thursday, the pop superstar explained how baby son Silas helped contribute to the creative process while Justin was writing his Oscar-nominated song “Can’t Stop The Feeling.”

Justin said that his work on the hit track, which he wrote with Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster and was featured in the animated film “Trolls,” began when Silas was just a few months old. Silas’ arrival had already affected and influenced Justin in a way which he revealed made him want to leave a lasting impression on the both of them.

“I felt like I really wanted to make something I could share with him,” JT told the audience.

However, the singer admitted that the results may have been more plentiful than he’d anticipated. 

“I’m very quickly becoming to regret it because all he wants to do is watch ‘Trolls,'” he joked, to laughter from the crowd. “I’ve seen the movie more than anyone in the world.”

The 36-year-old went on to share his emotional reaction to watching Silas recognize his dad’s voice. 

“Anytime the song comes on the radio, in the car, you know, sometimes you get a request,” Justin smiled.

“And he says, ‘Daddy’s singing,’ and you’re like, ‘I think I have something in my eye,'” he added, wiping away mock tears. 

Being a loving and effective parent is a goal which Justin said has impacted other areas of his life. He went on to share how his professional and artistic visions have also reached new heights since welcoming little Silas.

“There was a lot of serendipity for me as an artist, an actor, a music producer and a songwriter, and I still aspire to all of those things. To be the best that I can at all of those things,” he said. “And then you have this personal note that comes with it, and I think that changed it for me, and I think that it really had an influence on why this came out the way it did.”

While Justin seemed to have no problem recalling details during Variety’s event, he did issue a disclaimer about his potentially cloudy memory – something to which his fellow new parents can likely relate.

“It’s hard for me to remember, because anybody that has kids in the audience knows the first, like, eight months you don’t remember anything,” he smiled. 

— Erin Biglow