Justin Timberlake is giving credit where it’s due.
On Saturday, May 1, the Grammy-winning singer took to social media to recognize Kianna Davis—the creator of the popular “It’s gonna be May” meme. For those who aren’t familiar (there’s gotta be some of you out there), the meme begins appearing on timelines at the end of every April, as people anticipate the beginning of May. The meme originates from *NSYNC’s 2000 hit “It’s Gonna Be Me,” in which Timberlake famously pronounces “me” with a bit of twang, making it sound like he’s saying, “It’s gonna be may.”
“Now that it’s ACTUALLY May, I have to give props where they are due,” Timberlake wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “Look what you started @astro_kianna.”
Davis caught wind of the shout-out and responded to the pop star in an Instagram story, writing: “Can’t believe this. I’ll never forget it (but dude I’m so sorry that you have to see this every year 😂😂😂) Love you always ❤️.”
Timberlake faced renewed backlash this year following the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary, which included old clips of the former *NSYNC member sharing intimate details of his and Spears’ past relationship. Spears fans showed their support for the “Oops!… I Did It Again” by creating alternatives to the “It’s gonna be May” meme:
Davis addressed the controversy via Twitter on Saturday, explaining she was a fan of both Timberlake and Spears.
