Justin Bieber

The Canadian pop star who lent his vocals to Skrillex's 2021 single "Don't Go".

Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer who collaborated with Skrillex on the 2021 single "Don't Go". The song was released through Atlantic Records and Owsla on August 20, 2021, and also features Don Toliver. Bieber handles vocals on the track alongside Toliver, with production by Skrillex and Harv. The song was originally intended for Bieber's sixth studio album, Justice (2021), but did not make the final cut, leading to its release as a standalone single. Skrillex said he thought of Bieber while creating the instrumental, and the two believed the song was "fire".

Quick Facts

Birth name: Justin Drew Bieber
Born: 1 March 1994
Birthplace: London, Ontario, Canada
Occupation: Singer; songwriter
Years active: 2007–present
Spouse: Hailey Baldwin, September 13, 2018
Children: 1
Mother: Pattie Mallette

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

The collaboration on "Don't Go" began when Skrillex thought of Bieber while creating the instrumental. Bieber later joined the track alongside Don Toliver. The song was originally slated for Bieber's album Justice (2021) but was cut, leading Skrillex and Bieber to release it as a single because they thought it was "fire". On the track, Bieber sings about wanting his significant other to stay by his side, with lyrics on the chorus including: "I put in the work to hear you say (Don't go, don't—)/ Misery missin' your company (Don't go, don't go)/ See 'em pullin' at you that way (Don't go, don't)/ Ooh, if this is where you supposed to be (Don't go)". The song's theme of pleading for a partner to stay is similar to Bieber's 2021 single "Stay" with the Kid Laroi. Bieber was seen recording with Skrillex in a studio on October 28, 2020, alongside producers Harv and Poo Bear, among others. The collaboration was announced on August 16, 2021, with the title and a snippet revealed two days later. The official music video, directed by Salomon Ligthelm, premiered on August 20, 2021, and shows Bieber, Skrillex, and Toliver in an art museum where paintings of them have tears streaming down, and all three turn to gold by the end.

Reader's Guide

Justin Bieber's role on "Don't Go" is as a featured vocalist alongside Don Toliver. The song is an R&B track set in the key of B major at 135 beats per minute, with bass-heavy production by Skrillex and Harv. Bieber sings the chorus, pleading for his significant other not to leave: "I put in the work to hear you say (Don't go, don't—)/ Misery missin' your company (Don't go, don't go)/ See 'em pullin' at you that way (Don't go, don't)/ Ooh, if this is where you supposed to be (Don't go)". The song's theme of longing for a partner to stay mirrors Bieber's 2021 single "Stay" with the Kid Laroi. Critical reception praised Bieber's vocals and Skrillex's production. Katie Bain of Billboard wrote that "the song is a dreamy R&B number, with Skrillex's production sitting well back to enable Bieber and Toliver's vocals to dominate". Shaad D'Souza of Paper called the pairing of Bieber and Skrillex "a woozier, looser song than we've come to expect" but still "brilliant and infectious". Issy Sampson of The Guardian called the track "a moody, moany banger" and "an overdue return to form for the Bieber".