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Justin Timberlake gives a timely update to ‘It’s gonna be May’ meme

The viral image usually contains a photo of the former boy band member in his curly-haired ‘N Sync days
By Kiersten Willis
May 1, 2020

Justin Timberlake has once again responded to the viral meme announcing the arrival of May.

The former member of 'N Sync on Thursday did what many do on April 30 in recent years — he posted a meme of himself in his boy band days saying "It's gonna be May." The phrase emerged as a mishearing of the way Timberlake pronounces "me" in "It's Gonna Be Me." The 'N Sync tune reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2000 and has been a source of meme material since 2012, according to Spotify.

» RELATED: Justin Timberlake through the years

Timberlake tweeted the meme Thursday that featured a still from the music video. But instead of the usual image, it was updated to fit today’s times amid the coronavirus pandemic: Timberlake’s mouth and nose were covered with a face mask.

“Spring Summer 2020. Thanks for this, Internet,” the singer wrote.

This is not the first time Timberlake has taken notice of May 1.

» RELATED: Photos: Justin Timberlake at Infinite Energy Arena in Gwinnett

In 2017, he seemed to acknowledge the meme by tweeting on May 1, "Hey guys... it's May." And on Instagram last year, he posted a clip from the end of the music video that cut off just before he sang the word "me."

“YOU ALREADY KNOW,” Timberlake wrote in the caption.

But the ‘N Sync frontman isn’t alone in using the viral sensation online. Wearing a shirt that read “It’s Gonna Be May,” former member Joey Fatone posted a selfie on Instagram April 1 pointing to himself.

“Need I say more....” he wrote in the caption.

In case fans need more of the musical meme, 'N Sync has shared an "It's Gonna Be May" playlist.

View this post on Instagram

Need I say more ....

A post shared by Joey Fatone (@realjoeyfatone) on

About the Author

Kiersten Willis is a native advertising specialist at the AJC.

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