"Ghost" 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 ...
. It was sent to French radio stations through
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
on September 10, 2021, as the sixth and final single from his sixth studio album, ''
Justice
Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...
''.
Bieber wrote the song with producers
Jon Bellion
Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his song "All Time Low," along with his writing and producing cred ...
and
the Monsters & Strangerz
The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander " Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcu ...
(Jordan K. Johnson and Stefan Johnson), alongside
Michael Pollack.
Commercially, "Ghost" reached number one in Malaysia and Singapore and charted within the top ten in Canada, Indonesia, Ireland, Lebanon, the Philippines, and the United States.
Background
Bieber explained that his objective with the creation of "Ghost" was to "make people feel like there is hope and that the trauma and the hurt that you feel isn't gonna last forever". In a
Zoom
Zoom may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Zoom (software), videoconferencing application
* Page zooming, the ability to magnify or shrink a portion of a page on a computer display
* Zooming user interface, a graphical interface allowing for image ...
playback of ''Justice'', he acknowledged that 2020 "has been a really challenging year where we've lost loved ones and relationships" during the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. Bieber went on to say that the song's hook "works for this quarantine situation" since "we're not relating and connecting in the same way", which in turn "has allowed us to only really have these memories". On February 20, 2022, American singer-songwriter
Jon Bellion
Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his song "All Time Low," along with his writing and producing cred ...
, who was involved in the songwriting and production of "Ghost", also explained through a
tweet that he wrote the song about his late grandmother.
Composition and lyrics
"Ghost" is an uptempo
grime
Grime may refer to:
* Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust
* Grime (music genre), a genre of music
* ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity
* ''Grime'' (video game), a 2021 Metroidvania video game
* "Grime", a 2022 song by Dallas Woo ...
influenced
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...
and
synth-pop ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
.
The song is set in the key of
D major
D major (or the key of D) is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative minor is B minor and its parallel minor is D minor.
The D major scale is:
:
Ch ...
with a tempo of 77 beats per minute. It meshes
electronic dance music (EDM) with
drum and bass and makes use of a
folky acoustic guitar, busy programmed drums, and shimmering EDM
synthesizers.
Uproxx
''Uproxx'' (stylized in all caps) is an entertainment and popular culture news website. It was founded in 2008 by Jarret Myer and Brian Brater, and acquired by Woven Digital (later renamed Uproxx Media Group) in 2014. The site's target audience ...
's Bianca Gracie described the track as leaning into the
adult contemporary genre "with its radio-friendly acoustic guitar riffs". The song's chattering beats give way to an acoustic guitar strum before the two sounds are brought together on the chorus.
Lyrically, "Ghost" deals with grief caused by the absence of a loved one, with Bieber singing: "I'll settle for the ghost of you / I miss you more than life."[ Catherine Walthall of '']American Songwriter
''American Songwriter'' is a bimonthly magazine covering songwriting. Established in 1984, it features interviews, songwriting tips, news, reviews and lyric contest. The magazine is based in Nashville, Tennessee.
History
The ''American Songwri ...
'' remarked that the song does not "exclusively serve in an elegiac fashion", in that while it is likely about losing a loved one to death, it can also act "as a comfort for those battling the woes of long-distance or separation".
Promotion
To promote "Ghost", Bieber teamed up with Dolby Laboratories to create a long-form commercial for Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is a surround sound technology developed by Dolby Laboratories. It expands on existing surround sound systems by adding height channels, allowing sounds to be interpreted as three-dimensional objects with neither horizontal, nor verti ...
including the song. A day later, '' Billboard'' chart director Gary Trust announced that the song started being officially promoted to US pop 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 ...
. Bieber performed the song at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2021 MTV Video Music Awards were held on September 12, 2021, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. This marked the first time in eight years that the venue hosted the show. The show was hosted by hip-hop rapper and singer Doja ...
, where he sported a hoodie covering most of his face and was accompanied on set by large ice blocks.
Critical reception
The song received critical acclaim by music critics. Allison Stewart of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' saw "Ghost" as the best song on ''Justice'', writing that the "rafter-rattling ballad" is "perfectly suited to the unique concerns of quarantine".[ Similarly, '']Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' pop music critic Mikael Wood considered it one of the album's highlights, noting that the song's drums "punches up a vaguely creepy emo sentiment".[ Jason Lipshutz of ''Billboard'' listed it ninth in his ranking of the best songs on ''Justice'', believing that "Bieber drops one of the best vocal performances on the album here and carries the concept through".][ The '']Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
''s David Smyth felt the song's synths were one of the many musically enjoyable aspects on ''Justice''.[ '']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 ...
''s Will Lavin wrote that the track "hits hard but imparts a healing guitar riff to cushion the blow".[ Anna Clara Ribeiro from '']PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' found it to be the most intriguing song on ''Justice'' in terms of production, specifying "not so much for any of the sounds that prevail in it", but rather "for where each of them is placed". Ribeiro also called it a good lyrical moment of the album.[ Baby A. Gil of '']The Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
'' thought the song "effortlessly juggles grief and hope while depicting forever love". '' Conseqence of Sound''s Valerie Magan was less positive about the track, feeling its "impact remains as barren as the imagery".
Commercial performance
Upon the release of ''Justice'', "Ghost" charted at number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200.[ It entered several record charts worldwide, including Australia (53), Bieber's home country of Canada (27),][ Denmark (25),][ Portugal (114),][ Slovakia (58),][ and Sweden (72).][ In the United States, the song debuted at number 66 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 as one of the 11 new entrances off ''Justice''. Following its promotion to pop radio as a single, the song peaked at number two on the Canadian Hot 100][ and number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200.][ On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart dated February 19, 2022, "Ghost" rose to number nine in its 20th charting week, garnering 62 million airplay impressions, 7.9 million streams, and 3,400 sales.] The song earned Bieber his 26th top-ten hit and made him hold the 11th-most top-ten entries in the chart's history. It additionally became his longest climb to reach the top ten, surpassing the 18-week ascent of his 2015 collaboration with American record producers Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead si ...
and Diplo, "Where Are Ü Now
"Where Are Ü Now" is a song produced by American EDM artists Skrillex and Diplo under their collaborative effort Jack Ü, with vocals from Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was released as the second single from the duo's debut studio alb ...
". The song hit a new peak of number eight the following week while concurrently becoming Bieber's 10th number one on the US Mainstream Top 40, the most among solo males on the chart. "Ghost" peaked at number five on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart dated April 2, 2022, giving Bieber his 20th top-five hit and making him only the 10th act to reach the threshold. The song also found considerable success in Maritime Southeast Asia
Maritime Southeast Asia comprises the countries of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and East Timor. Maritime Southeast Asia is sometimes also referred to as Island Southeast Asia, Insular Southeast Asia or Oceanic Sout ...
, reaching number one in Malaysia and Singapore,[ number two in Indonesia,][ and number six in the Philippines.][ As of March 17, 2022, "Ghost" has amassed 255 million streams in the US and 830 million streams worldwide.]
Music video
The official music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
for "Ghost", directed by Colin Tilley
Colin Tilley (born June 27, 1988) is an American filmmaker, music video director, and television commercial director. Tilley is the CEO and owner of Boy in the Castle Productions. He has directed more than 300 music videos.
Tilley directed, pro ...
, premiered on October 8, 2021. It coincided with the release of the complete edition of ''Justice'' and the Amazon Prime Video documentary, '' Justin Bieber: Our World''. Actress Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton (''née'' Hall, born January 5, 1946) is an American actress and director. She has received various accolades throughout her career spanning over six decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Glo ...
stars as Bieber's grandmother in the video. The video opens with Bieber playing the piano, celebrating his grandfather's birthday with him and Keaton. The moment is interrupted in the next scene as Bieber and Keaton mourn the death of his grandfather at an ocean-side funeral. Two years after the event, Bieber sees Keaton is still struggling with her husband's passing.[ He decides to take Keaton for a night out on the town as they attempt to move past their grief.] Bieber buys a Gucci
Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragran ...
dress for Keaton to cheer her up, and they partake in activities such as going on long walks along Ventura Beach and taking shots, toasting, and dancing at a bar.[ Bieber later encourages Keaton to date again as she looks for eligible bachelors on a dating app called Slide.] Bieber then drives Keaton to the beach in a convertible, where she scatters her husband's ashes in the ocean while dolphins jump up to greet them.[ At the end of the video, Bieber surprises Keaton by setting her up on a date with a new man who slightly resembles her widower.][
Bieber called Keaton and asked her to be in the video, to which she accepted the offer and expressed fondness for the song.][ Keaton previously shared a brief interaction with Bieber in 2015 during her appearance on '']The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'' and admitted having a slight crush on him after being shown his Calvin Klein campaign. On October 6, 2021, Bieber and Keaton shared a teaser of the video on their respective Instagram accounts. Speaking about her experience working with Bieber, Keaton said it was "friendly, open, loose and unique", adding that he "was kind to everyone and his team was perfection". While Keaton had never been in a music video before, she directed two of them for Belinda Carlisle
Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist.
Raised in ...
's singles, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth
"Heaven Is a Place on Earth" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle from her second studio album, '' Heaven on Earth'' (1987). Written by Rick Nowels and Ellen Shipley, the song was released as the lead single from the ''Heaven on Eart ...
" and "I Get Weak
"I Get Weak" is a song by American singer Belinda Carlisle from her second studio album, '' Heaven on Earth'' (1987). The song was written by Diane Warren and produced by Rick Nowels, and was released as the second single from ''Heaven on Earth' ...
".[
]
Credits and personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
.
* 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 ...
– vocals, songwriting
* Jon Bellion
Jonathan David Bellion (born December 26, 1990) is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter. He was born and raised in Lake Grove, New York on Long Island. He is best known for his song "All Time Low," along with his writing and producing cred ...
– songwriting, production, backing vocals, engineering, programming, vocal production
* The Monsters & Strangerz
The Monsters & Strangerz are an American production and songwriting team from Miami, Florida. The team features The Monsters: Alexander " Eskeerdo" Izquierdo, Stefan Johnson, Jordan K. Johnson and Oliver "German" Peterhof and The Strangerz: Marcu ...
– production, bass, drums, keyboards, programming
** Jordan K. Johnson – songwriting
** Stefan Johnson – songwriting, vocal production
* Michael Pollack – songwriting
* Heidi Wang – assistant mixing, engineering
* Ryan Lytle – assistant recording engineering
* Pierre-Luc Rioux – guitar
* Colin Leonard – mastering
* Josh Gudwin – mixing, vocal production
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of number-one songs of 2022 (Malaysia)
RIM streaming charts
Below is a list of songs that topped the RIM Charts in 2022 according to the Recording Industry Association of Malaysia.
Starting the week ending 24 March 2022, the Top 20 International and Domestic Singles chart was rec ...
* List of number-one songs of 2021 (Singapore)
This is a list of the Singapore Top 30 Digital Streaming number-one songs in 2021, according to the Recording Industry Association of Singapore.
Chart history
References
{{SingaporeanNumberOnes
2021 in Singapore
Singapore
2021
File:2021 col ...
* List of number-one songs of 2022 (Singapore)
References
{{Justin Bieber songs
2021 songs
2021 singles
Justin Bieber songs
Canadian pop rock songs
Def Jam Recordings singles
Music videos directed by Colin Tilley
Number-one singles in Malaysia
Number-one singles in Singapore
Song recordings produced by the Monsters & Strangerz
Songs written by Jon Bellion
Songs written by Jordan Johnson (songwriter)
Songs written by Justin Bieber
Songs written by Michael Pollack (musician)
Songs written by Stefan Johnson
Songs about death
Synth-pop ballads
2020s ballads
Canadian synth-pop songs