Justin Timberlake Gives Moving Speech At iHeart Radio Awards

There’s no denying that Justin Timberlake’s song “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” is catchy. There’s also no denying that the mere mention of it has probably left it stuck in your head for the next 24 hours. The song, originally penned for Dreamwork’s animated movie Trolls, hit the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 1, tying with Adele’s “Hello” for fastest-ever rise to the top, and became the best-selling song of 2016 in the United States with 2.49 million copies sold.

Attending the iHeart Radio Awards Sunday night, Justin Timberlake, who came without wife Jessica Biel in tow, nabbed Song of the Year for the feel-good tune that had millions turning up their radios and dancing along. And while “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” may have been one that immediately put listeners in a good mood, its message is much deeper.

“I wrote this song because I wanted it to be about inclusion, about being together. And so I guess I want to take this opportunity to speak to young people right now ‘cause there’s a lot of you looking at me,” Timberlake began his acceptance speech.

“If you are black or you are brown or you are gay or you are lesbian or you are trans — or maybe you’re just a sissy singing boy from Tennessee,” Timberlake continued. “Anyone that is treating you unkindly, it’s only because they are afraid or they have been taught to be afraid of how important you are. Because being different means you make the difference. So f— ’em.”

The inspiring message that the singer-songwriter, originally from Memphis, gave immediately drew cheers on social media, fans praising him for the acceptance speech and his message of inclusion and acceptance.

Justin Timberlake and fans alike likely can’t stop the feel-good feeling they have after that empowering acceptance speech.