" Cry Me a River " received acclaim from critics . Jane Stevenson of Jam ! and Sal Cinquemani of '' Slant Magazine '' regarded it as a stand-out track from '' Justified '' . Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic selected the song as a highlight in his review of '' Justified '' . Peter Robinson of '' NME '' called it a " twisted epic " and " an acidic , filthy little song teeming with spite and retribution , with Timbaland 's pounding . " '' Rolling Stone '' s Ben Ratliff viewed his production of " Cry Me a River " as exceptional . Denise Boyd of BBC Music felt that the song 's lyrics play as large a role as Timbaland 's production , unlike other songs on '' Justified '' . David Browne of '' Entertainment Weekly '' concluded that the song is " a genuine stunner " that should leave Timberlake 's fellow 'N Syncers concerned that he truly may not need them any more . John Mitchell of MTV News called " Cry Me a River " and " What Goes Around ... Comes Around " " kiss-off songs " , with Timberlake 's revenge on Spears present throughout the lyrics . Idolator staff opined it is the sound of an artist who is " relishing ripping up people 's perceptions of him as a sweet-natured teen heartthrob . " VH1 's Emily Exton wrote , " By stretching the boundaries of pop – and fusing it with notes of R&B , lots of electric goodness , and haunting choral vocals – Timberlake ’s kiss-off song instantly becomes more poignant , a pointed reaction to the hurt he ’s experienced by someone he once loved . " According to '' Complex '' , the song " made people completely forget about 'N Sync and start asking what Timberlake would do next . " The single won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 2004 award ceremony . It was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards
2003 MTV Europe Music Awards
Cry Me a River (Justin Timberlake song)