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Justin Bieber And Jack U?’s ‘Where Are U? Now’ Is A Game Changer

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 12:35 PST, Mar 3, 2015

Justin Bieber’s feature on “Where Are Ü Now,” his new song with Jack Ü, producers-DJs Skrillex and Diplo, which was co-written with Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, has been rapturously received by many. These include fresh music-starved Beliebers, dance-heads, critics, and a lot of the general public.

Described as the “wildcard” of the Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü album in one ecstatic review, Bieber meets Jack Ü over an addictive, bass-pulsing, mid-tempo soundscape and graces it with exquisitely sung, emotional lyrics that pack a powerful charge.

Aside from the quality of the track, a large part of “Where Are Ü Now’s” impact comes from the surprise of how great it is. For those following the progress of the Jack U? album, and/or Bieber’s career, DJ Snake’s Twitter heads up just days before the 10–track debut dropped was only the clue that the trio’s work together had produced something special.

For everyone else, it was out-of-nowhere fire on a highly anticipated, zeitgeist album.

French, Grammy-nominated DJ Snake tweeted that it was the “record of the year.” There are still nine months to go before his claim expires. But there’s no denying the Bieber cut will be a contender.

Between February 23-March 2, it was the second most streamed track on Spotify globally, and the third highest in the U.S. in the same period, the Associated Press reports.

A snapshot of Twitter’s reaction to “Where Are Ü Now” reveals why.

Capital Radio DJ/presenter Joe Flemons tweeted the following.

The splash that Bieber, Diplo, and Skrillex’s collaboration is making arrives at the perfect time for all three — but especially the Biebs. The just-turned 21-year-old is coming off an equal parts troubling, yet fascinating, two years of headline-attracting incidents and media focus. Much of the latter has been overwrought or misleading, and often, fabricated fiction.

Into the mix of all that, Time, among others, have questioned Bieber’s musical relevancy. Notably, these voices do so while chronicling the singer’s every move and celebrity photo agencies make a fortune selling pics of him to media outlets and networks.

That said, Bieber’s last body of work was Journals at the close of 2013. Some critics loved the confessional R&B collection, but it didn’t stick in the charts. Meanwhile, 2012’s Believe album garnered hits but not acclaim, and 2013’s Believe Acoustic had lovely moments but was strictly for the fans.

“Where Are Ü Now” has changed that premature narrative of decline. In an industry where artists are judged by their last hit, this strangely, shimmering joint has, and is, changing the Justin Bieber conversation back round to optimistic anticipation for his in-the-works album.

Refinery29 writes, “Now, over half a decade after being discovered, Bieber is on the brink of something new. His latest endeavors mixed pop and R&B, but his most recent song — providing guest vocals on a Jack Ü track — holds a lot of promise.”

“He’s still tugging the heartstrings, but this time there’s soul behind his delivery. There’s something a little deeper, a little more nuanced. Here’s to the return of pop’s prince,” the site continued.

Wondrous reviews of the song are everywhere. Factor in January’s revelation that Bieber is working on his new album with Def Jam Records founder and legendary super-producer Rick Rubin; the singer’s confessional video, during which he drew a line under “conceited” and “arrogant” behavior; and his willingness to be mocked at his looming Comedy Central Roast — and there’s a lot to be excited about in Bieber’s new, adult era.

Justin Bieber
(Photo: Bieber is reportedly working on his 2015-slated album with Rick Rubin)

“A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her,” according to the late David Brinkley, the acclaimed broadcast newscaster-journalist for NBC and ABC. Notable for his wit, honesty and insight, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.

[Images via Getty Images/Instagram]

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