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For the past few years, the first day of May has been marked by a special meme featuring Justin Timberlake.
The “It’s gonna be May” meme heralds the beginning of the month with a joking reference to the singer’s exaggerated pronunciation of the word “me” — making it sound more like “May” — in the *NSYNC hit “It’s Gonna Be Me.”
This year, however, Timberlake is paying tribute to Kianna Davis, the fan who started the meme, which has grown over the years and continues to make its presence felt in 2021.
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“No that it’s ACTUALLY May, I have to give props where they are due,” wrote Timberlake in a tweet. “Look what you started @astro_kianna,” using Davis’ Twitter handle.
Now that it’s ACTUALLY May, I have to give props where they are due. Look what you started @astro_kianna ? https://t.co/Vl3AIDMqWo
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) May 1, 2021
Kianna responded, and enthusiastically.
“Dude I love you so much. Thank you for this and I’ll cherish it forever,” she wrote.
?????? Dude I love you so much. Thank you for this and I’ll cherish it forever ❤️❤️
— ???✨⁷ (@astro_kianna) May 1, 2021
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She also offered a tongue-in-cheek reply via Instagram Story, noting that she’s “so sorry that you have to see this every year.”
Timberlake capped things off by sharing a snippet of Lizzo putting her spin on the song.