Social media users are gearing up for the return of the iconic ‘It’s gonna be May’ meme featuring singer Justin Timberlake as the calendar flips from April to May. The meme originated from NSYNC’s hit song ‘It’s Gonna Be Me,’ where Timberlake’s pronunciation of ‘me’ as ‘May’ sparked the meme trend.

First surfacing on Tumblr in 2012, the meme gained popularity with a calendar image of Timberlake on April 30 declaring ‘It’s gonna be May!’. Since then, various versions of the meme have circulated widely across social media platforms.

In 2020, Timberlake himself joined the meme frenzy by sharing a masked version during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 2023 interview on ‘Hot Ones,’ Timberlake revealed that the idea to sing ‘may’ instead of ‘me’ was suggested by a producer due to the Swedish accents of the songwriters Max Martin, Andreas Calsson, and Rami.

Timberlake humorously remarked on the catchy nature of the song lyrics, attributing it to the unique phrasing by the Swedish songwriters. Despite not initially foreseeing the rise of memes, Timberlake acknowledged the impact of following the producer’s directive in shaping the record.

As May approaches, social media users have already begun sharing the ‘It’s gonna be May’ meme in anticipation of the upcoming month. The meme’s enduring popularity showcases the fun and creativity of online communities in celebrating this annual event.