One top producer inspired another. Timbaland says Will.I.Am’s handiwork on “I Gotta Feeling” spawned “If We Ever Meet Again” on his Shock Value II LP.

“When I did this song, I was in love with this record called … you’re gonna be surprised. The record didn’t have anything to do with ['If We Ever Meet Again'], but when I heard [the Black Eyed Peas'] ‘I Gotta Feeling,’ I said, ‘I want a record just like that on my album.’ I said, ‘I gotta do me a “I Gotta Feeling” record.’ Me and one of my producers, Jim Beanz, we came up with this concept. I said, ‘["I Gotta Feeling"] is happy, but I like it.’ It gives a good feeling.”

On the record, Tim enlists Katy Perry to sing about meeting that special someone — Timbo sings too, instead of rapping.

“It’s not like it’s incredible singing, but it made sense for me and it fits my voice,” he explained. “To get somebody else to sing it, it might sound too overdone. I like it better with mistakes — I make mistakes. With me singing it, it gives it a different kind of swagger to it.”

Look for that song to be a strong contender for a single and video. Timbaland says he wants the clip to be serious and maybe have Katy playing his guardian angel.

“I wanna make something deep,” he said. “I don’t know if I wanna make it like a relationship. I wanna make it like she saved my life with whatever depression I was going through, whether it be drug depression, weight-loss depression — something. … Will she be around if I go through this again?”

Source: MTV