Justin Bieber included a Justin Timberlake moment in his Coachella set on April 18, when he played an old video of himself covering Cry Me a River and sang along with it onstage.
During the performance, Bieber told the crowd he grew up listening to Timberlake and recalled making the cover when he was younger. The clip tied the festival appearance to an early part of Bieber’s career, when he posted covers online before his breakout.
Timberlake later responded on Instagram with a throwback video showing the two together years earlier. In his message, he told Bieber he was proud of him and sent his support.
The exchange followed Bieber’s Coachella appearance, which also featured guest moments with artists including Billie Eilish, SZA, Big Sean and Sexyy Red.
The moment drew attention because it connected Bieber’s early years as a young fan with a major festival performance in front of a live audience. Timberlake’s post then added a direct response from the artist whose song was featured.