Justin Timberlake says Bowie’s Rebel Rebel inspired his own SexyBack

Singer Justin Timberlake said his 2006 song SexyBack was influenced by the late English singer David Bowie’s Rebel Rebel song.

Singer-actor Justin Timberlake has revealed how singer David Bowie helped him shape the track SexyBack from his 2006 album, FutureSex/LoveSounds.

Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack won a Grammy Award in 2007. (AP)

The singer explained how he prepared to write a song which would “make a statement”, reported Entertainment Weekly. “I was listening to a lot of Bowie at that time - Ziggy Stardust and Diamond Dogs - and I played Rebel Rebel over and over again, like 15 times the day before I wrote anything for SexyBack,” Timberlake recalled.

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“We were interested in taking those new-wave synth sounds that were made popular by bands like Tears for Fears and the Human League and seeing how much R&B we could add to that sound.”

Watch Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack here:

SexyBack went on to win a Grammy and helped the album sell 9.2 million copies worldwide.

Justin has been working on new music for the last few months, collaborating with the likes of Pharrell Williams and Little Big Town, with his fifth studio album set to arrive early next year.

First up will be an accompanying album to DreamWorks’ new animated film Trolls, including his new single Can’t Stop the Feeling.

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Justin has been working on new music for the last few months, collaborating with Pharrell Williams and American country music group, Little Big Town. (AP)