“Where Are Ü Now” by Skrillex, Diplo and Justin Bieber

In “Where Are Ü Now”, Justin Bieber is primarily addressing a loved one. And comprehensively, what he is saying is that he feels the dedication, energy and resources he has put into this relationship have not been returned. 

So most simply put he is the victim of an unreciprocated love, a sentiment we have come across numerous times in pop songs.

But this track is a bit different from the lot. For instance, it is never specifically put forth that he is addressing a romantic interest, as such tunes tend to go. Also when he talks about the sacrifices he made, they extend beyond the usual I-gave-you-my-heart type of fare. 

Instead, if the second verse is to be taken literally, this is someone whom he gave ‘the shirt off his back to keep warm’. And yes, we know that such lingo is usually symbolic. But ultimately, it still points to the idea that he shared everything with this person, including his physical goods, when said individual was in need. 

Moreover, he “showed” him or her “the game”, i.e. taught the addressee how to survive on their own. Additionally, it also reads as if the vocalist was sort of a spiritual mentor to this person. Indeed going back to the first verse, the Biebs imbued the addressee with “faith”, ‘turning’ their ‘doubt into hope’ in general.  So it’s like he fulfilled a number of essential roles in his or her life when the situation called for it.

Things have Changed

Interestingly, in the here and now, the premise of the story has been reversed. Instead it is the vocalist who is, admittedly, in “need” of the addressee. But, apparently to his amazement and disappointment, said individual is nowhere to be found. 

And no, it doesn’t read like he’s trying to call-in a favor or anything like that, you know, be recompensed for the sacrifices he’s previously made to this relationship. Instead Justin comes off as if he is really in some kind of unspecified bind, akin to how the addressee was ‘broken down’ when he intervened in that person’s life. 

So now it’s like do the good unto me that I have done unto you, you know, as applicable.

The Conclusion of “Where Are Ü Now”

All lyrics considered, it may be that the addressee is in fact a romantic interest of the singer. This is made most plausible by the line “I need you the most”, as in such a statement not conventionally being something someone would say to a close friend, relative, etc. 

But either way, the singer doesn’t really go as far as focus on the type of relationship this is. Indeed doing so would really be beside the point. For at the end of the day, more importantly is the idea that this loved one is unjustly avoiding him. Verily as presented, if anyone should come to his aid in this time of crisis, it should be the addressee.

“Where Are Ü Now” Facts

Artist(s): Skrillex, Diplo and Justin Bieber
Album/EP: “Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü” 

Was “Where Are Ü Now” a single release?

Yes. It was the 2nd single from “Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü”. February 27, 2015 happens to be the date “Where Are Ü Now” came out.

Writing and Production

The song was written by Skrillex, Diplo, Bieber and the following three:

• Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd
• Karl Rubin Brutus
• Jordan Ware

“Where Are Ü Now” was produced by Skrillex, with assistance from Diplo.

What Genre(s) is this song?

It is an EDM track. EDM stands for Electronic Dance Music.

Awards/Honors

In the year 2016, “Where Are Ü Now” won an award for “Best Dance Recording” at the Annual Grammy Awards. It was nominated alongside the following songs:

• “Never Say Never” by Basement Jaxx
• “F for You” by Disclosure featuring Mary J. Blige
• “I Got U” by    Duke Dumont featuring Jax Jones
• “Faded” by Zhu

Other Accolades

It was included in Billboard’s list of Top 10 Songs of the year 2015.

“Where Are Ü Now” had a 2 and 3 times platinum certification by ARIA (Australia) and Recorded Music NZ respectively. It also ended 2015 as the 9th best-selling single in New Zealand.

Chart Performance

“Where Are Ü Now” reached number 1 in Britain. It was also a top-10 hit in the following places:

• US – 8
• UK – 1
• Scotland – 9
• New Zealand – 3
• Netherlands – 9
• Mexico Airplay – 3
• Ireland – 9
• Finland – 7
• Denmark – 8
• Czech Republic – 7
• Canada – 4
• Australia – 2

Covers

Below are just a few of some of the most popular covers of this EDM track:

• Sofia Karlberg (2015)
• Rixton (2015)
• Pentatonix (2015)
• Harp Player (2016)
• Florence & the Machine (2015)
• Ember Island (2015)
• Brett Domino (2015)
• Bart Baker (2015)