meta-scriptJustin Bieber's Biggest Hits: 12 Songs That Showcase His Pop Prowess And R&B Sensibilities | GRAMMY.com
Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber performs on day three of Sziget Festival 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

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Justin Bieber's Biggest Hits: 12 Songs That Showcase His Pop Prowess And R&B Sensibilities

As Justin Bieber's cult favorite album 'Journals' turns 10, listen to a dozen of the superstar's best songs from his storied career.

GRAMMYs/Dec 21, 2023 - 06:53 pm

When Usher first introduced the world to a young Canadian teen named Justin Bieber in 2009, no one knew the gravity of the moment. With a catchy debut single, the young Bieber clearly had talent, but it was hard to predict just how big he would become.

In the nearly 15 years since the release of that first hit, "One Time," Bieber has become one of the biggest pop stars of his generation. He first captured hearts and ears as a teen heartthrob with infectious pop hits, then expertly folded in his R&B influences; he's also experimented with dance, hip-hop, and even an acclaimed holiday album. The results speak for themselves: 23 GRAMMY nominations with two wins, eight No.1 albums, eight No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and 89 million monthly Spotify listeners with multiple billion-stream tracks. 

This month celebrates the ten-year anniversary of Journals, an album with an interesting spot in Bieber's discography. By his lofty standards, it was one of Bieber's more modest commercial successes. That hasn't stopped it from becoming a cult favorite amongst his fans, beloved for representing Beiber's first full commitment to R&B in his music.

In celebration of Journals and Bieber's career as a whole, GRAMMY.com is looking back at some of the singer's most important and most captivating tracks. 

"One Time" (2009)

"One Time" was Bieber's very first single, and it conveys many of what would become signature traits throughout his career. It's a complete earworm, with dance-pop production from Tricky Stewart bolstering a strong melody. It finds Bieber already exploring romance, a topic he would come to revisit throughout his career. And while it peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, it stuck around on the charts for almost all the rest of 2009 after its release that May. 

Perhaps most notably, it showed early on that Bieber had a natural charm that was infectious and impossible not to like. The music video for "One Time," in which Bieber uses his mentor Usher's house for a party, is goofy fun and a vehicle to Bieber's personality. That magnetism continues to play a key part in Bieber's career — and it was there from the start.

"Baby" (2010)

xIf there is one song that has become synonymous with Bieber's initial rise to fame, it's "Baby." While not his first single, "Baby" was his first major success in both charts and reception. "Baby" debuted at No. 5 on the Hot 100, But it almost instantly became a cultural moment; it was almost impossible to not hear Bieber croon that catchy hook everywhere — and even more impossible to not sing along.. 

"Baby" was also proof that Bieber had star potential. Not only did he have a writing credit on the song, but within three years, it was certified 12x platinum by the RIAA.

"Mistletoe" (2011)

Bieber followed his star-making My World 2.0 with a Christmas album, 2011's Under The Mistletoe. It's a storied tradition for pop stars to tackle the holiday season, and Bieber did so with incredible success. A snap-along, guitar-plucked ballad, "Mistletoe" is another early ballad from Bieber, a peek at how thoughtful and sensitive he can be given room to explore his feelings.

"Mistletoe" also helped Bieber earn more historic accolades early in his career. Off the strength of its lead single, Under The Mistletoe made Bieber the only male artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with a Christmas album.

"Right Here" (2012)

After Under the Mistletoe hinted at his R&B sensibilities, Bieber continued to show his genre-spanning prowess with his next album, 2012's Believe. While the smoky lead single "Boyfriend" served as his biggest hit until that point,the silky smooth track "Right Here" is one of his best album cuts. Perhaps most notably, it serves as the first (and to date, only) musical collaboration between Bieber and Drake — and though it wasn't a single, it was an important team-up in pop music history. 

Drake was coming off of 2011's Take Care that solidified him a superstar, and Believe was doing the same thing for Bieber at the time. Both would go on to have hugely successful and influential careers, making "Right Here" a special monument to the rise of these two men.

"Recovery" (2013)

For the follow-up to Believe, Bieber embraced the rising popularity of streaming and digital releases. The compilation album Journals was initially released song by song, once a week over the fall and early winter of 2013. Leaning further into an R&B sound, Journals also saw Bieber step into an executive producer role, taking more control over the direction of his music. "Recovery" exemplifies his fine-tuning of R&B and pop together, with yet another winning hook and a lyrical focus on forgiveness and growth.

For all of the great production Bieber employs, his songs have always had a strong core that shine just as bright acoustically. "Recovery" is a good example of this, with Bieber's voice and the acoustic guitar threaded throughout is an easily trackable core for the production to build on.

"Confident" (2013)

"Confident" is perhaps the peak of Journals, a perfecting of the sound Bieber had been building towards over the previous two years. For "Confident," he enlisted an R&B specialist in producer Soundz, who previously worked with Ciara, Usher, and Rihanna. 

The song incorporates more hip-hop adjacent beats as well, another sign of Bieber refusing to stay complacent. He also brought in Chance The Rapper months after Acid Rap made Chance one of the hottest names in hip-hop — a smart choice professionally, but also personally, as the two have teamed on several songs since.

"Sorry" (2015)

If Journals was Bieber finding more of himself as an artist, 2015's Purpose is the moment he fully came into his own. That was immediately apparent upon the release of lead single "What Do You Mean?," which shot to the top of the Hot 100 — Bieber's first No. 1, but certainly not his last. 

Second single "Sorry" not only continued that success, also hitting No. 1, but it became one of his biggest hits to date. It remains one of Bieber's danciest hits, both thanks to its EDM-driven production and its wildly popular music video that now tallies more than 3.7 billion views as of press time.

On the whole, Purpose is Bieber having some of the most fun he's had in his entire catalog, with a whole track list of songs that fans will hum for days on end — with "Sorry" likely at the forefront.

"Love Yourself" (2015)

Besides being another artistic step forward, Purpose also garnered Bieber more recognition from the GRAMMYs. After a win in 2016 for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for his work on Jack Ü's "Where Are Ü Now," Purpose was nominated for Album Of The Year in 2017 — a first for Bieber. Alongside that nomination came another first, a Song Of The Year nod for "Love Yourself," the album's third single and a breakup song to end all breakup songs. 

The epitome of "kill them with kindness," Bieber sings this just like a love song. But don't let the sweet acoustic melody fool you — the lyrics are blistering (for one, "My mama don't like you and she likes everyone.") As his third consecutive No. 1 single, "Love Yourself" elevated Bieber even further as a pop star.

"All Around Me" (2020)

A lot changed for Bieber in the five years between Purpose and its aptly titled follow-up, Changes — perhaps the biggest of those changes was his 2018 marriage to Hailey Baldwin. While the singer had plenty of great love ballads in his catalog by then, marriage took Bieber to the next level in his romantic writing. 

Case in point, Changes opens with "All Around Me," an ode to Hailey. With a light touch on production from Poo Bear, the track gives Bieber room to show off vocally. 

Bieber has always been earnest in his work, and "All Around Me" is especially open. When he sings of finally being able to fully open himself up to someone, it's easy to believe. As an opening track, it serves as a perfect introduction to the older, more mature Bieber after his five-year album hiatus. 

"Yummy" (2020)

While Changes is undoubtedly a more subdued, grounded thematic work for Bieber, some of his best work has always come from him having fun. Changes doesn't entirely abandon that, with lead single "Yummy" a welcome sign Bieber still knows how to let loose. The track is silky smooth, letting Bieber flex his R&B prowess to the fullest extent. 

"Yummy" also reaffirmed Bieber's staying power after his long hiatus. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, along with his foray into country music with 2019's Dan + Shay collaboration "10,000 Hours" (which Bieber won his second GRAMMY), it showed that he had much more to give musically.

"Lifetime" (2021)

Bieber wasted no time once getting back in the studio after Changes, with his most recent album Justice dropping just a year later. It's his most collaborative work to date, with a plethora of guest stars, writers and producers lending a hand on the massive 25-song project — which makes a track like "Lifetime," with no guest appearance and minimal production, stand out even more. 

In a career full of love songs, "Lifetime" is perhaps the most touching. Again inspired by his wife, it's an ode to real commitment and dedication.

Besides being incredibly sweet, "Lifetime" is one of Bieber's most powerful vocal performances. The emotion and range he displays is breathtaking, and there's a sincerity that comes through more than any other Bieber track. Over a decade into his career, Bieber continues to grow and surprise with his artistry. 

"Peaches" (2021)

It's not a Justin Bieber album without a megahit, and Justice's offering in that regard is "Peaches." The track blends the R&B elements Bieber has embraced over the years with the pop sensibilities he first broke out with, creating a track that epitomizes both styles. It's a celebration of the good things in life, and that's reflected in both the wavy melody and its playful lyrics.

"Peaches" became yet another No. 1 track for Bieber, his first solo Hot 100 hit since "Love Yourself."  It also earned him four GRAMMY Nominations in 2022 — Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best R&B Performance, and Best Music Video — alongside an Album Of The Year nomination for Justice. Between the positive vibes of the song and its widespread acclaim, "Peaches" is a testament to how far Bieber has come, and how much more he has to give.

Justin Bieber's Sonic Evolution: How He Transformed From Bubblegum Pop Heartthrob To Mature, Genre-Melding Artist

Usher and Alicia Keys at Super Bowl 2024
(L-R) Usher and Alicia Keys during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show.

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17 Love Songs That Have Won GRAMMYs: "I Will Always Love You," "Drunk In Love" & More

Over the GRAMMYs' 66-year history, artists from Frank Sinatra to Ed Sheeran have taken home golden gramophones for their heartfelt tunes. Take a look at some of the love songs that have won GRAMMYs.

GRAMMYs/Feb 14, 2024 - 09:42 pm

Editor's Note: This is an update to a story from 2017.

Without heart-bursting, world-shifting love songs, music wouldn't be the same. There are countless classic and chart-topping hits dedicated to love, and several of them have won GRAMMYs.

We're not looking at tunes that merely deal with shades of love or dwell in heartbreak. We're talking out-and-out, no-holds-barred musical expressions of affection — the kind of love that leaves you wobbly at the knees.

No matter how you're celebrating Valentine's Day (or not), take a look at 18 odes to that feel-good, mushy-gushy love that have taken home golden gramophones over the years.

Frank Sinatra, "Strangers In The Night"

Record Of The Year / Best Vocal Performance, Male, 1967

Ol' Blue Eyes offers but a glimmer of hope for the single crowd on Valentine's Day, gently ruminating about exchanging glances with a stranger and sharing love before the night is through.

Willie Nelson, "Always On My Mind"

Best Country Vocal Performance, Male, 1983

In this cover, Nelson sings to the woman in his life, lamenting over those small things he should have said and done, but never took the time. Don't find yourself in the same position this Valentine's Day.

Lionel Richie, "Truly"

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1983

"Truly" embodies true dedication to a loved one, and it's delivered with sincerity from the king of '80s romantic pop — who gave life to the timeless love-song classics "Endless Love," "Still" and "Three Times A Lady."

Roy Orbison, "Oh, Pretty Woman"

Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male, 1991

Orbison captures the essence of encountering a lovely woman for the first time, and offers helpful one-liners such as "No one could look as good as you" and "I couldn't help but see … you look as lovely as can be." Single men, take notes.

Whitney Houston, "I Will Always Love You"

Record Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, 1994

Houston passionately delivers a message of love, remembrance and forgiveness on her version of this song, which was written by country sweetheart Dolly Parton and first nominated for a GRAMMY in 1982.

Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic)"  

Record Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, 1999

This omnipresent theme song from the 1997 film Titanic was propelled to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 as the story of Jack and Rose (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and GRAMMY winner Kate Winslet) swept the country.

Shania Twain, "You're Still The One"

Best Female Country Vocal Performance, Best Country Song, 1999

Co-written with producer and then-husband Mutt Lange, Twain speaks of beating the odds with love and perseverance in lyrics such as, "I'm so glad we made it/Look how far we've come my baby," offering a fresh coat of optimism for couples of all ages.

Usher & Alicia Keys, "My Boo"

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, 2005

"There's always that one person that will always have your heart," sings Usher in this duet with Keys, taking the listener back to that special first love. The chemistry between the longtime friends makes this ode to “My Boo” even more heartfelt, and the love was still palpable even 20 years later when they performed it on the Super Bowl halftime show stage.

Bruno Mars, "Just The Way You Are"

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, 2011

Dating advice from Bruno Mars: If you think someone is beautiful, you should tell them every day. Whether or not it got Mars a date for Valentine's Day, it did get him a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cee Lo Green & Melanie Fiona, "Fool For You" 

Best Traditional R&B Performance, 2012

It's a far cry from his previous GRAMMY-winning song, "F*** You," but "Fool For You" had us yearning for "that deep, that burning/ That amazing unconditional, inseparable love."

Justin Timberlake, "Pusher Love Girl" 

Best R&B Song, 2014

Timberlake is so high on the love drug he's "on the ceiling, baby." Timberlake co-wrote the track with James Fauntleroy, Jerome Harmon and Timbaland, and it's featured on his 2013 album The 20/20 Experience, which flew high to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Beyoncé & Jay-Z, "Drunk In Love"

Best R&B Performance / Best R&B Song, 2015

While "Drunk In Love" wasn't the first love song that won Beyoncé and Jay-Z a GRAMMY — they won two GRAMMYs for "Crazy In Love" in 2004 — it is certainly the sexiest. This quintessential 2010s bop from one of music's most formidable couples captures why their alliance set the world's hearts aflame (and so did their steamy GRAMMYs performance of it).

Ed Sheeran, "Thinking Out Loud"

Song Of The Year / Best Pop Solo Performance, 2016

Along with his abundant talent, Sheeran's boy-next-door charm is what rocketed him to the top of the pop ranks. And with swooning lyrics and a waltzing melody, "Thinking Out Loud" is proof that he's a modern-day monarch of the love song.

Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, "Shallow"

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance / Best Song Written For Visual Media, 2019

A Star is Born's cachet has gone up and down with its various remakes, but the 2018 iteration was a smash hit. Not only is that thanks to moving performances from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, but particularly thanks to their impassioned, belt-along duet "Shallow."

H.E.R. & Daniel Caesar, "Best Part"

Best R&B Performance, 2019

"If life is a movie/ Know you're the best part." Who among us besotted hasn't felt their emotions so widescreen, so thunderous? Clearly, H.E.R. and Daniel Caesar have — and they poured that feeling into the GRAMMY-winning ballad "Best Part."

Kacey Musgraves, "Butterflies"

Best Country Solo Performance, 2019

As Musgraves' Album Of The Year-winning LP Golden Hour shows, the country-pop star can zoom in or out at will, capturing numberless truths about the human experience. With its starry-eyed lyrics and swirling production, "Butterflies" perfectly encapsulates the flutter in your stomach that love can often spark.

Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber, "10,000 Hours"

Best Country Duo/Group Performance, 2021

When country hook-meisters Dan + Shay teamed up with pop phenom Justin Bieber, their love song powers were unstoppable. With more than 1 billion Spotify streams alone, "10,000 Hours" has become far more than an ode to just their respective wives; it's an anthem for any lover.

Lovesick Or Sick Of Love: Listen To GRAMMY.com's Valentine's Day Playlist Featuring Taylor Swift, Doja Cat, Playboi Carti, Olivia Rodrigo, FKA Twigs & More

Julia Michaels
Julia Michaels attends the 'Wish' UK premiere

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Behind Julia Michaels' Hits: From Working With Britney & Bieber, To Writing For 'Wish'

GRAMMY-nominated songwriter and artist Julia Michaels has been trusted to turn pop stars' revelatory moments into song. Michaels spoke to GRAMMY.com about creating authentic songs and the stories behind some of her biggest hits.

GRAMMYs/Dec 18, 2023 - 02:51 pm

Julia Michaels landed her first major songwriting gig at just 18 years old. 

Fresh out of school, she’d cold pitched a little company named Walt Disney with a song she thought would suit an upcoming series. That song went on to soundtrack a popular Disney Channel show called "Austin & Ally."

Michaels quickly developed a reputation for her quick work and therapeutic approach to songwriting, and, in her early 20s, was transforming pop music via her confessional and slightly quirky perspective. The L.A.-based artist was soon writing with pop’s A-listers — from Britney Spears to Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran, producing songs that gave the world insight into the contours of the biggest star’s internal worlds. 

"I'm grateful that I've been able to work with artists that allow the space for vulnerability and for authenticity, and for us to be able to speak openly and honestly about things we're going through," Michaels tells GRAMMY.com.

With a knack for emotional precision and complexity, Michaels has been trusted to transmute icons' revelatory moments into song: post-divorce comeback anthems, breakup bangers, even apologies. You’d be hard-pressed to find a songwriter better able to spin pain into a punchline than Michaels.

It’s one of many reasons Disney tapped her to score Wish, a recently-released mega musical feature that’s been chosen by the Studio to celebrate their 100th anniversary. Her idiosyncratic and confessional style lends a fresh perspective to protagonist Asha, while the songs remain rose-colored, dreamy, heart-lurching and classically Disney.

At age 30, Michaels is the youngest ever songwriter to score an entire Disney feature. But that's not her only major accolade: Michaels has been nominated for three GRAMMY Awards, most recently for Marren Morris' "Circles Around This Town" — which was given the nod for Best Country Song at the 2023 GRAMMYs. At the 60th GRAMMY Awards, Michaels was nominated for Best New Artist.

The phenom spoke with GRAMMY.com about some of the hits that made her one of the industry's most in-demand writers — and led to her biggest gig yet.  

"Sorry" - Justin Bieber (2015)

I had met a producer named Josh Goodwin, and he had asked for us to write some songs and see what we could come up with.  We had written two songs, and one of them I don't think ever saw the light of day. The other was "Sorry." 

"Used To Love You" - Gwen Stefani (2016)

I was asked to do some sessions with Gwen and my friend Justin Tranter. It was my first session with her but not his, so they had already known each other.

I wasn't entirely sure what I was gonna walk into or what she would feel comfortable talking to me about. And she was just so open and so lovely and vulnerable. She had these journal entries; in the midst of all of these thoughts and feelings she’d written down she had said: “I don't know why I cried, but I think it's because I remembered for the first time since I hated you that I used to love you.” She kept on reading from her journal and I stopped her and said "No, no, no, that’s a song." So we wrote it and it was just beautiful, she was very happy with it.

Every session is different, every artist is different, everybody writes differently. So sometimes I'm not sure what role I need to take that day. Gwen was very much in control of her narrative and vision, and what she wanted to talk about, so I just followed her footsteps.

I'm not really one for small talk. I think that's why I am still here. I like to get down to the heart of somebody and I know that takes a lot of trust. I'm grateful that I've been able to work with artists that allow the space for vulnerability and for authenticity, and for us to be able to speak openly and honestly about things we're going through.

I don't really have any qualms with walking in a room and being like, "Okay, but how are you really doing?" Not the L.A. version of how are you doing. Like no, how are you actually doing?

"Slumber Party" feat. Tinashe - Britney Spears (2016)

I met her [Britney] after writing a song that she liked, and then we started writing together. 

That was pretty surreal. I don't really fangirl a lot; I've been in enough rooms with people to know that we all laugh the same and cry the same and bleed the same. But then I remember hearing Britney sing this into the microphone for the first time and I just began melting into the floor, in shock and awe. 

I’d done something like eight songs for the album, and writing with her was so special. She has pop melodies wholly ingrained in who she is, so everything that she's saying just sounds like the perfect pop song. She also had her own narratives and she knew what she wanted to write about. We would literally just pull the microphone up to her face so she could sing melodies and we would write songs according to all the melodies and just go from there.

I remember just writing all the time and trying to find a sound that she felt suited her best. A I knew she wanted to do things that still had some vulnerability, but she's Britney Spears — she wanted to have a really fun pop record also. So we tried to cater to that as much as we could.

"This Wish" (2023)

This was the first song I wrote for Wish and it was the first song to come out for the movie. I was called in 2020 by [Walt Disney Music President] Tom McDougall and he asked me if I would like to try to write a song for a new movie, but didn't tell me that it was for the 100th anniversary of Disney's animation movies. Off of this little sort of blurb that he had sent me, I wrote this song about hope and being courageous, and taking a chance and being brave. I thought that was just such a beautiful message.

If he had told me that it was the 100th anniversary, I probably would have been really stressed out. I'm a Disney fan. I've been a Disney fan since I was a kid; I love Disney songs. And so there was already that added pressure to make something that's going to stand the test of time. But I also think that because I grew up with [Disney] it is probably in my psyche more than I even know. And so I wanted to make a song that felt really classic and really powerful and really beautiful, but also still sounded like something that I would write.

How Ilsey Transformed From Hit Songwriter To Artist On 'From The Valley': "I Have The Freedom To Say What I Want"

SZA performing 2023
SZA performs during her The SOS North American Tour

Photo: Andrew Chin/Getty Images

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New Music Friday: Listen To New Songs From SZA With Drake & Justin Bieber, Offset, Tate McRae & More

From highly anticipated collabs to long-awaited album teasers, take a listen to six new tracks that arrived on Sept. 15.

GRAMMYs/Sep 15, 2023 - 06:41 pm

It’s yet another big day for music enthusiasts, as listeners were gifted with unexpected collaborations and fresh new melodies from artists of every genre on Sept. 15. 

With an Instagram caption-worthy single from Drake and SZA , a playful, self-confident anthem from Tate McRae, and a chill, euphoric vibe from Noah Kahan & Lizzy McAlphine, there’s plenty of different sounds to dive into. 

As you’re putting together your autumn 2023 playlist, add these six new tracks to the mix.

Drake feat. SZA - "Slime You Out"

Just hours after GRAMMY winners Drake and SZA announced they’d be teaming up for a new track, the pair unleashed "Slime You Out" promptly at noon ET on Sept. 15. 

As the song’s title insinuates, the duo seem to express their thoughts on someone "sliming" them out — which, in this case, refers to someone playing with their feelings. "Tryna build trust, showin’ me your DMS, how they tryna bag you / Ironic how the news I got about you ended up bein’ bad news."

Drake’s clever wordplay paired with SZA’s mellow, hypnotic voice make the single a memorable one. But perhaps it’s even more memorable because it’s been a team-up long in the making: according to Drake’s eyebrow-raising line in his 21 Savage collab "Mr. Right Now," the two used to date "back in '08."

SZA feat. Justin Bieber - "Snooze (Acoustic Remix)"

As SZA fans awaited her song with Drake, she gave them another high-profile collab in the form of a "Snooze" remix with Justin Bieber. An alluring, stripped-down version of the original SOS track, the "Snooze" remix sees SZA and Bieber passionately harmonize; added guitar chords add a dreamy touch to the song.

The remix also marks a full-circle moment for the pair, as Bieber starred in the original "Snooze" music video, which was released on Aug. 25.  

Offset - "Fan"

Kicking off what seems to be his Michael Jackson era, Offset has released this newest single, "Fan." This song features an infectious, hype beat with lyrics presenting a nonchalant ‘IDGAF’ attitude: "You supposed to hold me down, but it didn't happen (You supposed to hold me down)/ Now I'm over it." 

"Fan" is a taste of Offset’s forthcoming second album, Set It Off, which he will release on October 13. The LP follows his debut solo album, 2019’s Father of 4, which landed him a Best Rap Performance GRAMMY nomination for the single "Clout" featuring his wife, Cardi B

In the "Fan" music video, Michael Jackson is heavily referenced, with moments including Offset transforming into werewolf and zombie, and dance moves like the reverse moonwalk. 

Tate McRae - "Greedy"

self-confidence single "greedy." This song is a testament to McRae’s inner thoughts, as the lyrics let listeners know she’s not tolerating insecurities — and definitely not enabling any "greedy" men. 

"I would want myself/ Baby, please believe me/ I'll put you through hell/ Just to know me, yeah, yeah," she sings on the chorus.

"Greedy" is McRae’s first release in 2023, and first solo single since her 2022 debut album, i used to think I could fly. She also teamed up with DJ/producer Tiësto for the late 2022 hit "10:35."  

Noah Kahan feat. Lizzy McAlpine - "Call Your Mom"

Folk-pop favorite Noah Kahan teamed up with rising pop singer Lizzy McAlpine to create a new version of "Call Your Mom," an emotional track from his hit 2022 album Stick Season.

Kahan recently brought McAlpine out as a surprise guest during his sold-out show at L.A.'s Greek Theatre on Aug.11, where the two singer/songwriters performed the song for the first time together. 

Written about giving unconditional support to a loved one struggling with mental health issues and depression, the moving song reaches new heights with two voices on it. Kahan’s and McAlpine’s voices perfectly blend together and capture the lyrics’ powerful  emotions.  

Maren Morris - The Bridge

Maren Morris dropped not one, but two new songs, "The Tree" and "Get The Hell Out of Here," which both seem to focus on a new chapter in Morris’s life. "The Tree" feels like a farewell, as she proudly sings,"I'm done fillin' a cup with a hole in the bottom/ I'm takin' an axe to the tree/ The rot at the roots is the root of the problem/ But you wanna blame it on me."

"Get The Hell Out of Here" has a more mellow country melody that also talks about growth and navigating different areas of her life. Both songs share a different story, yet share the same theme of a transitional period in her life — and tease what’s to come on her next album, which will follow 2022’s Humble Quest

As Morris said in a statement, "These two songs are incredibly key to my next step because they express a very righteously angry and liberating phase of my life these last couple of years, but also how my navigation is finally pointing toward the future." 

Listen: *NSYNC Announce "Better Place," First New Song In 20 Years — Hear A Snippet

Jon Bellion performing in 2019
Jon Bellion performs in London in 2019.

Photo: Ollie Millington/Redferns

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9 Songs You Didn't Know Jon Bellion Wrote & Produced: Hits By Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez & More

Pop superproducer Jon Bellion is the man behind Tori Kelly's new ep, 'tori,' but he's also been involved with countless hits for more than a decade. Check out nine of Bellion's biggest songs, from Eminem to Jonas Brothers.

GRAMMYs/Aug 3, 2023 - 01:36 pm

If the name Jon Bellion sounds familiar, it's probably because of his 2016 single "All Time Low." With its relentless "low-low-low-low-low" chorus, the electronic-fused pop confection scored Bellion his first major hit — as a solo artist, that is.

Prior to Bellion's breakthrough with his debut solo single, he'd already made a name for himself behind the scenes by writing and producing songs for the likes of Eminem, Jason Derulo, Zedd and CeeLo Green. And in the seven years since "All Time Low" became a top 20 hit, he's celebrated plenty of other smashes with some of pop's A-listers from Christina Aguilera to Justin Bieber.

This year alone, he worked with the Jonas Brothers to executive produce their statement-making record The Album, helped shape Maroon 5's "Middle Ground" — which is expected to be the lead single off the veteran pop-rockers' forthcoming eighth studio album — and teamed up with Switchfoot for an orchestral 2023 update of the band's 2003 breakout single "Meant to Live."

Bellion's most recent work can be heard on Tori Kelly's new self-titled EP tori, which dropped July 28. Along with producing the project, Bellion joined Kelly for a magnetic, electro-tinged track titled "young gun." Upon the EP's release, Kelly herself noted Bellion's impact, calling their collaboration "the start of something really special."

In honor of Bellion's latest project, take a look at nine songs you may not have known contained Bellion's signature touch — a roadmap to his becoming one of the most in-demand producers of the moment.

Eminem feat. Rihanna — "The Monster"

One of Bellion's earliest smashes came courtesy of Eminem — well, and Bebe Rexha. The pop singer penned the track's dark hook while working on her debut album, but it later made its way to Eminem and eventually shapeshifted into his fourth collaboration with Rihanna. The song became the duo's second No. 1 collaboration following 2010's "Love The Way You Lie" and remains one of most monstrous hits in Bellion's career.

Jason Derulo — "Trumpets"

Jason Derulo worked solely with Bellion on this top 20 hit from his 2013 Tattoos, which was later re-packaged as 2014's Talk Dirty. Built around an irresistible horn line of, yes, literal trumpets, Bellion and Derulo concocted a bouncy, flirtatious symphony to smoothly objectify the R&B singer's lady love, and manages to name drop Coldplay, Katy Perry and Kanye West over the course of just three minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

Christina Aguilera feat. Demi Lovato — "Fall in Line"

Bellion handled production on Christina Aguilera's fierce 2018 team-up with Demi Lovato, "Fall in Line," off the former's 2018 LP Liberation. Behind the boards, Bellion effectively captured all of the feminist rage and empowerment that the two vocal powerhouses lit into their lyrics, pairing their sneering vocals with a vamping strings section, rattling chains and a robotic male overlord futilely demanding, "March, two, three, right, two, three/ Shut your mouth, stick your ass out for me."

"Fall in Line" scored a nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2019 GRAMMYs, marking Aguilera's twentieth career nod and Lovato's second. 

Maroon 5 — "Memories"

To kick off their seventh album, JORDI, Maroon 5 enlisted Bellion to co-write lead single "Memories." The gentle ballad found frontman Adam Levine mourning the loss of a friend, pouring one out over a lilting reggae-pop line that cleverly samples Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D Major." While the heartfelt song is dedicated to the band's longtime manager (and namesake of the LP) Jordan Feldstein, who tragically passed away in 2017 due to a blood clot, the relatable sentiment of "Memories" helped it peak at No. 2 on the Hot 100.

In addition to "Memories," Bellion also worked with the band on two other songs from JORDI, co-writing fourth single "Lost" as well as Anuel AA and Tainy collab "Button." Three years later, he would reunite with the band to co-write and co-produce their latest, equally delicate single "Middle Ground" alongside the likes of Andrew Watt and Rodney Jerkins.

Miley Cyrus — "Midnight Sky"

Miley Cyrus came raring into her glam rock-inspired album Plastic Hearts on the back of "Midnight Sky," an unapologetic statement of independence following her split from longtime love Liam Hemsworth. Dripping in sultry synths, the power ballad took a page from '80s rock icons like Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Stevie Nicks.

The sound was an entirely new one for Cyrus — which is one of Bellion's tools when working with a new superstar for the first time. In a 2023 Billboard interview, he likened his approach to inventing a new kind of ride for the given A-lister. "They have already built an amazing theme park: millions of people go to it and experience their roller coasters," he said. "They put me in charge of revamping or creating a new section of the theme park, and they let me be the foreman of it all." The new style worked in Cyrus' favor, and earned Bellion yet another top 20 hit on the Hot 100.

Justin Bieber — "Holy"

Bellion's fingerprints are all over Justin Bieber's 2021 album Justice, starting notably with its Chance the Rapper-assisted lead single "Holy," which he both co-wrote and co-produced. The superproducer contributed to six other songs on the pop-driven LP — including the pop radio No. 1 "Ghost," which was inspired by Bellion's late grandmother — as well as three deluxe tracks. And though Bellion didn't have any credited features, his voice can still be heard: he offered background vocals on seven of the songs.

Justice earned Bellion his very first GRAMMY nomination, as the project was nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2022 GRAMMYs (Bieber also received seven other nods). 

Selena Gomez — "My Mind & Me"

Bellion first collaborated with Selena Gomez on Rare album cut "Vulnerable" alongside Amy Allen, Michael Pollack and The Monsters & Strangerz. Two years later, the entire team reunited for the title track to the pop singer's Apple TV+ documentary My Mind & Me.

Bellion and co. helped Gomez tap even further into the most vulnerable side of her psyche to date. "Vulnerable" saw Gomez letting her guard down with a new flame, but "My Mind & Me" allowed her to completely lay bare her mental health journey. "Sometimes I feel like an accident, people look when they're passin' it/ Never check on the passenger, they just want the free show," she sings. "Yeah, I'm constantly tryna fight somethin' that my eyes can't see," over spare guitar and piano.

Jonas Brothers — "Waffle House"

After the success of their 2019 comeback album Happiness Begins with producer Ryan Tedder, the Jonas Brothers recruited Bellion to helm the boards on their 2023 follow-up The Album. The producer helped the hitmaking siblings tap into a new facet of their pop-rock sound, finding inspiration in the '70s music their dad raised them on. (As Joe Jonas told GRAMMY.com upon the album's release, Bellion "was saying exactly what we were hoping for" when they first met to mull over ideas.)

While Bellion had a hand in every song on The Album, second single "Waffle House" is the latest to earn both him and Jonas Brothers a top 15 hit on pop radio. Bellion also serves as the one and only featured artist on The Album, coming out from behind the boards and into the vocal booth for bombastic closer "Walls."

Tori Kelly — "missin u"

Tori Kelly first linked up with Bellion thanks to Justin Bieber, as the pair worked together with the Biebs on tender bonus cut "Name" from the Justice sessions. So, when it came time to launch a new era with her self-titled EP tori, the songstress turned to Bellion to help bring her vision to life.

On lead single "missin u," the two-time GRAMMY winner throws the guitar-driven singer/songwriter vibes of her past work out the window in favor of a sleek R&B sound reminiscent of the early 2000s. The sonic gear shift is a natural fit for her lithe voice as she replays a romance that "was rainin' purple skies in my room." Somehow, Kelly even manages to outdo the vocal acrobatics of "missin u" with a deliriously brilliant "R&B edit" that adds even more layers, soul and vocal flourishes to the single.

"When I first started working with Jon Bellion, we were just beginning to scratch the surface on a new sound that truly felt like my own," Kelly explains in a video celebrating the release of her self-titled EP tori. "I know that I'm gonna look back on this collaboration as the start of something really special." As for Bellion's thoughts on his latest project? "Tori Kelly's the greatest vocalist of all time!"

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