Justin Bieber And Cody Simpson To Release Collaborative Duets Album
Justin Bieber teases “Big News,” as pal and collaborator Cody Simpson announces the duo will release a “smack bang duets album” this November.
Stop the presses. Justin Bieber and Cody Simpson are releasing a new album of duets in November.
Finally.
After over two months of teasing new music and a previously hinted “cool acoustic project” that’s on the way from the Australian and the Canadian, on Monday Simpson announced he and Bieber are dropping the motherload in two months time.
Before we get into the “Brown Eyes” singer’s interview, same day tweets between Justin and Cody flagged up the reveal to come.
The 20-year old “Confident” singer tweeted:
Big news this month @CodySimpson
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) September 1, 2014
To which the 17-year-old, who has said he thinks of the Biebs as his “big brother,” replied:
@justinbieber let’s go matey! been practicing away on my six string these past couple days. ready for it all
— Cody Simpson (@CodySimpson) September 1, 2014
To the duets album:
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph Sydney Confidential, Cody opened up on what fans can expect.
“It is a smack bang duets [album],” he explained. “Justin has been a good mate of mine for a while. It’s just us writing.”
Cody continued, “He [Bieber] told me he felt like I’d figured myself out and have grown into what he knows I will be so he was like, ‘I see you as that guitarist, singer songwriter you’ve always wanted to be’. I play all the guitars on the album.”
For multiple reasons, Bieber and Simpson’s “Smack bang duets album” could just be right time, right place for both artists.
Bieber’s under-appreciated, under-selling Journals LP was released last December after Beyoncé’s stealth album drop, which pretty much defines terrible timing.
But, while Journals did not destroy worldwide charts or sales figures — despite topping all those iTunes charts during his 10-week “Music Monday” run — the R&B confessional did receive some tasty reviews from a slew of notable critics.
Before and since, of course, the 20-year-old has hit headlines for non-musical reasons.
But, with the bulk of Bieber’s legal cases resolving, hooking up with buddy Simpson for an unplugged and likely sensitively-toned musical offering makes a lot of sense.
(Photo: Cody supported Justin for some dates on the Canadian’s Believe world tour.)
For Cody, too, this duets album could be a superb move. Like Bieber, he is managed by Braun and broke through in the US with 2011 single “Pretty Brown Eyes.” Three years on, he has yet to find the success of Braun’s other new signings, Rixton and Ariana Grande. But, as Simpson states in his interview, he has just left Warner / Atlantic Records and is ready for the next stage of his career.
“I’m on the edge of a new phase in my career and I’m starting to fall into my own — musically and creatively,” Cody says, adding that his label switch, “was just time for me to find a new home and a new team and a new fresh set of hands on my project and a vision that matched my own.”
Of Bieber’s reputation, Simpson loyally declares,”I can’t speak for him. I don’t get involved in any kind of drama.”
“We are definitely different people and come from different places and different worlds, but as far as to me, he has always been extremely cool and generous.”
So, a Bieber-Simpson duets album is preparing to land. Some questions:
Will it be called “2 guitars,” the hashtag used by both artists in previous online teases? Will there be guests and classics that will blow everyone away as Braun enthused last month?
All will be revealed in November. The countdown begins.
Meetings at the label today in nyc about @justinbieber and @CodySimpson. Everyone is blown away!! #music. Here we come!!
— Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) August 5, 2014
[Images via Getty Images for Mr. Pink/ MTV/Instagram.]
