“LoveStoned/I Think She Knows” by Justin Timberlake

It doesn’t take much to figure out the meaning behind the title (“LoveStoned”) of the first half of this song.  Being “stoned” is common lingo pointing to the notion of being intoxicated. And usually when artists like Justin Timberlake talk about “love”, we know that it is of a romantic variety.

Also as presented early on, the ‘stoning’ he is referring to is quite literal and not only in relation to himself. Indeed this “freaky” girl whom he is admiring is able to down an entire bottle of champagne by herself. 

And doing so “sends her on a trip”, i.e. a type of mindstate he prefers given his overall goal. And that goal would be to take her ‘home with him tonight’. The primary reason the vocalist is so enamored with this lady is first and foremost because of her looks. 

And considering that factor alongside this being a club and all, of course other dudes in the place are scheming also. But JT is confident he’s going to emerge victorious in that regard, as he’s the one who “got that thing she likes”.

“Love Stoned”

And in the chorus that follows, it is revealed specifically what the term “love stoned” actually means. As implied above, it basically insinuates that the vocalist is smitten by this particular woman. 

And it is not only that she’s “bad”, i.e. very attractive, but also “that she knows” it and apparently is able to effectively utilize it. So overall, JT is turned on by her ‘freakiness’.

Furthermore, as depicted in the second verse, it would seem that she’s unanimously the most appealing woman in the venue, being “flawless” even. So again, the implication is that competition is fierce. But as compared to Timberlake, they “don’t have a chance”. And that’s because as now revealed, she is actually a dance aficionado. And of course so is the vocalist. 

In fact we’re not trying to be controversial or anything, but the world pretty much knows that few White boys can get down on the dance floor like JT, especially back in the days when this song came out. And that in fact is his advantage over the others dudes in the house, i.e. his dancing skills.

The Conclusion of “LoveStoned”

And accordingly, considering how “LoveStoned” continues to develop in the aftermath of the second verse, we can conclude that this is more of a dance song than one actually centered on romance. But the reason the focus is so heavily on this romantic interest of the vocalist is partially because it’s one of those types of tunes specifically designed to encourage women to dance, once again in a “freaky” manner. 

Yet going as far as to refer to this as a straight-up sex song would be a bit of stretch, even if Timbaland and co. intended it to be such, as sex is only really implied once, even if the vocalist is clearly aroused in such a manner.

“I Think She Knows”

Meanwhile, the “I Think She Knows” portion of this track is more or less a reiteration of the chorus from “LoveStoned”. And there is really only two concepts being presented therein. 

One, as stated earlier, is the vocalist being mesmerized watching this lady move on the dance floor. And also, he is convinced that “she knows” he is enamored with her. 

So perhaps we can say something like a guy watching a girl gyrate on the dance floor and then she noticing him doing so and proceeding to put on a more inspired performance is turning him on even more.

And such is how the song ends. We aren’t made privy if the vocalist actually succeeded in bringing this colorful lady home. But all lyrics considered, even if he does prove unable to do so, he seems pretty satisfied just admiring how she moves on the dance floor and pitting his own related skills against hers, so to speak.

“LoveStoned/I Think She Knows” Facts

Artist(s): Justin Timberlake
Album/EP: “FutureSex/LoveSounds” 

Was “LoveStoned/I Think She Knows” a single release?

Yes. It was a single from the singer’s 2nd studio album, “FutureSex/LoveSounds”

Writing

The piece was written by:

• Justin Timberlake
• Tim Mosley
• Nate “Danja” Hills

Production

It was produced by:

• Timbaland
• Nate “Danja” Hills
• Justin Timberlake

Genre(s):

• Art rock
• R&B

Release: September 8 of 2006

Awards/Honors:

In 2008, “LoveStoned” won the Grammy Award for “Best Dance Recording”. It competed with the following:

• “D.A.N.C.E.” by Justice
• “Love Today” by Mika
• “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna
• “Do It Again” by The Chemical Brothers

Accolades:

“Entertainment Weekly” ranked it number four on the list of Best Songs of 2007.

Chart Performance:

• US – 17
• UK S- 11
• Netherlands – 5
• Italy – 10
• Finland – 7
• Canada – 2

Covers:

• Kaki King (2008)
• Boyce Avenue (2008)
• The Hoosiers (2008)
• Brett Domino (2011)

Sampling:

• Kid Cudi – “Love Stoned” (2009)
• Girl Talk – “Let Me See You” (2008)
• David Guetta and Afrojack – “Pandemonium” (2011)
• LeToya Luckett – “Don’t Need U” (2009)