Never Let You Go (Justin Bieber song)
Encyclopedia
"Never Let You Go" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
. The track was written by Bieber and also co-written and produced by production duo Johntá Austin
and Bryan-Michael Cox. It was originally released as a promo single from latter half of Bieber's debut album, My World 2.0
on March 2, 2010. The song charted within the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand, twenty-one in the United States, and in the lower regions of the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively. The accompanying music video features Bieber and Paige Hurd
at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas
, including scenes at the resort, an aquarium, and on the coast. Bieber performed the song a number of times, including on BET
's SOS: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti Telethon, which benefited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
.
with moderate tempo. "Never Let You Go" written in D minor
key with the chord progression
B♭-Dm-C. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
noted similarities between "Never Let You Go" and Chris Brown's "Forever
", calling the previous a "fraternal twin" to the latter. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
, using "Never Let You Go" and "Stuck in the Moment" as examples said that "the ballads — often a weak spot on pop/R&B records — are fully realized, mixing love-struck lyrics with big, lovable choruses." Lauren Carter of The Boston Herald stated that, "While it’s hard to buy into so much angst coming from a 16-year-old, the promises of forever (see “Never Let You Go,” for starters) will undoubtedly delight the young girls who dream of spending eternity with pop’s newest heartthrob."
's cover of "Hallelujah" and the Jonas Brothers
' "Pushin' Me Away". It debuted and peaked at fourteen in Canada, after spending four weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 it dropped off. Internationally, the song charted at sixty-seven in Australian Singles Chart, and reached sixteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it was on the chart for three weeks. Via digital sales behind the release of My World 2.0
, "Never Let You Go" reached eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart
.
confirmed in January 2010 that the music video had already been shot by director Colin Tilley while Bieber was at the Atlantis resort
in The Bahamas
. Actress Paige Hurd
portrays Bieber's love interest in the video. The video premiered on March 30, 2010 on Vevo
. It was the new joint on BET
's 106 & Park
on April 5, 2010.
Summarizing the video, Jocelyn Vena MTV News
said, "Bieber is seen hanging out in the catacombs of Bahamian aquariums...In this new clip, Bieber is seen performing on the beach and frolicking with Hurd. Bieber is definitely growing up a lot in this video — sharing near-kisses, touching and nuzzling with his girl. Shots of the pair in silhouette holding hands play into the video's plot of two young teens falling in love in a very exotic locale." Vena also said that Bieber continues his "knack for Michael Jackson
-esque dance moves." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly
called the video "So romantic," as "they dance in an age-appropriate fashion." Chris Ryan of MTV News reviewed the video positively, stating that it is, "a really nice take on the innocence of young love, full of flirting, dancing and hair-touching."
grand opening in Mission Viejo, California
, and in a live session with MTV. He also later performed it on The Early Show
as a part of their 2010 Super Bowl programming, and on BET
's SOS: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti Telethon, to benefit Haiti after the earthquake
, performing live on February 6, 2009, which also aired on VH1
, and MTV
.
Source
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. The track was written by Bieber and also co-written and produced by production duo Johntá Austin
Johnta Austin
Johntá Austin is an American singer-songwriter, who is currently signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is commonly known for collaborating with Producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri & The Production Team StarGate. Austin was awarded two Grammy Awards for his work on the songs...
and Bryan-Michael Cox. It was originally released as a promo single from latter half of Bieber's debut album, My World 2.0
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
on March 2, 2010. The song charted within the top twenty in Canada and New Zealand, twenty-one in the United States, and in the lower regions of the charts in Australia and the United Kingdom, respectively. The accompanying music video features Bieber and Paige Hurd
Paige Hurd
Paige Audrey Marie Hurd is an American actress. She is of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. She is best known for her role as Tasha Clarkson on the American sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.-Career:...
at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
, including scenes at the resort, an aquarium, and on the coast. Bieber performed the song a number of times, including on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's SOS: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti Telethon, which benefited victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
.
Composition and critical reception
"Never Let You Go" published in common timeCommon Time
"Common Time" is a science fiction short story written by James Blish. It first appeared in the August 1953 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and has been reprinted several times: in the 1959 short-story collection Galactic Cluster; in The Testament of Andros ; in The Penguin Science Fiction...
with moderate tempo. "Never Let You Go" written in D minor
D minor
D minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
key with the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
B♭-Dm-C. Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
noted similarities between "Never Let You Go" and Chris Brown's "Forever
Forever (Chris Brown song)
"Forever" is a song by American R&B singer Chris Brown. It is produced by Polow da Don. It is the first single from the repackaged Exclusive: Forever Edition, and is the fifth overall single by Brown from his second studio album, Exclusive with uncredited backing vocals from Keri Hilson...
", calling the previous a "fraternal twin" to the latter. Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
, using "Never Let You Go" and "Stuck in the Moment" as examples said that "the ballads — often a weak spot on pop/R&B records — are fully realized, mixing love-struck lyrics with big, lovable choruses." Lauren Carter of The Boston Herald stated that, "While it’s hard to buy into so much angst coming from a 16-year-old, the promises of forever (see “Never Let You Go,” for starters) will undoubtedly delight the young girls who dream of spending eternity with pop’s newest heartthrob."
Chart performance
"Never Let You Go" debuted and peaked at number twenty-one in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100. It was listed on the chart for two weeks before dropping off. The song, like previous digital-only singles of Bieber's, had limited stays on the charts, and holds the record for the second all-time biggest week-to-week descent in Hot 100 history, behind Justin TimberlakeJustin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's cover of "Hallelujah" and the Jonas Brothers
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
' "Pushin' Me Away". It debuted and peaked at fourteen in Canada, after spending four weeks on the Canadian Hot 100 it dropped off. Internationally, the song charted at sixty-seven in Australian Singles Chart, and reached sixteen on the New Zealand Singles Chart, where it was on the chart for three weeks. Via digital sales behind the release of My World 2.0
My World 2.0
My World 2.0 is the latter of two-part debut studio album from Canadian singer Justin Bieber, and is his first full studio release. The album is the follow-up to the first platinum certified half of the album, which was released on November 17, 2009, via Island Records, and 2.0 was first released...
, "Never Let You Go" reached eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Music video
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
confirmed in January 2010 that the music video had already been shot by director Colin Tilley while Bieber was at the Atlantis resort
Atlantis Paradise Island
The Atlantis Paradise Island is a resort and waterpark located on Paradise Island, The Bahamas. Officially opened in 1998, the resort was created by South African hotel magnate Sol Kerzner and Kerzner International Limited. Paradise Island first opened its Coral and Beach Towers as the Trump...
in The Bahamas
The Bahamas
The Bahamas , officially the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, is a nation consisting of 29 islands, 661 cays, and 2,387 islets . It is located in the Atlantic Ocean north of Cuba and Hispaniola , northwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and southeast of the United States...
. Actress Paige Hurd
Paige Hurd
Paige Audrey Marie Hurd is an American actress. She is of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. She is best known for her role as Tasha Clarkson on the American sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.-Career:...
portrays Bieber's love interest in the video. The video premiered on March 30, 2010 on Vevo
Vevo
Vevo is a music video website. It is a joint venture among Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Abu Dhabi Media with EMI licensing its content to the group without taking an ownership stake. The service was launched officially on December 8, 2009...
. It was the new joint on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's 106 & Park
106 & Park
106 & Park is a Top Ten Hip-Hop and R&B music video show, set up in a countdown format, that airs weekdays at 6:00 PM on BET . Since its inception, it was the network's #1 rated show...
on April 5, 2010.
Summarizing the video, Jocelyn Vena MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
said, "Bieber is seen hanging out in the catacombs of Bahamian aquariums...In this new clip, Bieber is seen performing on the beach and frolicking with Hurd. Bieber is definitely growing up a lot in this video — sharing near-kisses, touching and nuzzling with his girl. Shots of the pair in silhouette holding hands play into the video's plot of two young teens falling in love in a very exotic locale." Vena also said that Bieber continues his "knack for Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
-esque dance moves." Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
called the video "So romantic," as "they dance in an age-appropriate fashion." Chris Ryan of MTV News reviewed the video positively, stating that it is, "a really nice take on the innocence of young love, full of flirting, dancing and hair-touching."
Live performances
Bieber performed the song several times including at the new Microsoft StoreMicrosoft Store
The Microsoft Store consists of fourteen retail stores and an online shopping site, and is owned and operated by Microsoft, dealing in computers, computer software and consumer electronics...
grand opening in Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo, California
Mission Viejo is a city located in southern Orange County, California, U.S. in the Saddleback Valley. Mission Viejo is considered one of the largest master-planned communities ever built under a single project in the United States, and is rivaled only by Highlands Ranch, Colorado, in its size...
, and in a live session with MTV. He also later performed it on The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
as a part of their 2010 Super Bowl programming, and on BET
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
's SOS: Saving Ourselves - Help for Haiti Telethon, to benefit Haiti after the earthquake
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
, performing live on February 6, 2009, which also aired on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
Credits and personnel
- Songwriting - Justin BieberJustin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
, Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntá AustinJohnta AustinJohntá Austin is an American singer-songwriter, who is currently signed to Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. He is commonly known for collaborating with Producers Bryan-Michael Cox, Jermaine Dupri & The Production Team StarGate. Austin was awarded two Grammy Awards for his work on the songs... - ProductionRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
- Bryan-Michael Cox, Johntá Austin - Vocal recordingSound recording and reproductionSound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
- Sam Thomas - Instruments - Bryan-Michael Cox
- MixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Manny Marroquin, assisted by Christian Plata and Erik Madrid
Source
Charts
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
67 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
14 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
16 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
84 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
21 |