Update: Justin Bieber’s grainy but great remix of pal Drake’s “Hotline Bling” via a phone number, ignited a swathes of the Internet yesterday. But the people were desperate for a better quality version.
Cue OVO Sound Radio premiering the CDQ version of Bieber’s runs-for-days take on one of the biggest records of the year on Saturday night.
Take a listen below.
Original article:
Justin Bieber isn’t having a meltdown. Instead, he just dropped a liquid gold remix of pal Drake’s uber hit “Hotline Bling.”
After first teasing the idea of a Bieberveli “Hotline Bling” remix in a tweet, asking, “Keep getting asked for a remix. U know @drake is my brother for life…should we do this? Part 1 today),” the superstar put up a version of the now-famous artwork, before sharing an Instagram video, in which he asked followers to call him on a “hotline” (it’s a Michigan phone number) to hear “something cool.”
Keep getting asked for a remix. U know @drake is my brother for life…should we do this? Part 1 today ?
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) October 30, 2015
https://instagram.com/p/9eXuokAvih/
Call me 231 377 1113 on my cell phone pic.twitter.com/UAGG4ntQNf
— Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) October 30, 2015
“Call me 231 377 1113 on my cell phone” is the instruction also posted at Justin Bieber’s Twitter account. We called it in a New York second (not minute), and heard a low quality version of the 21-year-old’s very tasty vocals on a remix of Drake’s “Hotline Bling” chart slayer.
One fast-on-the-draw Internet user recorded the track via a phone and streamed it at SoundCloud, which was subsequently removed.
Justin Bieber isn’t the first to offer a remix of the Drizzy’s latest memed-to-death tune, and he probably won’t be the last, but the younger star’s take sounds great. And it’s radio friendly. Will it power “Hotline Bling” up to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart? The song is currently No. 2, as it’s blocked (as is everyone) by the return of Queen Adele on “Hello.” Time will tell.
Bieber kicks thing off with a spoken word riff on his big hits this year: “Where Are U Now?,” “What Do You Mean?,” and “Sorry” before launching into a smooth-as-butter rendition.
At the end of the phone call, another voice on a recording tells you that JB’s new album, Purpose , comes out on November 13.
The lyric rewrite, which tells the story of a woman cheating on the Biebs, co-writer Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd explains the plot is a fictional story of Bieber and Drake both finding out the woman is seeing them both, but the pair’s friendship remains intact.
Poo Bear: @justinbieber ‘s “Hotline Bling” remix is about his friendship with @drake . https://t.co/VeoP1HY6Wh pic.twitter.com/ebzxAg3aeH
— The FADER (@thefader) October 31, 2015
As seen below, there’s a lot of interest in the pop prince’s remix from his Beliebers, Drake’s devotees, media, and music critics.
Pick up your cell phone to hear @justinbieber ‘s #HotlineBlingRemix https://t.co/oPBysoiihv pic.twitter.com/UJ8IN57ia0
— MTV News (@MTVNews) October 30, 2015
Call up @justinbieber and hear his new remix of @Drake ‘s “Hotline Bling” https://t.co/QstGZFDi18 pic.twitter.com/GKjhwCAmdT
— HotNewHipHop (@HotNewHipHop) October 30, 2015
. @justinbieber remixed @drake ‘s “Hotline Bling” and it’s #BieberBling –> https://t.co/md6XajR6Gs pic.twitter.com/vYbs9ebaTD
— VH1 Music (@VH1Music) October 30, 2015
I KNOW WHEN THAT HOTLINE BLING https://t.co/psNxeByWCh pic.twitter.com/4HmfY8AZBv
— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) October 30, 2015
Justin Bieber just dropped his remix of #HotlineBling (via hotline)—listen now: https://t.co/myP9DmX8Kd pic.twitter.com/AuED2TOomQ
— Fuse TV (@fusetv) October 30, 2015
. @justinbieber – Hotline Bling Remix Out Now https://t.co/mnQIm7qLYF pic.twitter.com/rT521JhAD2
— OVOForums.com (@ovoforums) October 30, 2015
The Day the Internet Died: Justin Bieber Just Covered Hotline Bling https://t.co/FA0nie7CQS #JustinBieber #drake #purpose #hotlinebling
— Howl & Echoes (@HowlandEchoes) October 30, 2015
Listen to Justin Bieber’s “Hotline Bling” remix: https://t.co/zcCBKUbw7P pic.twitter.com/VXWDgtgH9Y
— XXL Magazine (@XXL) October 30, 2015
Bieber is good. Like it’s not shocking anymore, but it’s still insane. https://t.co/CouiOKTxEZ
— Micah Singleton (@MicahSingleton) October 30, 2015
When I think about the fact that we got 3 amazing songs back to back and now a great cover pic.twitter.com/2Kce0wyJJo
— Mo (@momoszn_) October 30, 2015
Bieber snapped on Hotline Bling Remix
— Stephen Dacres (@SRDtv) October 30, 2015
Drake wants that #1 Billboard spot HEAVY, enlisted Bieber for the Hotline Bling remix. IT’S A WRAP.
— Persian Papi (@ThatPersianGuy) October 30, 2015
this is the best 3 minute phone call I have ever had! https://t.co/fKLpbSmFka
— Madvillain Goth (@madfitzroth) October 30, 2015
BASED BIEBS GIVING US A HOTLINE BLING REMIX?!??! pic.twitter.com/IkAvtWocha
— Shennessy. (@ShenaeCurry) October 30, 2015
Back in August, Bieber teased a collaboration with Drake. People assumed the Toronto rapper would feature on Purpose . Now that the reveal of the “What Do You Mean?” singer’s album track list has come and gone without a trace of Drizzy, it seems the two superstars did a track exchange instead.
The Biebs took on “Hotline Bling,” and as per the “Part 1 today” hint in one of his social media teases, the smart money says Drake will be firing over a “Sorry” remix tomorrow.
Bieberveli hops on “Hotline Bling” today, Aubrey returns the favour on “Sorry” tomorrow at 6. Both dethrone Abel and Adele on the charts?
— Dynamics £ (@theDYNAMICS) October 30, 2015
Artists including Erykah Badu, Disclosure x Sam Smith, and Art of Sleeping previously climbed aboard the “Hotline Bling” remix train. While we all anxiously await the high-quality Justin Bieber version, listen to it by dialing (231) 377-1113, or by streaming above.
The Biebs’ creative release of the remix echoes the imaginative, promotional twists and turns that have been a feature of the Purpose campaign so far. Meltdown, who?
https://instagram.com/p/9eRrfXgvmX/?taken-by=justinbieber
[Images via Instagram]