Justin Timberlake and Ant Clemons united for performance of “Better Days” during the primetime special dubbed Celebrating America on Wednesday (Jan. 20), live from Memphis, Tennessee.
After a brief introduction by 8-year-old Cavanaugh Bell, who organized and gathered truckloads of supplies for those in need, Timberlake and Clemons took to the national stage to perform their collaborative track, “Better Days.”
“We wanted to be a glimmer of hope. And show someone this is the perspective you can take and miss the storm,” Clemons said ahead of their timely performance. Timberlake added, “This song was our way of doing what little we could to encourage everyone to stay hopeful and to keep working towards a better future.”
Watch the full performance below.
“Better Days” is a song that reminds listeners that “there is light at the end of the tunnel” and Clemons hopes that the song comes as a healing during these difficult times.
Performing from “iconic locations across the country,” Celebrating America also featured performances by Black Pumas, Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard, Jon Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, Katy Perry, John Legend, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Demi Lovato, Bruce Springsteen and more.
Additionally, the program featured remarks from President Biden and Vice President Harris and “showcased the American people’s resilience, heroism, and unified commitment to coming together as a nation to heal and rebuild.”
The televised special also featured special guest appearances from Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chef José Andrés, Dolores Huerta and Kim Ng.
Hosted by Tom Hanks, the primetime inaugural celebration special aired on Wednesday, January 20 (live 8:30–10:00 PM ET/PT) on ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, PBS, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch. The PIC’s streaming partners, including Amazon Prime Video, Microsoft Bing, NewsNOW from Fox, and AT&T U-verse (Channel 212/1212 in SD/HD) and DIRECTV (Channel 201).
Prior to the primetime special (Jan. 20), Garth Brooks, Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez performed during Biden/Harris’ swearing-in ceremony earlier in the day.