Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” has joined the Spotify Billions Club. The track, which features Keri Hilson and D.O.E., has now been streamed more than one billion times on the platform.
“The Way I Are” is Timbaland’s first song as a lead artist to crack the billion mark on Spotify, though songs he produced have crossed the threshold, including Justin Timberlake’s “Mirrors” and Nelly Furtado’s “Promiscuous.” “The Way I Are” is one of many smash hits from Timbaland’s 2007 album Shock Value, which also includes the chart-topping “Give It To Me” with Timberlake and Furtado and “Apologize” with OneRepublic.
Upon its release in 2007, “The Way I Are” climbed to a peak of No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, continuing Timbaland’s dominant run as an artist and producer. It reached No. 1 in several countries including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Timbaland and Hilson wrote the song along with The Clutch, Candice Nelson, and his close collaborator Danja, who also co-produced it. It was included in Timbaland’s nomination as Producer of the Year (Non-Classical) at the 2008 Grammys.
Timbaland is one of the most successful and acclaimed musical talents of his generation. Emerging in the 1990s, the Virginia native reshaped the sound of rap, R&B, and pop through his work with many of the biggest stars in music. His list of superstar collaborators includes Aaliyah, Missy Elliott, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado, Ginuwine, Brandy, and many more. He’s been nominated for 21 Grammy Awards, winning four, and was honored three times as the Songwriter of the Year by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) among other honors from the BET Awards, Teen Choice Awards, People’s Choice Awards, Webby Awards, and Vibe Awards.
