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Forever (Justin Bieber song)

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"Forever"
December 22, 2020
Song by Justin Bieber featuring Post Malone and Clever
from the album Changes
ReleasedOctober 2, 2020
RecordedJune 2020
StudioApril 2020
GenreTrap
Length3:40
LabelDef Jam
Songwriter(s)remix
Producer(s)
Audio video
"Forever" on YouTube

"Forever" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber featuring American rappers and singers Post Malone and Clever. This track marks Bieber and Malone's second collaboration, following Bieber's feature on Malone's 2016 single "Deja Vu", from his debut studio album Stoney (2016).[1][2] "Forever" is a trap song about an extreme urge to be with another individual until the end of their life.

"Forever" was well received by professional critics, who made favorable comments towards the vocal performances, the contributions of the guest stars, sound and composition. It peaked within the top 40 in more than 15 territories, among them the United States, where the song debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] It also reached the top 20 in Bieber's home country on the same magazine's Canadian Hot 100.

Background and composition

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On January 3, 2020, TMZ reported that Post Malone was among the featured artists to appear on Justin Bieber's upcoming album.[4] Bieber had completed his parts for the collaboration and was waiting on vocals from Malone.[4] Bieber last collaborated with Malone on the song "Deja Vu", featured on the latter's debut studio album Stoney (2016).[4] Forever was one of the names being thrown around as a possible title for the new album, with Bieber also recently getting the word tattooed on his neck.[4] On February 5, Bieber revealed the tracklist for Changes, which listed Malone and rising hip hop artist Clever as features on the seventh track titled "Forever".[5] According to Dustin Fox of The Gadsden Times, Clever recorded his vocals in Gadsden at GAD3 Studios.[6]

"Forever" is a trap song set in the key of C♯ minor with a tempo of 136 beats per minute.[7][8] Lyndsey Havens of Billboard remarked that it is one of the few songs on Changes "that strays from more traditional-sounding R&B".[9] NME's Hannah Mylrea described the track as a "jangly cut" with "upbeat production and warm, nostalgic beats".[10] Jeremy Helligar of Variety noted the song's use of "plunky synths", which he characterized as "sound[ing] like drops of water".[11] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian compared the vocal delivery on the song to that of mumble rap.[12] It is a love song dealing with one's "overpowering urge to be with [another] until the end of [their] days".[13]

Critical reception

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Lynn Sharpe from HotNewHipHop praised the vocals on "Forever", feeling that Bieber and Malone "compliment[ed] each other" in a seamless manner and that Clever beautifully reflected the track's "passionate nature".[13] Billboard critic Taylor Weatherby ranked it as the third-best song on Changes and regarded it as "one of the most distinctive tracks" on the album, highlighting "[t]he plinking production, the staccato chorus, Post Malone's very Posty verse and Clever's punchy lines".[14] Koltan Greenwood of Alternative Press called the song "a catchy and emotional bop".[15] The A.V. Club's Annie Zaleski felt it was one of Changes's "most enduring moments", adding that Malone and Clever bring "gruff vulnerability" to the song.[16] Carolyn Droke from Uproxx wrote that the song "boasts a full, resounding beat and succinct lyrical delivery".[17] Pitchfork's Jayson Greene considered Malone's guest appearance one of the "[s]cattered bright spots" on Changes.[18]

However, Ben Devlin from musicOMH found Clever's voice on "Forever" to be "obnoxiously weak".[19] Joshua Bote of Paste remarked that Malone "adds a frantic tension to the cut", but disapproved of Bieber as "sound[ing] drained".[20] Hannah Mylrea of NME thought that the song "begins to drag" after the start before it "stutter[s] to a stop".[10] The Music writer Cyclone said that the track "never really goes anywhere" aside from the vocal performances.[7]

Commercial performance

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In the United States, "Forever" debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated February 29, 2020. It became Clever's first Hot 100 hit.[21] Furthermore, it was one of the eight tracks from Changes to debut on the Hot R&B Songs chart. It led the pack with an entrance at number six and secured Bieber's 10th top 10 entry on the chart.[22] On the UK Singles Chart, the song debuted at number 29 as the third top 40 track from Changes, after "Yummy" and "Intentions".[23]

Music video

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A dance visual for "Forever", directed by Nick DeMoura, was released on March 9, 2020, as part of a collection of 16 music videos titled Changes: The Movement.[24][25] In an interview with MTV News, DeMoura said the video came about after being inspired by the film Entrapment (1999).[25] Straying away from the previous visuals for "Habitual" and "All Around Me" which focus on intimate and intricate routines, the video centers around a group of masked performers wearing riot gear-styled attire that dance as lights flicker around them.[24] Trey Alston from MTV News described it as a high-tech espionage thriller with a cinematic flair.[24]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[26]

  • Justin Bieber – vocals, songwriter
  • Post Malone – featured vocals, songwriter
  • Clever – featured vocals, songwriter
  • Poo Bear – producer, songwriter
  • Louis Bell – songwriter, vocal producer, recording engineer
  • HARV – producer, songwriter, keyboards
  • Ali Darwish – songwriter
  • Billy Walsh – songwriter
  • Chris "TEK" O'Ryan – recording engineer
  • JJ Stevens – recording engineer
  • Josh Gudwin – recording engineer, mixer, vocal producer
  • Elijah Marrett-Hitch – assistant mixer
  • Chenao Wang – assistant recording engineer
  • Colin Leonard – mastering engineer

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[54] Gold 35,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[55] Platinum 40,000‡
United States (RIAA)[56] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ Brandle, Lars (September 12, 2016). "Listen to Post Malone's Debut Album 'Stoney'". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  2. ^ Stutz, Colin (August 8, 2016). "Post Malone & Justin Bieber Team Up for 'Deja Vu': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Justin Bieber Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Justin Bieber Taps Travis Scott, Post Malone, & Kehlani for New Album". Rap-Up. January 3, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  5. ^ Sanchez, Omar (February 5, 2020). "Justin Bieber's Changes will have tasty features from Post Malone, Travis Scott, more". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  6. ^ Fox, Dustin (February 15, 2020). "Gadsden rapper appears on Justin Bieber's new album". The Gadsden Times. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Cyclone (February 14, 2020). "Will The Beliebers Be Feeling 'Changes'? We Take You Through Bieber's New LP Track By Track". The Music. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Bieber, Justin; Post, Austin; Huie, Joshua; Boyd, Jason; Bell, Louis; Harvey, Bernard; Darwish, Ali; Walsh, Billy (February 14, 2020). "Forever by Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Billboard Staff (February 25, 2020). "Five Burning Questions: Billboard Staffers Discuss Justin Bieber's 'Changes' Debut & Latest Top 10 Hit". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Mylrea, Hannah (February 14, 2020). "Justin Bieber – 'Changes' review: a knackering, loved-up slog lacking substance". NME. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  11. ^ Helligar, Jeremy (February 14, 2020). "Justin Bieber's 'Changes': Album Review". Variety. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  12. ^ Petridis, Alexis (February 13, 2020). "Justin Bieber: Changes review – the sound of fame being shunned". The Guardian. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Sharpe, Lynn (February 15, 2020). "Justin Bieber, Post Malone & Clever Get Soft On 'Forever'". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  14. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (February 14, 2020). "Ranking All 17 Songs on Justin Bieber's 'Changes': Critic's Take". Billboard. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Greenwood, Koltan (February 14, 2020). "Post Malone and Justin Bieber question 'Forever' in emotional new collab". Alternative Press. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Zaleski, Annie (February 18, 2020). "Changes finds Justin Bieber on the bumpy road to maturity". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  17. ^ Droke, Carolyn (February 18, 2020). "All The Best New Pop Music From This Week". Uproxx. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  18. ^ Greene, Jayson (February 18, 2020). "Justin Bieber: Changes Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  19. ^ Devlin, Ben (February 17, 2020). "Justin Bieber – Changes". musicOMH. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  20. ^ Bote, Joshua (February 18, 2020). "Justin Bieber's Changes Is a Limp Exploration of Grown-Up Romance". Paste. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  21. ^ Mamo, Heran (February 27, 2020). "Here Are the Lyrics to Justin Bieber's 'Forever,' Feat. Post Malone & Clever". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  22. ^ Anderson, Trevor (February 26, 2020). "Justin Bieber Earns First No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
  23. ^ Sexton, Paul (February 21, 2020). "Billie Eilish Scores First U.K. No. 1 Single With Record-Breaking 'No Time To Die'". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  24. ^ a b c Alston, Trey (March 9, 2020). "Justin Bieber's 'Forever' Video Looks Like An Espionage Thriller". MTV. Archived from the original on March 10, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Alston, Trey (April 8, 2020). "How Justin Bieber's Changes: The Movement Came Together In Just Three Weeks". MTV. Archived from the original on April 11, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  26. ^ "Changes / Justin Bieber". Tidal. Retrieved 2020-02-16.
  27. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  28. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  29. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  30. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 08. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  31. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". Tracklisten. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  32. ^ Nestor, Siim (February 25, 2020). "Eesti Tipp-40 Muusikas: Eesti Laulu lood tungivad edetabelisse – kes kõige kõrgemale?". Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  33. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  34. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  35. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 8/2020". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  36. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  37. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  38. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  39. ^ "Top Singoli – Classifica settimanale WK 8" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  40. ^ "2020 8-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. February 25, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  41. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  42. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  43. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". VG-lista. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  44. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  45. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 8". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on March 1, 2020.
  46. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 08. týden 2020 in the date selector. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  47. ^ "Top 100 Canciones: Semana 8". Productores de Música de España. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
  48. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". Singles Top 100. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  49. ^ "Justin Bieber feat. Post Malone & Clever – Forever". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2020.
  50. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  51. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  52. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2020-02-24. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  53. ^ "Hot R&B Songs - Year-End 2020". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  54. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  55. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Justin Bieber – Forever" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  56. ^ "American single certifications – Justin Bieber – Forever". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
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