in
Music
—
The Timberlake Track That Wasn't: How a Danish Artist's Song Sparked a Global Mix-Up
In 2012, a supposed Justin Timberlake "leak" swept the internet. The song, “LLL”, was actually by Danish singer Rasmus Thude, whose R&B style was so similar it fooled fans and media. The confusion created a viral moment before being officially debunked.
In the digital age, information moves at the speed of a click, and so does misinformation. For fans of pop superstar Justin Timberlake, the year 2012 was a time of anticipation. It had been six long years since his critically acclaimed album FutureSex/LoveSounds, and the music world was hungry for his return. It was in this environment of high expectation that a track suddenly appeared online, sending the internet into a frenzy. It had the signature falsetto, the slick R&B production, and the infectious pop hook—it had to be him. But it wasn't.
A Convincing Counterfeit
The song in question was titled “LLL (Love, Liquor, Lick It)”, and it spread like wildfire across blogs, forums, and social media. Major music outlets and entertainment news sites began reporting on the “leaked” track, speculating that it was the first taste of Timberlake’s long-awaited comeback. The similarity was uncanny. The song's structure and vocal performance mirrored Timberlake's work with producer Timbaland so perfectly that even seasoned listeners were convinced of its authenticity. The buzz was immediate and immense; for a few days, it seemed Justin Timberlake was officially back.
The Danish Connection
As the track's popularity surged, so did the scrutiny. Soon, the truth emerged from an unexpected place: Denmark. The song was not a secret project from an American superstar but the work of a Danish pop singer named Rasmus Thude. As the story unraveled, Thude’s management and eventually Timberlake's own label, Jive Records, stepped in to confirm that the song had no connection to Timberlake. The global music community had been duped, not by a malicious hoax, but by a case of remarkable stylistic similarity.
An Accidental Star is Born
For Rasmus Thude, the mix-up was an unintentional and unprecedented career boost. While he was already known in his native Denmark, the confusion catapulted his name into the international spotlight overnight. Suddenly, music fans from around the world were listening to his song, even if they had arrived there by mistake. The incident became a fascinating footnote in pop culture history, demonstrating how an artist's signature sound can be so distinctive that a convincing imitation can fool millions. It served as a lesson in the power of online rumor mills and the collective desire of a fanbase to will new art into existence. While the initial excitement belonged to Timberlake's fans, the fleeting fame and global recognition ultimately belonged to Rasmus Thude. The case of the mistaken leak remains a perfect example of how, in the vast and chaotic world of the internet, sometimes the most compelling stories are the ones that turn out to be untrue.
Sources