"Attention" is a song by Nigerian singer Omah Lay and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released through Sire Records and KeyQaad as the second single from Lay's debut studio album, ''Boy Alone'', on 4 March 2022. The song was produced by Avedon and Harv. "Attention" was Lay's first charting song.

Background

Lay was in the studio with producer Harv in Los Angeles, California. When he heard the instrumental, he came up with the lyrics to the song. Harv connected with Bieber on FaceTime and played the song for him. Bieber then sent his vocals to Lay. Lay felt that the best part about collaborating with Bieber "was how easy it was" and he "didn't even expect it to be that simple".

Composition and lyrics

"Attention" is an

afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...

song that is set in the key of F minor with a tempo of 120 beats per minute. Bieber opens the song up with the first verse, which sees him use his lower register. Lyrically, the two artists address the loneliness of a one-sided relationship and also wonder if they should use drugs and alcohol to ease the pain.

Release and promotion

The song was released for streaming and download on 4 March 2022. Four days later, it was pushed to radio airplay.

Critical reception

Jon Pareles of '' The New York Times'' felt that Bieber's "restrained croon dovetails nicely with the equanimity of

Afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...

singers".

Music video

The official music video for "Attention", directed by Colin Tilley, premiered on Bieber's YouTube channel on 4 March 2022. It sees Lay and Bieber around a bonfire, surrounded by women, in which they dance with them and sing the song.

Credits and personnel

* Omah Lay – vocals, songwriting * Justin Bieber – vocals, songwriting * Avedon – production, songwriting, bass, keyboards, drums * Harv – production, songwriting * Felisha King-Harvey – songwriting * Josh Gudwin – mixing, vocal production, vocal engineering * Heidi Wang – mixing assistance * Colin Leonard – mastering * Mark Parfitt – vocal engineering * Denis Kosiak – engineering, additional engineering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2022 singles 2022 songs Omah Lay songs Justin Bieber songs Music videos directed by Colin Tilley Sire Records singles Song recordings produced by Harv Songs written by Harv Songs written by Justin Bieber Songs written by Omah Lay Warner Records singles