As far as popular songs go, there is one artist whose name always seems to come up – Justin Bieber. This Canadian singer has come a long way from the teen idol he was in 2009 after dropping his debut album, “My World.” Since then he has become one of the best-selling artists of all time. His tracks have become better and better, causing him to have an extensive, high-quality catalog.
Bieber achieved early stardom and managed to keep his loyal fanbase while re-inventing himself converting many haters, who now happily bump his songs on their speakers and sing out his lyrics proudly. While he’s no doubt had some major breakthrough songs in the last couple of years such as the chart-topping hit “Stay”, we wanted to list out some of the tracks which launched Bieber to the stratosphere starting from his breakthrough to the career-defining records which re-imagined who Bieber was for the mainstream.
Baby – Justin Bieber Feat Ludacris (2010)
Love or hate it; this is one of the songs that started it all and aided Bieber to take off as a global chart-topping artist and icon. The fact that someone as prominent as Ludacris would co-sign this unknown 16-year-old was a testament in itself and it proved that he would go places one day. Here we are, marveling at the success of this hard-working pop star more than a decade later.
Never Say Never – Justin Bieber feat. Jaden Smith (2010)
When Jaden landed the role in the remake of Karate Kid which was directed by among others his iconic father Will Smith, Bieber was enlisted to collaborate with Jaden to create the official theme song for the film. The original song was actually written by Travis Garland and titled “Sexy Together”, but Bieber toned it down and flipped into something of a teen pop anthem, exactly what Biebs listeners needed to hear. It inspires confidence and a positive attitude and managed to land him in the Billboard Top 100 and on charts around the globe. The song may have also been how Will Smith ended up becoming a significant mentor to Bieber, which in itself may have helped the young star navigate the difficulties of teen stardom.
Beauty and the Beat – feat. Nicki Minaj (2012)
This song got its hype in a bit of a controversial way. After Bieber’s laptop was “stolen”, there were threats to leak the laptop’s secrets. Everyone sat around, ready to drink what was about to be spilled. Unfortunately, this seemed to translate into a simple marketing ploy to create hype for the new single. Yet, despite its murky start, the dancing synths on the track, inspired by Zedd and Martin, were matched remarkably with Nicki’s energy and Bieber’s powerful voice.
Confident – feat. Chance the Rapper (2014)
Confident is a feel-good, beat-heavy song with a memorable and playful melody that sticks in your head. This song built Bieber’s love before Chance had the Kanye co-sign. Having a track with Chance was arguably the moment people started to see Bieber as more than the “Baby” singer and set the tone for the transformation that would come in the years to come.
What Do You Mean – Justin Bieber (2015)
Justin surprised the world when he teamed up with iconic producers Skrillex and Diplo to create a fun, fanciful breath of fresh pop air. The track was a turning point in Biebers career and showed many people that he was grown up now and it had everyone vibing out to his lyrics and received support from every corner of the globe. The music video itself, besides leaving us with questions such as, “Why did Bieber think it was a good idea to kidnap a girl and take her to a skate park?”, was surprisingly excellent.
Sorry – Justin Bieber (2015)
At the core of it, Biebers LP Purpose is all about forgiveness. He asked everyone to forgive him for the person he was in the years leading to him maturing. In the process, he needs to forgive himself for publicly making an ass of himself. He then butters listeners’ hearts as he apologizes to all the girls he may have hurt on his road to maturity. Looking at the album through this lens paints “Sorry” as the pinnacle of the Purpose album. With an infectious rhythm and thinly veiled apology. Listeners can’t help but forgive him.
Justin Bieber has had highs and lows throughout his career. There were times where he wanted to shake off the notion of being a childhood star, and his music reflects that “Big Bad Boy” attitude he tried to uphold. Although as time progresses, he has softened up and relaxed, creating good music that people will come to enjoy for a long time. Is “Stay feat. The Kid Laroi” the next song to make history and cement its place on this list?
Let You Love Me – DJ Snake feat Justin Bieber (2016)
A song that calls for the repeat button as soon as it’s done. This track with DJ Snake is a fantastic showcase of Bieber’s skill. This song has a special place in many people’s hearts with dreamy falsettos and heroic horn synths.
I’m the One – DJ Khaled feat Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Quavo (2017)
DJ Khaled has had a remarkable career in the past decade, and this song is no exception. Not only did this bounce beat satisfy everyone’s fans. It also linked Justin Bieber up with some of the greatest names in the hip-hop scene.
Despacito (Remix) – Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee – feat Justin Bieber (2017)
Unless your name is Patrick Star and you live next to SpongeBob under a rock, you have heard about Despacito. In an interview, Fonsi and Yankee spoke about how impressed they were with Bieber. After getting permission to create a remix, he sent his verse in perfect Spanish the next day. Did Bieber’s feature on this song aid it to remain on the number one spot on the billboards for 16 weeks?. Most likeley.
