Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton first collaborated at the 2015 Country Music Association Awards , performing " Tennessee Whiskey " and " Drink You Away " . Stapleton was initially only writing songs with Timberlake for the album , before being asked to sing on " Say Something " . He told '' Billboard '' , " I really just went out to Los Angeles to write songs with him , it 's a very fluid process with him , there 's a lot going on . That was one of those things where there was n'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 . " " Say Something " is an upbeat country rock ballad that blends the electronic structures of '' Man of the Woods '' previously released songs " Filthy " and " Supplies " with Stapleton 's country blues styles . The song comprises elements of gospel , pop , acoustic soul and jazz . Timberlake and Timbaland previously incorporated country sounds such as twangy guitars on tracks like " What Goes Around ... Comes Around " . The song features lyrics about reflection and regret , meditating on social pressure to have something to say and being unsure if you really do . '' Nashville Scene '' writer Stephen Trageser interpreted the lyrics as : Directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and produced by La Blogothèque , the video was filmed using a technique known as " continuous motion " and shot in one take at the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles – famous for its appearance in the 1982 cult science fiction film '' Blade Runner '' – with elevators , balconies , and stairs that " personified the labyrinth " the concept required . The crew included 17 musicians and a 60-person choir , in order to record the video and audio live in only one take . The video starts with Timberlake alone in a room creating beats and effects on an MPC sampler . The camera follows him as he straps on an acoustic guitar and ascends up an elevator . Stepping out , he encounters Stapleton on a nearby staircase . The music video on YouTube has received over 315 million views as of July 2019 . It won Best Live Video at the 2018 UK Music Video Awards . It received nominations for Video of the Year and Collaborative Video of the Year at the 2018 CMT Music Awards , for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction , and for an iHeartRadio Much Music Video Award for Best Director . It also received a nomination for Best Music Video at the 2018 Camerimage Festival
2015 Country Music Association Awards
49th Annual Country Music Association Awards
Say Something (Justin Timberlake song)