Never Say Never (Justin Bieber song)
Encyclopedia
"Never Say Never" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
. The song serves as the theme song for The Karate Kid
(2010), and features rap interludes from the film's star, Jaden Smith
. It was originally a risque demo with sexual lyrics performed by American singer Travis Garland, it was written and produced by The Messengers
, and Omarr Rambert. However, for unknown reasons, Bieber was tapped to record the song for the film. He re-wrote the song with The Messengers, Rambert, Smith, and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell
, to feature inspirational lyrics to foil the film's theme. The song contains R&B
and pop
elements while merging hip-hop. The song was released for digital download in the United States on June 8, 2010. The song was later included as a track on the remix album My Worlds Acoustic
(2010). On December 16, 2010, it was reported that the song had made the shortlist for the 83rd Academy Awards
for Best Original Song. To promote Bieber's 3D concert film of the same name
, the song was released as the lead single from Bieber's second remix album, Never Say Never – The Remixes
.
"Never Say Never" peaked within the top twenty in Canada, Norway, and New Zealand, while reaching the top forty in the Australia, as well as charting in other international markets. After it was re-released as the lead single from – The Remixes, promoting his film, the single peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100
, becoming Bieber's second top-ten single in the United States. Its accompanying music video, directed by Honey, features Smith and Bieber in a recording studio playing around and dancing, and is intercut with scenes from the film. He has notably performed the song on Today and on his My World Tour
. Smith joined Bieber during the tour's stop at Madison Square Garden
to perform the song for scenes in Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
.
, Nasri
, Omarr Rambert, and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell
, while Smith added lines. Carina Adly MacKenzie of Zap2it
preferred Bieber and Smith's version, commenting, "No wonder Bieb skipped this version -- it's a total snoozer. You'd think that a song about sex would be more interesting than a song about little kids doing karate... but no." Bieber hinted at the collaboration by posting a promo photo of he and Smith on his Twitter
, and also posting that a video of his would premiere before "Somebody to Love
," the second single from his studio album debut, My World 2.0
. The song was confirmed when the track listing for the soundtrack was revealed. It was released on iTunes
in the United States on June 8, 2010.
which includes hip hop
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
, "Never Say Never" is set in common time
with a metronome of 96 beats per minute, which is described as "steady, not too fast." It is composed in the key of A minor
with vocals spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of C6. The song follows in the chord progression
of Am–C–G–D Bieber provides lead vocals in the song while Smith provides the backing with rap interludes. The song is a "motivational track," containing inspirational lyrics, such as Bieber singing about a life filled with adversity, through lines like, "I never thought that I could walk through fire / I never thought that I could take the burn". Idolator thought the song as a tween-friendly version of Eminem
's "Lose Yourself
." Smith's lines reference his father, and puns in the phrase, "raised by the power of Will". He also makes reference to his lineage by saying "Born from two stars so the moon's where I land.", as he is the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who are both Hollywood stars. Smith also makes references to Luke Skywalker
and Kobe Bryant
in his lines.
gave the song a positive review, calling it "a burst of energy", and stating, "Even on a soundtrack featuring the likes of Lady Gaga
, John Mayer
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
, this single...is sure to stand out as the film's flagship anthem." Toor also complimented Bieber's "now-trademark silky smooth voice." Monica Herrera of Billboard
said that Smith's rapping skills could rival those of his former-rapper father. E! Online
said "And while some might insist that "Parents Just Don't Understand
," we think Big Willy would totally be down with Jaden's rap." Maria-Mercedes Lara of Celebuzz
said, "don't make assumptions with the suspiciously nepotistic circumstances surrounding Jaden's appearance on Bieber's song: the kid is actually really good." Lara also commented that Bieber should "should be watching his back for Jaden's rising star." Tiger Beat
said that they loved the song, and said it had a "great beat."
, propelled by its debut at number seventeen on the Hot Digital Songs
chart selling 76,000 copies. The song became Bieber's ninth consecutive top 40 release for a regular or digital single as a lead artist. In Canada on the Canadian Hot 100
, the song debuted at eleven. The single debuted at forty-five on the Australian Singles Chart, and peaked at thirty-eight in its second week, while on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song debuted and peaked at twenty. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
(RIANZ) certified "Never Say Never" gold on June 5, 2011, denoting the sale of 7,500 copies. On the Norwegian Singles Chart, the song debuted at eighteen, and spent one week on the chart. Debuting at seventy-five on the Austrian Singles Chart, the following week it peaked at forty-six on the chart. On the Dutch Single Top 100, after spending four weeks on the chart, the song peaked at seventy. On the Tip charts in both Belgian regions
, the song peaked at two and five.
, and eating Twizzlers
. The scenes also show the two shadowboxing
, as footage from the flim shows Smith performing an "array of fight moves." Near the end of the clip features Bieber giving a roundhouse kick. Both Wall Street Journal Online and E! Online
noted the low-production value of the clip. Kyle Anderson of MTV News
commended Bieber's latest "attention-grabbing video," and jokingly stated, "As a video that features fighting, it's a pretty strong entry, and it joins the list of great fight-centric videos below." An Idolator writer said that they were impressed with Smith's moves, and Bieber's "spinning roundhouse." A writer for Tiger Beat
said, "The video is SO cute–we love when Justin and Jaden get silly at the end!"
Bieber performed the song on June 4, 2010, on the Today Show as part of a medley with "Baby
", "Somebody to Love
", and "One Time". The song is a part of his setlist during the My World Tour
. Smith joined Bieber for the song on the August 31, 2010 date, along with Usher
, Miley Cyrus
, Ludacris
, and Boyz II Men
, to film scenes for his upcoming 3D concert film.
To promote his remix album, My Worlds Acoustic as well as draw interest for the upcoming film, Bieber shot a music video for the song. The video premiered during Game 3 of the 2010 World Series
. In the video, Bieber stands on a baseball diamond and dons apparel from both teams in the Series, wearing a San Francisco Giants
hat and Texas Rangers
jacket Scenes in which Bieber sings on the diamond is intercut with players hitting the ball and hanging in the dugout, as well as Bieber playing a guitar. In an interview, Bieber said that the video was inspired by his love for sports.
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 song serves as the theme song for The Karate Kid
The Karate Kid (2010 film)
The Karate Kid is a 2010 American martial arts film and remake of the 1984 film of the same name. Directed by Harald Zwart, produced by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, the film stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan...
(2010), and features rap interludes from the film's star, Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith
Jaden Christopher Syre Smith is an American child actor, rapper, songwriter, dancer, and the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. He is the elder brother of singer Willow Smith...
. It was originally a risque demo with sexual lyrics performed by American singer Travis Garland, it was written and produced by The Messengers
The Messengers (producers)
The Messengers is a Grammy nominated Canadian songwriting and production team currently based in Los Angeles, California. The duo consists of singer/lyricist Nasri and multi-instrumentalist/arranger Adam Messinger....
, and Omarr Rambert. However, for unknown reasons, Bieber was tapped to record the song for the film. He re-wrote the song with The Messengers, Rambert, Smith, and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell
Kuk Harrell
Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
, to feature inspirational lyrics to foil the film's theme. The song contains R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
elements while merging hip-hop. The song was released for digital download in the United States on June 8, 2010. The song was later included as a track on the remix album My Worlds Acoustic
My Worlds Acoustic
My Worlds Acoustic is the first remix album by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It was released on November 26, 2010 and was initially sold exclusively at Walmart retail stores and Sam's Club...
(2010). On December 16, 2010, it was reported that the song had made the shortlist for the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
for Best Original Song. To promote Bieber's 3D concert film of the same name
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is a 2011 3-D documentary/concert film centering on singer Justin Bieber. It was released in the United States and Canada on February 11, 2011.-Plot:...
, the song was released as the lead single from Bieber's second remix album, Never Say Never – The Remixes
Never Say Never – The Remixes
Never Say Never: The Remixes is the second remix album by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. Released on February 14, 2011, the album accompanies the release of his film, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never...
.
"Never Say Never" peaked within the top twenty in Canada, Norway, and New Zealand, while reaching the top forty in the Australia, as well as charting in other international markets. After it was re-released as the lead single from – The Remixes, promoting his film, the single peaked at number eight on the 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...
, becoming Bieber's second top-ten single in the United States. Its accompanying music video, directed by Honey, features Smith and Bieber in a recording studio playing around and dancing, and is intercut with scenes from the film. He has notably performed the song on Today and on his My World Tour
My World Tour
The My World Tour is the debut concert tour by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut album My World and My World 2.0. The tour was officially announced on March 16, 2010, a week before My World 2.0 was released...
. Smith joined Bieber during the tour's stop at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
to perform the song for scenes in Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never is a 2011 3-D documentary/concert film centering on singer Justin Bieber. It was released in the United States and Canada on February 11, 2011.-Plot:...
.
Background
A demo of the song, "Sexy Together" was originally recorded by Travis Garland. Reportedly Bieber re-wrote the song with its original writers Adam MessingerAdam Messinger
Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. Besides his solo work, he is part of the writing and production duo "The Messengers" along with Nasri Atweh.-Career:...
, Nasri
Nasri (singer/songwriter)
Nasri Tony Atweh known by his mononym Nasri is a Canadian-born recording artist, songwriter, and producer now based in Los Angeles, California...
, Omarr Rambert, and his vocal producer Kuk Harrell
Kuk Harrell
Thaddis "Kuk" Harrell is an American songwriter, vocal producer, arranger and engineer. He is managed by RedZone Entertainment, and is a member of a songwriting–production team composed of himself, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The Dream" Nash...
, while Smith added lines. Carina Adly MacKenzie of Zap2it
Zap2it
Zap2it is an American website and affiliate network that provides news, photos and video, local TV listings and movie showtimes. The site is produced by Tribune Media Services , part of the publishing division of the Chicago-based Tribune Company...
preferred Bieber and Smith's version, commenting, "No wonder Bieb skipped this version -- it's a total snoozer. You'd think that a song about sex would be more interesting than a song about little kids doing karate... but no." Bieber hinted at the collaboration by posting a promo photo of he and Smith on his Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, and also posting that a video of his would premiere before "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Justin Bieber song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song served as the second single from his album, My World 2.0. It was written by Bieber along with Heather Bright and The Stereotypes, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded as a demo by...
," the second single from his studio album debut, 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...
. The song was confirmed when the track listing for the soundtrack was revealed. It was released on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
in the United States on June 8, 2010.
Composition
"Never Say Never" is a pop-R&BContemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
which includes hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
, "Never Say Never" is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a metronome of 96 beats per minute, which is described as "steady, not too fast." It is composed in the key of A minor
A minor
A minor is a minor scale based on A, consisting of the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. The harmonic minor scale raises the G to G...
with vocals spanning from the low-note of G3 to the high-note of C6. The song follows in 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...
of Am–C–G–D Bieber provides lead vocals in the song while Smith provides the backing with rap interludes. The song is a "motivational track," containing inspirational lyrics, such as Bieber singing about a life filled with adversity, through lines like, "I never thought that I could walk through fire / I never thought that I could take the burn". Idolator thought the song as a tween-friendly version of Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
's "Lose Yourself
Lose Yourself
"Lose Yourself" is an Academy Award winning song by American hip-hop artist Eminem, released as the first single from the original soundtrack to the movie 8 Mile on October 22, 2002. It was written and produced by Eminem himself, along with longtime collaborator Jeff Bass, one half of the...
." Smith's lines reference his father, and puns in the phrase, "raised by the power of Will". He also makes reference to his lineage by saying "Born from two stars so the moon's where I land.", as he is the son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, who are both Hollywood stars. Smith also makes references to Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
and Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
in his lines.
Critical reception
Amar Toor of AOL Radio BlogAOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...
gave the song a positive review, calling it "a burst of energy", and stating, "Even on a soundtrack featuring the likes of Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, John Mayer
John Mayer
John Clayton Mayer is an American pop rock and blues rock musician, singer-songwriter, recording artist, and music producer. Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut and raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved to Atlanta in 1997, where he refined his...
and the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, this single...is sure to stand out as the film's flagship anthem." Toor also complimented Bieber's "now-trademark silky smooth voice." Monica Herrera of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that Smith's rapping skills could rival those of his former-rapper father. E! Online
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
said "And while some might insist that "Parents Just Don't Understand
Parents Just Don't Understand
"Parents Just Don't Understand" is the second single from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's second studio album, He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance in 1989, one of only two songs to ever do so before the award was discontinued in 1991. It peaked at...
," we think Big Willy would totally be down with Jaden's rap." Maria-Mercedes Lara of Celebuzz
Celebuzz
Celebuzz.com is a social media destination that focuses exclusively on celebrity culture. Based in Hollywood, CA Celebuzz is run by Buzz Media, Inc., a media company also home to Buzznet, a social media network that is predominately centered around music...
said, "don't make assumptions with the suspiciously nepotistic circumstances surrounding Jaden's appearance on Bieber's song: the kid is actually really good." Lara also commented that Bieber should "should be watching his back for Jaden's rising star." Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat is an American fan magazine marketed primarily to adolescent girls. It is currently published by Laufer Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, which also produces its sister publication, Bop....
said that they loved the song, and said it had a "great beat."
Chart performance
On the week ending June 17, 2010, the song debuted at number thirty-three on the Billboard Hot 100Billboard 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...
, propelled by its debut at number seventeen on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart selling 76,000 copies. The song became Bieber's ninth consecutive top 40 release for a regular or digital single as a lead artist. In Canada on the 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...
, the song debuted at eleven. The single debuted at forty-five on the Australian Singles Chart, and peaked at thirty-eight in its second week, while on the New Zealand Singles Chart, the song debuted and peaked at twenty. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
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...
(RIANZ) certified "Never Say Never" gold on June 5, 2011, denoting the sale of 7,500 copies. On the Norwegian Singles Chart, the song debuted at eighteen, and spent one week on the chart. Debuting at seventy-five on the Austrian Singles Chart, the following week it peaked at forty-six on the chart. On the Dutch Single Top 100, after spending four weeks on the chart, the song peaked at seventy. On the Tip charts in both Belgian regions
Ultratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
, the song peaked at two and five.
Music video and live performances
The accompanying clip for the single was directed by Honey. The music video takes place in a studio, and contains a heroic concept, featuring Bieber and Smith singing the song and playing around, intercut with scenes from the film. Bieber appears in a motorcycle jacket and high tops. Studio scenes include Bieber flexing karate moves, he and Smith dancing, jerkin'Jerkin'
Jerkin or Jerk is a street dance from Los Angeles. Since 2009, jerkin' has gained fans along the West Coast and is gaining popularity on the East Coast....
, and eating Twizzlers
Twizzlers
Twizzlers is a brand of red licorice candy in the United States and Canada. Twizzlers is the product of Y&S Candies, Inc., of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, now a subsidiary of The Hershey Company.-History:...
. The scenes also show the two shadowboxing
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is an exercise used in the training for combat sports, especially, as its name implies, in boxing. It is used mainly to prepare the muscles before the person training engages in stronger physical activity. In shadowboxing, only one person is required to participate; the participant...
, as footage from the flim shows Smith performing an "array of fight moves." Near the end of the clip features Bieber giving a roundhouse kick. Both Wall Street Journal Online and E! Online
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
noted the low-production value of the clip. Kyle Anderson of 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...
commended Bieber's latest "attention-grabbing video," and jokingly stated, "As a video that features fighting, it's a pretty strong entry, and it joins the list of great fight-centric videos below." An Idolator writer said that they were impressed with Smith's moves, and Bieber's "spinning roundhouse." A writer for Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat is an American fan magazine marketed primarily to adolescent girls. It is currently published by Laufer Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, which also produces its sister publication, Bop....
said, "The video is SO cute–we love when Justin and Jaden get silly at the end!"
Bieber performed the song on June 4, 2010, on the Today Show as part of a medley with "Baby
Baby (Justin Bieber song)
"Baby" is a song by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It was released as the lead single from the latter half of Bieber's debut album, My World 2.0. The track was written by Bieber with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash, both of whom worked with Bieber on "One Time",...
", "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Justin Bieber song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. The song served as the second single from his album, My World 2.0. It was written by Bieber along with Heather Bright and The Stereotypes, and produced by the latter. The song was originally recorded as a demo by...
", and "One Time". The song is a part of his setlist during the My World Tour
My World Tour
The My World Tour is the debut concert tour by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It is Bieber's first concert tour which supports his two-part debut album My World and My World 2.0. The tour was officially announced on March 16, 2010, a week before My World 2.0 was released...
. Smith joined Bieber for the song on the August 31, 2010 date, along with Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, and Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men
Boyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, to film scenes for his upcoming 3D concert film.
To promote his remix album, My Worlds Acoustic as well as draw interest for the upcoming film, Bieber shot a music video for the song. The video premiered during Game 3 of the 2010 World Series
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
. In the video, Bieber stands on a baseball diamond and dons apparel from both teams in the Series, wearing a San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
hat and Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
jacket Scenes in which Bieber sings on the diamond is intercut with players hitting the ball and hanging in the dugout, as well as Bieber playing a guitar. In an interview, Bieber said that the video was inspired by his love for sports.
Charts and certifications
| Chart (2010–11) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Brazil (Billboard Billboard Brasil Billboard Brasil is a monthly Brazilian magazine launched on October 10, 2009, with a print-run of over 40,000 copies. It is distributed nationwide by Brazil's biggest distributor Dinap... ) Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay Brasil Hot 100 Airplay is the official music singles charts in Brazil. It has been compiled by Crowley Broadcast Analysis and published monthly by Billboard Brasil since the release of the magazine, in October 2009.... |
98 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 34 |
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| New Zealand | Gold |
Radio adds
| Country | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| United States | January 25, 2011 | Mainstream Mainstream Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct.... |
| Rhythmic Rhythmic Contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may... |
Purchasable release
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | June 8, 2010 | Digital download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
Island Records Island Records Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group... , RBMG |
| January 25, 2011 |