Jack Ü’s “Where Are Ü Now feat. Justin Bieber” has been the addictive play from the EDM titans’ stealth-dropped album ever since February. But, have you ever wondered what the original version of the song sounds like?
What are we going on about?
Well, the day after Bieber and Diplo joined Skrillex on stage to close Miami’s Ultra Music Festival with their juggernaut jam “Where Are Ü Now,” Diplo told a local radio station that the Canadian superstar actually brought the completed song to the table before Jack Ü’s production turned it into a hit.
“It was a really strong record that Justin wrote, it was like a ballad,” Diplo told Power 96 co-hosts. He recalled, “I said, ‘Yo Sonny, man, listen to this record. We could f*** this record up, this is crazy.’”
Thus, even though the billing on the record reads “Where Are Ü Now (feat. Justin Bieber )” — in reality — the heartthrob is a core co-writer of the track with Jason “Pooh Bear” Boyd, whom the Biebs previously acknowledged is a co-writer.
Back in May, before taking to the stage at the Wango Tango concert, Bieber told L.A. radio station KIIS 102.7 co-hosts that the demo performance of the track featured “just me and piano. Skrillex just came in and did his stuff.”
Jokingly, he added , “Him and Diplo messed up the beat.”
Fast forward to June 10. Poo Bear played the original demo version of the song during a Wednesday show on Dash Radio.
Surprisingly, some of the features present on Jack U’s tribal-beat banger are heard on the Biebs’ and Boyd’s original (it’s not known how many incarnations their demo had). But the metronomic electro keys heard throughout “Where Are Ü Now,” the melancholy piano, the entire melody and lyric topline, and the chords were all in place before the song found its kismet way into Jack Ü’s hands.
What’s missing on the original version are what Diplo and Skrillex gave it: Namely, drama and musical tension. The duo added that repetitive, Arabic-sounding synth, the enormous drop, speeded up Bieber’s vocals , added bass, sub, and whatever else is noodling around in Jack Ü’s diamond-hard final mix.
It’s the tightness of Jack Ü’s production that meshes so effectively with Bieber’s crystalline vocals, creating sonic space for those bittersweet lyrics to really be heard — and felt. The combination of the already written “Where Are Ü Now” demo and Jack Ü’s production is a great example of how powerful, intelligent collaborations can be.
“This was the version that was cut before Diplo and Skrillex actually got a hold of it and put that incredible sound on it,” Poo Bear revealed on Dash Radio, Just Jared reported.
“It just went gold actually yesterday, congratulations Jack Ü & Justin,” Boyd added.” If I’m not mistaken, this version will go on his album.”
It remains to be seen if it makes sense to Bieber to put the original version of “Where” on his upcoming album, which is being produced by Kanye West and Rick Rubin.
Meanwhile, a music video has been shot for the single, which may reverse its fortunes on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart . The track has slipped from #19 from #17, but that trajectory may 180 when the visual drops.
Just wait. @Skrillex , @diplo & @justinbieber ‘s #WhereAreUNow music video is going to be one of the year’s best. pic.twitter.com/0UIR4Ri7jz
— Dancing Astronaut (@dancingastro) June 8, 2015
Hopes are high that it will be a stylish affair. A recent tweet from the dance music outlet Dancing Astronaut bodes well.
Which version of “Where Are Ü Now” do you prefer? The original or with Jack Ü?
[Images via Justin Bieber Snapchat]