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"Company" is a song by Canadian singer
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
from his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). Written by Bieber,
Poo Bear Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, better known by his stage name Poo Bear, is an American songwriter, singer, and music producer. He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber's main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber's hits (including " ...
,
James Abrahart James John "JHart" Abrahart Jr. (born 12 June 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger, based in Los Angeles. Signed by Mike Caren to Artist Publishing Group in 2013, he has been nominated for several Grammy Awards an ...
,
Andreas Schuller Andreas Schuller (known by his producer name Axident) is a Norwegian songwriter and music producer based in Los Angeles. He has worked with artists Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Inna, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Timeflies, Jak ...
,
Thomas Troelsen Thomas Troelsen (born 6 October 1981) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and producer from Skive. Troelsen has written and produced songs for Pitbull, Flo Rida, Justin Bieber, David Guetta, Lil Wayne, Drengene fra Angora, Nile Rodgers, Jason Derulo ...
, James Wong and
Leroy Clampitt Leroy James Clampitt (born October 24, 1992), formerly known as Big Taste, is a Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Pirongia, New Zealand, based in Los Angeles, California. Leroy has co-written and produced songs ...
, the song was produced by
Axident Andreas Schuller (known by his producer name Axident) is a Norwegians, Norwegian songwriter and music producer based in Los Angeles. He has worked with artists Justin Bieber, Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull, Inna, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Jessie J, Ada ...
, Gladius, Big Taste and co-produced by Boyd. It was released to American
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
and
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations on March 8, 2016, as the album's fourth and final single. It is a
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
and R&B song, with
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
and
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
in its instrumentation. Lyrically, "Company" talks about looking forward to getting to know someone attractive, but also sets some healthy boundaries for doing so. As an album track, it reached the top-forty in the majority of the countries it charted. When it was released as a single, the song managed to reach the top-forty in Australia and peaked at number 53 in the United States. Bieber performed the track on the 3rd iHeartRadio Music Awards and 2016 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, as well as on his
Purpose World Tour The Purpose World Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, in support of his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The tour started on March 9, 2016, in Seattle, Washington, and concluded on July 2, 2017, in London, U ...
. Two music videos were made for the song: the video which is part of the "Purpose: The Movement" narrative, released on November 14, 2015, and the official music video released on June 8, 2016.


Background and release

While working on the album, Bieber invited his personal friend, American songwriter and producer
Poo Bear Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, better known by his stage name Poo Bear, is an American songwriter, singer, and music producer. He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber's main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber's hits (including " ...
, to collaborate on the record – both had previously worked on Bieber's second compilation album, '' Journals'', in 2013. They collaborated on the record, writing a lot of songs, until his label tried to set up writing camps for Bieber, but he declined and kept on working with Boyd. As declared by Boyd during an interview for ''
The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...
'', "We're just thinking about making sure that
he music He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
it's not negative, but uplifting. Even the music that talks about his relationships, it's feel-good music. It's nothing that will make you depressed. ..We're so in tune with each other, that it's easy to know what we're both gonna love, what he would love to sing. We worked really hard on this project. We really honest with ourselves." While being asked if there were any songs that he was especially excited about, Boyd claimed that one of them was "Company". In early February 2016, it was reported that
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
, Bieber's label, was eyeing to release "Company" as the follow-up to his previous successful single, "
Love Yourself "Love Yourself" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The song was released as a promotional single on November 9, 2015, and as the album's third official single on December 7, 2015. ...
". The label's promotional team informally tipped radio professionals the week of February 16, 2016, as reported by Headline Planet. A week later, ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' confirmed that "Company" would serve as the album's fourth single, and that it would impact both
rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...
and
contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...
stations on March 8, 2016. On April 7, 2016, a remix by
The Knocks The Knocks is an American electronic music duo consisting of Ben "B-Roc" Ruttner and James "JPatt" Patterson. They have released 3 full length albums Big Beat Records, Neon Gold">Big Beat Records (American record label)">Big Beat Records, Neon ...
was posted on the band's
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
account, as they announced they would be the opening act on selected dates of Bieber's
Purpose World Tour The Purpose World Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, in support of his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The tour started on March 9, 2016, in Seattle, Washington, and concluded on July 2, 2017, in London, U ...
.


Composition and lyrics

"Company" was written by Justin Bieber,
Poo Bear Jason Paul Douglas Boyd, better known by his stage name Poo Bear, is an American songwriter, singer, and music producer. He is best known for being one of Justin Bieber's main collaborators, having co-written many of Bieber's hits (including " ...
,
James Abrahart James John "JHart" Abrahart Jr. (born 12 June 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger, based in Los Angeles. Signed by Mike Caren to Artist Publishing Group in 2013, he has been nominated for several Grammy Awards an ...
,
Andreas Schuller Andreas Schuller (known by his producer name Axident) is a Norwegian songwriter and music producer based in Los Angeles. He has worked with artists Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Inna, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Jessie J, Adam Lambert, Timeflies, Jak ...
,
Thomas Troelsen Thomas Troelsen (born 6 October 1981) is a Danish singer, songwriter, and producer from Skive. Troelsen has written and produced songs for Pitbull, Flo Rida, Justin Bieber, David Guetta, Lil Wayne, Drengene fra Angora, Nile Rodgers, Jason Derulo ...
, James Wong and Leroy Clampitt. It was produced by
Axident Andreas Schuller (known by his producer name Axident) is a Norwegians, Norwegian songwriter and music producer based in Los Angeles. He has worked with artists Justin Bieber, Pitbull (rapper), Pitbull, Inna, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Jessie J, Ada ...
, Gladius and Big Taste, and co-produced by Boyd. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Alfred Publishing Company Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York City ...
, the song is composed in the
key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...
of
E minor E minor is a minor scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has one sharp. Its relative major is G major and its parallel major is E major. The E natural minor scale is: : Changes needed ...
with a moderately R&B groove of 95
beats per minute Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery ( ...
. Bieber's vocals range from the note of D3 to B4. It is an
electropop Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
and R&B song, with
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
,
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
and
percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
in its instrumentation. The song has "a mellow, calm yet sparkly mood, which was noted to be reminiscent from his previous album, '' Journals'' (2013). Lyrically, "Company" talks about seeking surface-level companionship on the dance floor. During the track, the protagonist is looking forward to getting to know someone attractive, but also sets some healthy boundaries for doing so, which can be seen in the lyrics: "You ain't gotta be my lover for you to call me baby/ … Just wanna have a conversation."


Reception


Critical

The song received critical acclaim. Patrick Ryan of
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
called it a "pulsing come-hither." Amy Davidson of
Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
opined that "'Company' is basically what happens when Justin Bieber feels like a non-committal hook-up during a stop on his gruelling tour and writes a cool R&B serenade to convince you it's a good idea." Sheldon Pearce of ''
Complex Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' called it "a strutting electropop tune
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
project emotional availability." Brennan Carley of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' named it "the triumphant Grecian sunrise that is the mid-album highlight." For Al Horner of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'', "the funk-laced 'Company' is a hit-in-waiting," while Megan Downing of
MTV UK MTV is a British pay television channel focusing on reality TV and music programming operated by Paramount Networks UK & Australia. The channel launched as part of MTV Networks Europe localisation strategy in 1997. MTV UK (previously MTV UK & I ...
labelled it "an easy-listening track oozing with coolness." Casey Lewis of ''
Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...
'' thought that the song "sounds like the comeback track Usher wishes he had, which is to say that it's good, just absolutely nothing like the quartet of singles he released while hyping this album."


Commercial

Commercially, "Company" charted after the release of ''Purpose'' in a number of countries. In the United States, the song debuted at number 53 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, along with other sixteen tracks of the album. After being released as a single, "Company" re-entered at number 89, and it peaked once again at number 53. It was later certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 30, after the album's release, reaching the top-twenty the following week, at number 18, which became its peak position. Later, the song re-entered at number 36, when it was released as a single, but only went to reach number 27 as its highest position. In Australia, the song entered at number 41, on the week of April 3, 2016, peaking two weeks later at number 34, becoming Bieber's first single to miss the top-twenty since " Hold Tight" (2013).


Music videos


Purpose: The Movement

Two music videos were made for the song. The first was released along with the "Purpose: The Movement" project on November 14, 2015. As stated by
Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...
's Claire Landsbaum, " tfollows a group of women who meet a group of guys in a diner. One member of each party leaves the restaurant and does a sexy couple's dance in front of a lit-up
Hard Rock Café Hard Rock Cafe, Inc. is a British-based multinational chain of theme restaurants, memorabilia shops, casinos and museums founded in 1971 by Isaac Tigrett and Peter Morton in London. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and rol ...
, but at 3:17 heprotagonists are replaced by lots of gyrating women behind a mysterious hotel room door."


Official video

On May 16, 2016, Bieber revealed that another music video for the song was going to be released. The official music video was directed by Bieber's personal videographer Rory Kramer and released on June 8, 2016, and features cameo appearances from
Floyd Mayweather Floyd may refer to: As a name * Floyd (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Floyd (surname), a list of people and fictional characters Places in the United States * Floyd, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Floyd, Iow ...
,
Daisy Ridley Daisy Jazz Isobel Ridley (born 10 April 1992) is an English actress. She rose to prominence for her role as Rey in the ''Star Wars'' sequel trilogy: ''The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last Jedi'' (2017), and ''The Rise of Skywalker'' (2019) ...
,
Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor. To English-speaking audiences, he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in '' Letters from Iwo Jima'' and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in ''The Last Samurai'', for which he was nomi ...
,
Josh Gad Joshua Ilan Gad (born February 23, 1981) is an American actor. He is known for voicing Olaf in the '' Frozen'' franchise, playing Elder Arnold Cunningham in the Broadway musical ''The Book of Mormon'', and playing Le Fou in the live-action adap ...
,
Ralph Fiennes Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes ( ; born 22 December 1962) is an English actor, film producer, and director. A Shakespeare interpreter, he excelled onstage at the Royal National Theatre before having further success at the Royal Shak ...
,
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards f ...
and
Kevin Bacon Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. His films include the musical-drama film '' Footloose'' (1984), the controversial historical conspiracy legal thriller '' JFK'' (1991), the legal drama '' A Few Good Men'' (1992), t ...
. It's a documentary-style compilation of clips of the singer on his world travels. In the workshop "The Creative Process with Rory Kramer" by the Canon Creator Lab, Kramer said, that he started editing the music video for Company on his own initiative from material that he had recorded at the time. When he showed his work to Bieber and Scooter, the two were thrilled and wanted it to be the official music video for Company. According to Bieber in a statement, "Personally, I love this video because it's an honest look at my journey. The process of putting together this album and this tour — surrounded by people I love to be with — has been really special. I'm proud of it, it's been a lot of fun and lot of hard work, and I think that really shows in video. I hope my fans like it as I much as I do, because it's really all for you." The video starts out with Bieber pensive, shirtless and downcast as he gazes over the calm waters of the
Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
basin and sits alone in the dark on a child's swing. Later, the video also features footage from the Purpose World Tour, as well as clips of Bieber in the studio recording the album, and snippets of him on the set of his
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
photo shoot. Interspersed are sweeping images of Bieber looking out over nature, reminiscent of his earlier ' I'll Show You' video."


Live performances

"Company" was first performed on April 3, 2016, at the 3rd iHeartRadio Music Awards after an acoustic rendition of "
Love Yourself "Love Yourself" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The song was released as a promotional single on November 9, 2015, and as the album's third official single on December 7, 2015. ...
". Sporting blond dreadlocks, gold chains and a loose-fitting red jacket, Bieber went into the crowd and danced with a fan during the performance. The song was also performed on the 2016 ''Billboard'' Music Awards, before Bieber performed " Sorry". The performance featured jets of fire and a wash of lights. It was also added to the setlist of his
Purpose World Tour The Purpose World Tour was the third concert tour by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, in support of his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The tour started on March 9, 2016, in Seattle, Washington, and concluded on July 2, 2017, in London, U ...
. During the performance, "a hidden platform anchored to the ceiling begins to descend and it turned out to be a giant, suspended trampoline, on which the singer completed a couple of backflips."


Credits and personnel

;Recording *Recorded at Jungle City Studios, New York. *Mixed at Record Plant Studios, California. ;Personnel *Justin Bieber – writing, vocals. *Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd – writing, co-production. *James Abrahart – writing, production. *Andreas Schuller – writing, percussion. *Thomas Troelsen – writing *James Wong – writing, production, guitar. *Leroy Clampitt – writing, production, bass guitar. *Andrew Wuepper – mixing *Josh Gudwin – mixing, recording. *Brandon Harding – mixing assistant. *Henrique Andrade – mixing assistant. *Zeke Mishanec – recording assistant. Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''Purpose'',
Def Jam Recordings Def Jam Recordings (also simply known as Def Jam) is an American multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It is based in Manhattan, New York City, specializing predominantly in hip hop, contemporary R&B, soul and pop. The ...
.


Charts


Certifications


Release history


See also

*
List of number-one singles of 2016 (South Africa) The South African Airplay Chart ranks the best-performing singles in South Africa. Its data, published by Entertainment Monitoring Africa, is based collectively on each single's weekly airplay. List of number-one singles of 2016 Number-one art ...


References

{{authority control 2015 songs 2016 singles Def Jam Recordings singles Electropop songs Justin Bieber songs Songs written by Justin Bieber Songs written by Poo Bear Songs written by James Abrahart Songs written by Axident Songs written by Thomas Troelsen South African Airplay Chart number-one singles Songs written by Leroy Clampitt