Señorita by Justin Timberlake Song Info
"Señorita" is a song by American singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake for his debut studio album, Justified. It was released on July 7, 2003, by Jive Records as the fourth single from the album. He co-wrote the track with its producers Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes. According to Timberlake, the song was influenced by Stevie Wonder. Musically, "Señorita" is an R&B, pop, and jazz up-tempo ballad, featuring an electric piano strut, cowbell in the beat of the song, and a rhythm section. The song has been described as a Spanish "number" with a "Latin flavored" cut beat. In the track, Timberlake sings about a woman, whose attention he is trying to capture. "Señorita" received positive reviews from music critics, who commented on the track's general sound and lyrics. Commercially, the song peaked within the top ten in Australia and New Zealand, the top twenty in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, and the top thirty in the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Its music video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award in the category of Best Male Video in 2004. "Señorita" was co-written by Justin Timberlake, and The Neptunes' Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo. Before the release of Timberlake's solo album, Justified, Timberlake and the album's producers, Williams and Hugo, gave MTV News a preview of the record in August 2002. While in the discussion of "Señorita", Hugo said that he expected the song to make the track listing of Justified. In another interview, Timberlake revealed that the song was influenced by singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder. Timberlake said that the song had "that groove that really fits into the summer". While in development, Timberlake said he was "beatboxing the notes". He wrote the song imagining a "dark-skinned, voluptuous lady whose attention he is trying to capture." Music critic David Browne of Entertainment Weekly, in the review of the album, wrote: "In the latter category, he's more engaging—the stud on the loose, making promises of romance and more in slurpy cuts like 'Senorita' and 'Rock Your Body'." Denise Boyd of the BBC wrote: "The introduction [of] 'Senorita' immediately grabs your attention." Tyler Martin of Stylus said that the song's rhythm section was "brilliant, a simple, yet distinctive beat that could only come from the Neptunes. The song allows for much amusement in the last minute and a half with a sing-along that is more wonderful and surprising than most artists have offered us this year." Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia Daily News wrote that the track and "Nothing Else", another song from the album, reshape "Stevie Wonder-style Latin pop". Katie McDonald of Boston College wrote: "The album opens with the Latin and hip-hop influenced 'Senorita'. Although this reviewer was a little amused by Timberlake's use of the word 'Momma' in reference to a girl, this track is nothing to mock. Timberlake's voice complements the dynamic beat; and although the lyrics are in no way profound, at least he wrote them himself." Lisa Verrico of The Times wrote that the song could be 'NSYNC "with a salsa flavour". Christian Dahlager of Iowa State Daily noted that Timberlake "cops classic Michael Jackson" throughout the album, and on the tracks "Señorita" and "Rock Your Body". Howard Cohen of Knight Ridder said that in the album Timberlake "appropriates Jackson's trademark 'Thriller'-era falsetto squeals and staccato vocal style on the tuneless first single 'Like I Love You', 'Senorita' and a couple of other cuts." The song received criticism as well. Jane Stevenson of Jam! wrote: "In the minus category is silly lead-off track 'Senorita', which suffers from being too cute and has an awful call-and-answer ending featuring 'the guys and the ladies.'" A music contributor from the Daily Free Press reported that The Neptunes appeared to have "recycled beats from their N.E.R.D. project" for Justified and that "Señorita" sounded like N.E.R.D.'s song, "Run to the Sun". In North America, the single was officially solicited to radio in September 2003. "Señorita" appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 27. It reached number 5 on the Mainstream Top 40, number 10 on the Top 40 Tracks, and number 29 on the Rhythmic. The single performed average when it was released internationally. It debuted at number 13 in the United Kingdom for the week ending September 27, 2003. The song failed to achieve any higher position, and it fell for eight consecutive weeks until it left the charts completely. When it entered the Irish Singles Chart, it did so at number 15. It spent seven weeks on the chart but failed to earn a higher position. In New Zealand, it charted at number 9 on September 14, 2003. During the following four weeks, it peaked at number 4 and remained there for two weeks. The song spent 15 weeks on the chart. In Australia, it peaked at number 6 and retired after spending eleven weeks on the chart. The single additionally charted in mainland European countries, peaking within the top 20 in several.
