Justin Timberlake has responded to a touching moment from Justin Bieber’s Coachella headline set with a heartfelt public message, and a throwback photo that shows just how far both artists have come.
During his Weekend 2 set on Saturday, 18 April, Bieber played a video of his pre-fame self covering Timberlake’s Cry Me a River and sang along with the crowd.
“I grew up listening to Justin Timberlake and so many other beautiful talents but I remember this like it was yesterday,” he told the audience.
He even noted the guitar was out of tune before joining in with his younger self anyway.
Timberlake, 45, responded on social media with a throwback video of a brief interaction between the two, captured when Bieber was just a kid.
The footage showed the pair posing for a photo together, with Bieber’s former longtime manager Scooter Braun and Timberlake’s wife Jessica Biel also in the room.
He followed it with a clip from the Coachella performance itself.
His caption made clear he had been watching and felt the significance of the moment.
“I know this has been a long road. And I know it’s not always a smooth ride. I’m proud of you — and you should be proud of you too. Sending love @lilbieber,” Timberlake wrote.
The two Justins have never released music together, though in 2021 DJ Khaled revealed he had missed a FaceTime call from both of them and was mixing their vocals for a potential collaboration.
The song never materialised.
