Justin Bieber Powers Jack Ü Into Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Top 10
Justin Bieber’s “Where Are Ü Now” song on which he features with Jack Ü — namely — Skrillex and Diplo’s collaborative album, has powered into the Top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, moving up four places from its No. 13 debut last week to No. 9.
According to Nielsen Music, the track punched in second-week sales of 17,000 downloads in the week ending March 8, while registering 1.5 million U.S. streams (with 80 per cent of that reportedly coming from Spotify).
Between February 23–March 2, it was the second most streamed track on Spotify globally, and the third highest in the U.S. in that period, the Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, from March 2–8, AP notes “Where Are U? Now” reached No. 9 on Spotify’s Top 10 Most Viral Tracks in the U.S.
The Skrillex & Diplo Present Jack U? album debuted straight in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart after it sold 14,000 in the week ending March 14.
As a result of reaction to Bieber’s feature on the much-talked about album, there is now a good deal of optimistic talk about Bieber’s upcoming solo album — which he is reportedly working on with Def Jam Records founder and legendary producer Rick Rubin — and the musical direction and influences it may reflect.
Likewise, following hype for Jack Ü’s first album, a spread of strong reviews for the dance titans’ new opus has buoyed the EDM scene.
The Biebs is one of eight artists featuring on Skrillex and Diplo’s album, with big cuts from Kiesza, Aluna George, and 2 Chainz also included among others.
Billboard notes the producer-DJ’s have six other tracks on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, but so far, only the Bieber cut has made the Top 10.
Reviews of “Where Are Ü Now” have been almost universally glowing. Of these, Fader’s Larry Fitzmaurice’s is notable for its clarity and poetry. He writes,
“Diplo has more lives than a cat at this point—just when you think he’s felled by controversy or straight-up wack-ass music, he comes back with some hot fire. He’s also EDM’s Quentin Tarantino, in that he’s known for rehabbing more careers than Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown combined.”
“Enter Justin Bieber, tortured party-boy and one-time Orlando Bloom assailant, whose pipsqueak-y pipes ride this highlight from Diplo and Skrillex’s debut LP as Jack Ü with a gossamer touch, like strobe lights hitting a night sky.”
“Bonus points for the hollowed-out hook, which is like an anthemic EDM chorus stripped of its muscle, leaving the mind’s imagination to fill in the chunky synths that would normally stomp out something so strangely beautiful.”
It’s going to be interesting to see how high Beliebers and new fans drawn to Bieber’s and Jack Ü’s jam, can push the song on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.
[Images via WENN]
