Back in 2015, Diplo and Skrillex’s collaborative project Jack Ü linked up with Justin Bieber for the single “WHERE ARE Ü NOW.” At the time, Bieber was coming off years of bad press and the underwhelming reception to his R&B project, Journals. He sent the duo a piano ballad version of the song, which they promptly remixed into the electro-flute dance record it turned out to be. The song was a big success, and Diplo views it as a key turning point in Bieber’s career.
In a verified annotation on Genius written shortly after the song’s release, Diplo explained how he thinks “WHERE ARE Ü NOW” helped rehabilitate Bieber’s image and set him up for success with 2015’s Purpose:
“WHERE ARE Ü NOW” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Bieber’s first Top 10 hit since 2012’s “Beauty and a Beat” with Nicki Minaj. It went 4x Platinum and won the trio a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording.
Listen to the song above and catch up on all the lyrics to Justin Bieber’s “WHERE ARE Ü NOW” on Genius now.
