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Justin Bieber, Skrillex, And Diplo Land 2016 Grammys Nomination For ‘Where Are Ü Now?’

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 03:58 PST, Dec 7, 2015

Justin Bieber’s already astonishing comeback just got even more impressive. The pop icon’s “Where Are Ü Now?” collaboration with Jack Ü’s Diplo and Skrillex is nominated for Best Dance Recording of the year at the 2016 Grammys.

The nominations for the 58th annual Grammys were announced today and feature a mix of predictable and some unknown names in the categories. A few of the big nominations were announced live during the CBS morning show, with the full list rolling out on the official GRAMMY website.

Co-written by Justin Bieber and Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, and produced and mixed by Diplo (aka Thomas Pentz) and Skrillex (Sonny Moore), “Where Are Ü Now?” featured on the EDM titans’ February 27-dropped Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü album.

Later, it also appears on Bieber’s comeback Purpose album but isn’t nominated from that work as it was not released in time for Grammys submissions.

Other songs in the Best Dance Recording category for the 2016 Grammys are “We’re All We Need” from the Above & Beyond trance production group with Zoë Johnston, “Go” by The Chemical Brothers, “Never Catch Me” with producer Flying Lotus (Steve Ellison), rapper Kendrick Lamar, and Kevin Marques Moo, mixer, and “Runaway (U & I)” from Galantis’ Pharmacy album.

“Where Are Ü Now?” received widespread critical plaudits and triggered ripples through the dance world in the wake of Jack Ü’s album release. The single was formally sent to radio in April and peaked at No. 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart after entering at No. 97.

Diplo and Skillex’s team-up with Bieber delivered the production duo their first Top 10s as lead artists and massively raised their profile. To wit, after recently earning the Best Collaboration of the Year Award at the last month’s American Music Awards, now comes a Grammy nomination.

Widely considered to be the game changer that first presented the rebooted and musically rejuvenated Bieber to the world after his hiatus, “Where” raised new ceilings for the dance genre’s crossover into the mainstream. The bittersweet banger went double platinum in the U.S., with certifications all around the world. It charted high in multiple countries and has generated nearly 400 million streams worldwide.

The Bieber, Diplo, Skrillex dream team trinity received a New York Times vlog write-up earlier this year, while “Where Are Ü Now?” garnered a slew of thinkpieces from the music and wider press.

Diplo and Skrillex’s Jack Ü record is also nominated for the Best Dance/Electronic Album.

Today’s Best Dance Recording Grammy nomination is Bieber’s third Grammys nomination. Back in 2011, he was nominated for Best New Artist, which he famously — and many would say, unfairly — lost out to Esperanza Spalding. His first full-length album, My World 2.0, was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album.

Come 2013, the heartthrob was snubbed in nominations for his 2012 Believe album. At the time, it was talked up as Bieber’s transition to adult moment. An overly-documented bumpy two-years followed.

Fast forward to Bieber making jaws drop with an exquisite vocal on “Where Are Ü Now?” then breaking multiple records with “What Do you Mean?” — the lead single from Purpose. The singer went on to top Billboard’s 200 Albums chart with 640,000 traditional and equivalent units after its November 13 release. That feat saw Bieber dance into the history books as the youngest male artist to launch at No. 1 atop the 200.

The pop prince’s album (and current chart slaying singles “Sorry” and “Love Yourself”) have since either broken or equalled multiple chart records around the world, including Elvis Presley’s, The Beatles’, and Madonna’s. Bieber also set new streaming records and bested One Direction’s Made in the A.M.

Many thought Bieber’s “What Do You Mean?” could have received a nomination for Record of the Year and Song of the Year, but it was not to be.

Elsewhere in the Grammys nominations, Kendrick Lamar leads all nominees with 11, while The Weeknd and Taylor Swift each have seven nominations. See the full 2016 nominees list under the link.

Diplo has already tweeted a congratulatory message to Bieber and Skrillex. The singer chimed in online shortly after. Meanwhile, Bieber’s fans and others are over the moon at their boy’s nomination.

Update: The Biebs later shared a Instagram pic of himself with Diplo and Skrillex, captioned, “Up for a Grammy with these guys thanks to everyone who has been a part of this amazing musical transition.”

Without question, Bieber perceived renewed critical and musical relevancy began with the irresistible power of “Where Are Ü Now?” It paved the way for Skrillex becoming the primary producer on Purpose, and — with hindsight — led inexorably to a Grammy nom. Whatever happens come February 2016, Jack Ü and Bieber’s collaboration defines the best that word celebrates.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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