I'll Show You (Justin Bieber Song)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

"I'll Show You" is a song recorded by Canadian singer
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
for his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). Written by Bieber, Josh Gudwin,
Sonny Moore Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
, Michael Tucker and
Theron Feemster Theron Otis Feemster, also known by the names Ron Feemster or Neff-U, is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Life and career Feemster was born and raised in Grover, North Carolina, where his family was very acti ...
, the song was produced by
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
and Blood. It was released as a promotional single from the album on November 2, 2015, by
Def Jam 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 ...
. A mid-tempo
Electronic pop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a revi ...
ballad, the song includes trap percussion and synthesizer beds as its main instrumentation. Bieber's vocals on the track were considered emotional, lower, and calmer. Lyrically, "I'll Show You" was considered an autobiographical song about his public image, with lyrics about the pressure of fame and the need for human connection. The song received acclaim from most music critics, who praised Skrillex's production and his chemistry with Bieber, while also noting his rawness and praising his vocals on the track. Commercially, the song was successful, reaching the top-ten in seven countries, including his native Canada, as well as the top-twenty in another six, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States where it received platinum certification 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 ...
. The song's music video was shot in South Iceland and released on November 2, 2015. It shows Bieber on lush mountainsides, gazing at nature from a cliff's edge, and skateboarding on top of a broken-down airplane. "I'll Show You" was included 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 (Justin Bieber album), Purpose'' (2015). The tour started on March 9, 2016, in Seattle, Seattle, Washington, and ...
.


Background and release

While working on his then-upcoming studio album, Justin Bieber enlisted American DJ
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
to produce songs for the record after successfully working with him on "
Where Are Ü Now "Where Are Ü Now" is a song produced by American EDM duo Jack Ü, composed of DJs and producers Skrillex and Diplo, with Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was released as the second single from the duo's debut studio album, '' Skrillex a ...
", which was a song that he sent to Skrillex and
Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...
for their project
Jack Ü Jack Ü was an American electronic dance music duo consisting of electronic music producers Skrillex and Diplo, formed in 2013. They released their first official single, "Take Ü There", featuring vocals from Kiesza, on October 4, 2014. They re ...
and that became a worldwide hit and helped to revamp his career. Regarding his will to work with the producer, Bieber commented: "Skrillex is a genius. He’s super futuristic and I just love his sounds. I think being able to incorporate that sound with what I’m doing has been super cool because it’s like new and fresh, and I feel like no one’s done it before." Skrillex, on the other hand, commented about his involvement on the album, saying: "I heard some well-written songs that were really good that they wanted me to do production on and from there, we wrote some new songs. It was an opportunity to try some stuff that I had never done before and we ended up making something really unique." Skrillex also invited Michael Tucker, under his producer name
Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...
, to help him produce some tracks for the album, with one of them being "I'll Show You". Regarding the song, Skrillex commented: "There was a very different version of that track, and after I heard it I wanted to re-produce it so it was more slowed down and emotional. That track is one of my favourites on the album. It has some of the best lyrics on the album. That was one of the songs that he ieberreally liked, and we were both proud of." It was later released as a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
from the album on November 1, 2015.


Composition

"I'll Show You" was written by
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
, Josh Gudwin,
Sonny Moore Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
, Michael Tucker and
Theron Feemster Theron Otis Feemster, also known by the names Ron Feemster or Neff-U, is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. Life and career Feemster was born and raised in Grover, North Carolina, where his family was very acti ...
, with production being done by
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
and Blood. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by
Universal Music Publishing Group Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) is a global music publishing company and is part of the Universal Music Group. Universal Music Publishing has been ranked the #1 music publisher in market share by Billboard for multiple consecutive quart ...
, the song is composed in the key of
A minor A minor is a minor scale based on A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative major is C major and its parallel major is A major. The A natural minor scale is: Changes needed for the melodic ...
with a
tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 100
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. Bieber's vocals range from the note of E4 to E5. The song is a "chilled-out EDM" ballad," having "shadowy R&B atmospheric synthesizers," a trap percussion line and thick beds of synthesizers. For Bianca Gracie of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
, " hebrooding tune picks up where the R&B-flecked ' Journals' left off," while Carolyn Menyes of Music Times noticed that the song is "notably more down-tempo than his previously released Purpose cuts '
What Do You Mean? "What Do You Mean?" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on August 28, 2015, by Def Jam as the lead single from his fourth studio album '' Purpose'' (2015). The song was produced by MdL and co-produced by Bieber. It was fea ...
' and ' Sorry.'" During the track, Bieber uses a "suave yet hurt croon", as well as "lower, calmer, sturdier, and delicately cradled by Skrillex's glass-case-of-emotion production," having an emotional, rich, deep tone." Lyrically, "I'll Show You" offers an autobiographical glimpse into the difficulty of growing up in the public eye and the need for human connection. During the opening lines, "My life is a movie, and everyone’s watching," he "underlin shis typical braggadocio with insecurity and quiet paranoia." Menyes noted that the song has "introspective" lyrics, "go nga little bit deeper into his struggles with depression and his public image," which can be seen on the pre-chorus: "Sometimes it's hard to do the right thing / When the pressure's coming down like lightning / It's like they want me to be perfect / When they don't even know that I'm hurting." The chorus "reveals his lamentations as a setup for his ashes-rising," with Bieber singing: "This life’s not easy/ I’m not made out of steel/ Don’t you forget that I’m human/ Don’t forget that I’m real/ Act like you know me, but you never will / But there’s one thing that I know for sure / I’ll show you." In the second part, he meditates on his maturation in the public spotlight, explaining that his many scandals were all part of learning "the hard way."


Critical reception

The song received acclaim from music critics. Andrew Unterberger of ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' praised the "Skrillex’s glass-case-of-emotion production" calling it "a waterfall of gorgeous Skrillex synths," adding: "It’s as electric a moment as you’ll hear in pop this year." Unterberger also noted that the song shows that "Bieber’s far more concerned about rekindling his relationship with the general public." Sam C. Mac of
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
opined that the song "takes an
Owl City Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young (American musician), Adam Young, who created the project while exp ...
-worthy ballad and beefs it up ..completing 2015's most empirically perfect singles rollout." Caroline Sullivan of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' noted that the song "is drenched in icy reverb," while Bianca Gracie of
Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolator or Idolater may also refer to: * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), a 2005 album by Blood Stain Child * ''Idolator'', a 1986 album by Ole Evenrud * "Idolater", a ...
pointed out that " is Bieber in his rawest form."
Annie Zaleski Annie Zaleski is a ''New York Times'' best-selling author and music historian. Career Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio w ...
of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' praised Skrillex's production for "inject nglife into 'Purpose', citing the " tropical-forest electro mist" song as an example. Carolyn Menyes of Music Times observed that "the lightness and vulnerability in Bieber's vocals help to balance that out and bring in a human element." 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 initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...
'' declared that "there's something poignant about his pleas to restore a sense of humanity around him." Alex Macpherson of '' The National'' called it "all languid, stretched-out bass until an oddly weedy synth riff hoves into earshot to function as the hook." Michelle Geslani of
Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. History ''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
commend Bieber and Srkillex for "continu ngto show off their musical chemistry with 'I’ll Show You'," observing that "Skrillex provides the perfect backdrop for Bieber's suave yet hurt croon." Janine Schaults of the same publication was positive with Bieber's "creamy" voice, declaring that it "begs for sympathy in a way that simultaneously makes you feel sorry for Bieber's lost childhood and repulsed by his blindness to his own immense privilege."


Chart performance

"I'll Show You" proved to be very successful for a
promotional single A promotional recording, promo, or plug copy is an audio or video recording distributed free, usually in order to promote a recording that is or soon will be commercially available. Promos are normally sent directly to broadcasters, such as mu ...
. In Bieber's native country, Canada, the song debuted at number twenty-eight, before climbing to number fifteen in its second week. It later peaked at number eight a week later."I'll Show You" chart positions in Canada: * * * In the United States, the song debuted at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, selling 52,000 copies, which also made it start at number 17 on
Digital Songs The Digital Song Sales (previously named Digital Songs and Hot Digital Songs) ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Luminate and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Although it originally started tracking ...
. After the video's release, the song climbed to number 27, while during its third week, after the album's release, the song jumped to number 19, becoming his fourteenth top-twenty song. It was later certified platinum 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 ...
for selling over a million copies. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 15, becoming his eleventh solo top-twenty song. In Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Norway, the song managed to reach the top-ten, while in Australia, Ireland and Sweden the song was able to reach the top-twenty.


Music video

A music video for the song was released on November 2, 2015, and it was directed by Rory Kramer. It features glacial lagoons and rivers in South Iceland, including the waterfalls
Seljalandsfoss Seljalandsfoss () is a waterfall in Iceland. Seljalandsfoss is located in the South Region in Iceland right by Route 1 and the road that leads to Þórsmörk Road 249. The waterfall drops and is part of the Seljalands River that has its origin ...
and
Skógafoss Skógafoss (pronounced ) is a waterfall on the Skógá River in the south of Iceland at the cliff marking the former coastline. After the coastline had receded (it is now at a distance of about from Skógar), the former sea cliffs remained, paral ...
. The video features Bieber "running through lush, green mountains, sitting on the edge of a cliff, rolling down hills and skateboarding on top of a derelict airplane." There's also a scene where Bieber is " ravingice water in just his nderwear" ''
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 advertis ...
'' considered it "a beautiful clip full of nature's glory."


Credits and personnel

;Recording and management *Recorded and mixed at
Record Plant Studios The Record Plant was a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and last operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it produced highly influential albums, including the New York ...
(Hollywood, California) *Mastered at
Sterling Sound Studios George Marino (April 15, 1947June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He attended ...
(New York City) *Published by Bieber Time Publishing/Universal Music (ASCAP), Yeshua the Gudwin Admin by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing (BMI), Sonny Moore/Copaface (ASCAP), Michael Diamond Music, Kobalt Songs Music Publishing o/b/o OWSLA TRAX, These Are Songs of Pulse (ASCAP), and Feemstro Adm. by Universal Music – Z Tunes LLC (ASCAP) ;Personnel *
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
– lead vocals, songwriter *Josh Gudwin – songwriter,
recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...
, mixing *
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
– songwriter, producer *
Blood Blood is a body fluid in the circulatory system of humans and other vertebrates that delivers necessary substances such as nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and transports metabolic waste products away from those same cells. Blood is com ...
– songwriter, producer * Theron "Neff-U" Feemster – songwriter *Andrew Wuepper – mixing *Chris "Tek" O'Ryan – additional
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
* Tom Coynemastering *Randy Merrill – mastering *Brandon Harding – mix assistant *Henrique Andrade – record assistant Credits adapted from ''Purpose'' album liner notes.


Charts


Certifications


Release history


References


External links

* {{authority control 2015 singles 2015 songs Justin Bieber songs Def Jam Recordings singles Song recordings produced by BloodPop Song recordings produced by Skrillex Canadian electronic dance music songs Contemporary R&B ballads Songs written by Skrillex Songs written by Justin Bieber Songs written by Theron Feemster Songs written by BloodPop Music videos shot in Iceland