Pop singer Selena Gomez and music sensation Justin Bieber once had a widely publicized, on-and-off relationship that dated back to 2011. However, it ended on a sour note, and both parties eventually shared their experiences of heartache to the press.
This makes this recent collaboration more surprising.
The two former lovebirds have allegedly collaborated on a song, which was first played on Drake’s OVO Sound Radio.
Entitled “Strong,” the mysterious track featured vocals from 21-year-old Bieber and 23-year-old Gomez singing about relationship problems. According to some reports, the theme of the song seemed to be inspired by their own love story.
. @selenagomez & @justinbieber release–and quickly delete!–a duet about their relationship: http://t.co/tSs0s8A5SK pic.twitter.com/8ZnkbZxSNb
— Gossip Girl (@gossipgirl) October 19, 2015
In the single, Bieber sings a line, “You’re the only one I’m really missing. Nobody else would be forgiving, cause of all the love that you give me.”
Meanwhile, Gomez responds with the line “Wishing I was better at this damn thing, ’cause it’s just been too long and I can’t change.”
The song is described as a ballad featuring “velvety” guitars and two emotional voices detailing the problems of a long-distance relationship. It is also interesting to note that the track was released two weeks after Selena released her latest album, Revival , and a month before Justin releases his, entitled Purpose .
Unfortunately, the track “Strong,” which was unveiled on Saturday night, immediately disappeared and is currently inaccessible. The good news is some fans were able to save the audio section of the track, so other people might still be able to listen to it on YouTube.
However, to save fans from further speculation, a recent report indicated that the track was a planned effort all along.
According to an insider for Hollywood Life , the two had been planning the collaboration for months. “They are still very tight and [Justin] felt that it would be very therapeutic if they worked together,” the insider said in the report.
After the couple’s breakup last year, Bieber said in an interview , “We were so in love. Nothing else mattered. We were all about each other. Your full identity can’t be in that person. My identity was in her. Her identity was in me.”
Justin Bieber reveals the real reason why his relationship with Selena Gomez didn’t last: http://t.co/y7HhPgheGf pic.twitter.com/iyrygTSIwq
— Glamour (@glamourmag) October 11, 2015
Gomez also reminisced her moments with Justin in a recent interview.
“I got my heart broken,” she shared. However, she added that now there’s “closure in a very good, healthy way.”
Could this track be the closure Selena is referring to?
However, according to the insider, the two did not record the track at the same time.
“[Selena and Justin] didn’t record this together; they laid their tracks separately but were both very involved with the song’s creation and writing,” the source added.
Still, the collaboration would be a good place to start for both artists, whether it’s for mending their friendship or taking their careers to the next level.
During their years as boyfriend-girlfriend, the two sang together for each other’s respective albums. This new single could be a way for the two young music icons to work together again.
Meanwhile, Gomez is currently on a high following the debut of her latest album, Revival , which has reached No.1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The feat marks Selena’s second highest sales week, behind Stars Dance in 2013.
Our girl @SelenaGomez got her second No. 1 album on #Billboard200 chart with #Revival ! So happy for you! ?????? pic.twitter.com/UM3beS50RF
— Z100 New York (@Z100NewYork) October 18, 2015
According to the report , the album, which was launched on Oct. 9 via Interscope Records, sold 117,000 equivalent album units during the week ending on Oct. 15.
The top albums in the Billboard 200 are obtained by computing traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, as well as streaming equivalent albums.
On the other hand, Bieber has continued to tease his fans with his upcoming album, Purpose , which will be released on Nov. 13. The heartthrob released the pre-order link for the album on iTunes on Friday.
[Images by Mike Coppola, Kevin Winter; Getty Images]