Justin Timberlake offered a hopeful message during the festivities for Joe Biden‘s 2021 presidential inauguration.
As part of the live “Celebrating America” prime-time special that aired on Jan. 20, the superstar teamed up with R&B vocalist Ant Clemons for the song “Better Days.”
This segment was filmed in Timberlake’s hometown of Memphis, Tenn. and featured the singers starting out indoors before making their way to the streets, where they danced with a small group of students and alumni from the city’s Stax Music Academy. The performance took place at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, which stands at the site of the former studio where Otis Redding and other iconic musicians have recorded.
Clemons, who is nominated for a 2021 Grammy for his EP Happy 2 Be Here, told NBC New York that Biden’s team reached out to the pair after hearing them debut the tune as part of Stacey Abrams‘ “Rock the Runoff” virtual event in December 2020.
