The song was written and produced by Timberlake, Larrance Dopson, Floyd Nathaniel Hills, and Timbaland, with additional songwriting by Stapleton.

[1] It also reached number one in Slovakia and Slovenia and the top 10 in Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

[3] Justin Timberlake and Chris Stapleton first collaborated at the 2015 Country Music Association Awards, performing "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Drink You Away".

Nashville Scene writer Stephen Trageser interpreted the lyrics as: "...recognizing that someone with the degree of celebrity Timberlake has can do more good by taking up less space.

As in, realizing that weighing in on issues of public concern can easily turn into an event focused on him and his image instead of actually serving the cause at hand.

"[9]Directed by Arturo Perez Jr. and produced by La Blogothèque, the video was filmed using a technique known as "continuous motion" and shot in one take at the Bradbury Building in Los Angeles – famous for its appearance in the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner – with elevators, balconies, and stairs that "personified the labyrinth" the concept required.

[19] Lauren Tingle of CMT gave the song a positive review, writing "it definitely sounds like it could have been born in Timberlake's musically rich home state of Tennessee.

The pop singer's high tenor and Stapleton's gravelly melisma accent the song's driving acoustic rhythm guitars, horns and syncopated percussion.

"[7] In Billboard, Natalie Maher stated the climax of the song occurs "as the two are joined by a full choir, and added band, and then slowly comes down off itself with the line, "maybe it's greatest to say nothing.

"[20] Emily Yahr of The Washington Post said the song "has a guitar-driven sound that could theoretically fit into the modern country world.

From the hip hop-inspired drums, to the country-driven guitar riff, gospel harmonies, and triumphant introspective vocals, you're left feeling satisfied... this is JT at his best and most honest.

[32] In the United States, "Say Something" debuted at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100 with 98,000 downloads sold, after selling additional 21,000 before the tracking week, and 12.8 million streams.