Ghost (Justin Bieber song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Ghost"
Single by Justin Bieber
from the album Justice
ReleasedSeptember 10, 2021 (2021-09-10)
GenrePop rock
Length2:33
LabelUniversal
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Justin Bieber singles chronology
"Don't Go"
(2021) 		"Ghost"
(2021) 		"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
(2021)
Music video
"Ghost" on YouTube

"Ghost" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was sent to French radio stations through Universal Music Group on September 10, 2021, as the sixth single from his sixth studio album, Justice.[1] Bieber wrote the song with producers Jon Bellion and the Monsters & Strangerz (Jordan K. Johnson and Stefan Johnson), alongside Michael Pollack. Commercially, "Ghost" reached number one in Singapore and charted within the top ten in Canada, Indonesia, Ireland, Lebanon, Malaysia, 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".[2] In a Zoom playback of Justice, he acknowledged that 2021 "has been a really challenging year where we've lost loved ones and relationships" during the COVID-19 pandemic. 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".[3] On February 20, 2022, American singer-songwriter Jon Bellion, who was involved in the songwriting and production of "Ghost", also explained through a tweet that he wrote the song about his late grandmother.[4]

Composition and lyrics[]

"Ghost" is an uptempo pop rock ballad that is set in the key of D major with a tempo of 77 beats per minute.[5][6][7][8] 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.[9][10][11][12] The song's chattering beats give way to an acoustic guitar strum on the chorus.[9][13] Lyrically, the song is about 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."[9][10][14]

Promotion[]

To promote "Ghost", Bieber teamed up with Dolby Laboratories to create a long-form commercial for Dolby Atmos including the song.[15] A day later, Billboard chart director Gary Trust announced that the song started being officially promoted to US pop radio.[16] Bieber performed it at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, where he sported a hoodie covering most of his face and was accompanied on set by large ice blocks.[17][18]

Critical reception[]

Allison Stewart of The Washington Post saw "Ghost" as the best song on Justice, writing that the "rafter-rattling ballad" is "perfectly suited to the unique concerns of quarantine".[7] Similarly, Los Angeles Times 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".[11] 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".[13] The Evening Standard's David Smyth felt the song's synths were one of the many musically enjoyable aspects on Justice.[12] NME's Will Lavin wrote that the track "hits hard but imparts a healing guitar riff to cushion the blow".[5] Anna Clara Ribeiro from PopMatters 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.[9] Baby A. Gil of The Philippine Star thought the song "effortlessly juggles grief and hope while depicting forever love".[19] Conseqence of Sound's Valerie Magan was less positive about the track, feeling its "impact remains as barren as the imagery".[20]

Commercial performance[]

Upon the release of Justice, "Ghost" charted at number 41 on the Billboard Global 200.[21] It entered several record charts worldwide, including Australia (53),[22] Canada (27),[23] Denmark (25),[24] Portugal (114),[25] Slovakia (58),[26] and Sweden (72).[27] In the United States, the song debuted at number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 as one of the 11 new entrances off Justice.[28] Following its promotion to pop radio as a single, the song peaked at number five on the Canadian Hot 100[23] and number 16 on the Billboard Global 200.[21] 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.[29] The song earned Bieber his 26th top-ten hit and made him hold the 11th-most top-ten entries in the chart's history.[29] 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 and Diplo "Where Are Ü Now".[29] 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.[30][31] "Ghost" peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated March 5, 2022.[32] The song also found considerable success in Maritime Southeast Asia, reaching number one in Singapore,[33] number two in Malaysia,[34] number three in Indonesia,[35] and number nine in the Philippines.[36]

Music video[]

The official music video for "Ghost", directed by Colin Tilley, premiered on October 8, 2021.[37] It coincided with the release of the complete edition of Justice and the Amazon Prime Video documentary, Justin Bieber: Our World.[38] Actress Diane Keaton stars as Bieber's grandmother in the video.[39] The video opens with Bieber playing the piano, celebrating his grandfather's birthday with him and Keaton.[40] The moment is interrupted in the next scene as Bieber and Keaton mourn the death of his grandfather at an ocean-side funeral.[40][41] Two years after the event,[42] Bieber sees Keaton is still struggling with her husband's passing.[40] He decides to take Keaton for a night out on the town as they attempt to move past their grief.[40][43] Bieber buys a Gucci dress for Keaton to cheer her up,[44] and they partake in activities such as going on long walks along Ventura Beach and taking shots, toasting, and dancing at a bar.[39][43][45] Bieber later encourages Keaton to date again as she looks for eligible bachelors on a dating app called Slide.[41][43][46] 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.[47][41] 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.[41][46]

Bieber called Keaton and asked her to be in the video, to which she accepted the offer and expressed fondness for the song.[39] Keaton previously shared a brief interaction with Bieber in 2015 during her appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and admitted having a slight crush on him after being shown his Calvin Klein campaign.[48] On October 6, 2021, Bieber and Keaton shared a teaser of the video on their respective Instagram accounts.[49] 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".[50] While Keaton had never been in a music video before, she directed two of them for Belinda Carlisle's singles, "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" and "I Get Weak".[50][47]

Credits and personnel[]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[51]

  • Justin Bieber – vocals, songwriting
  • Jon Bellion – songwriting, production, backing vocals, engineering, programming, vocal production
  • The Monsters & Strangerz – 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[]

Certifications[]

Certifications for "Ghost"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[83] Platinum 70,000double-dagger
Canada (Music Canada)[84] 2× Platinum 160,000double-dagger
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[85] Gold 45,000double-dagger
New Zealand (RMNZ)[86] Platinum 30,000double-dagger
Norway (IFPI Norway)[87] Gold 30,000double-dagger
United Kingdom (BPI)[88] Silver 200,000double-dagger
United States (RIAA)[89] Platinum 1,000,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[]

Release dates and formats for "Ghost"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
France September 10, 2021 Radio airplay Universal [1]
Italy October 8, 2021 [90]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b Citations regarding the radio airplay release of "Ghost" in France:
    • Purecharts (September 10, 2021). "Justin Bieber : écoutez son nouveau single 'Ghost'" [Justin Bieber: listen to his new single 'Ghost']. Retrieved September 26, 2021 – via Dailymotion.
    • Berthelot, Théau (September 11, 2021). "Justin Bieber : le planant 'Ghost' est le nouveau single de 'Justice'" [Justin Bieber: the hovering 'Ghost' is the new single from 'Justice']. Purebreak Charts (in French). Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  2. ^ Bieber, Justin (September 12, 2021). "Experience Justin Bieber Like Never Before In Dolby Atmos". Event occurs at 1:04. Retrieved October 12, 2021 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ Collins, Hattie (March 19, 2021). "Justin Bieber ('iPad 7' on Zoom) Reveals the Details Behind His New Album, Justice". Vogue. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  4. ^ Bellion, Jon [@jonbellion] (February 20, 2022). "Wrote this one about my grandmother. Really cool to feel her every time I turn the radio on in the car. Miss you Gma" (Tweet). Retrieved February 20, 2022 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ a b Lavin, Will (March 19, 2021). "Justin Bieber – 'Justice' review: pop star finds his purpose again". NME. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  6. ^ Petridis, Alexis (March 19, 2021). "Justin Bieber: Justice review – hot goings-on, not What's Going On". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Stewart, Allison (March 23, 2021). "What does 'Justice' mean to Justin Bieber?". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  8. ^ Bieber, Justin; Bellion, Jonathan; Johnson, Jordan K.; Johnson, Stefan; Pollack, Michael. "Ghost". Musicnotes.com. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d Ribeiro, Anna Clara (March 22, 2021). "Justin Bieber Refuses to Lose His Way on 'Justice'". PopMatters. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  10. ^ a b Kameir, Rawiya (March 23, 2021). "Justin Bieber: Justice Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Wood, Mikael (March 22, 2021). "Review: Justin Bieber samples Martin Luther King Jr. — and other missteps with his new album". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b Smyth, David (March 19, 2021). "Justice review: Is Justin Bieber's new album getting political? Er, no". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  13. ^ a b Lipshutz, Jason (March 19, 2021). "Every Song Ranked on Justin Bieber's 'Justice': Critic's Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  14. ^ Bruton, Louise (March 19, 2021). "Justin Bieber: Justice – Unmistakably pop and undeniably good". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  15. ^ "Dolby and Justin Bieber Team Up to Go Inside the Story of his Latest Single 'Ghost'". GlobeNewswire. September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  16. ^ Trust, Gary [@gthot20] (September 13, 2021). ".@justinbieber 'Ghost' now being officially promoted to U.S. pop radio" (Tweet). Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Twitter.
  17. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (September 12, 2021). "Justin Bieber Performs 'Stay' and 'Ghost' After 'Flying' Into the 2021 MTV VMAs". People. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  18. ^ Lash, Jolie (September 12, 2021). "Justin Bieber returns to MTV VMAs stage for the first time since his emotional 2015 performance". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  19. ^ Gil, Baby A. (October 23, 2021). "Bieber, Keaton portray grief, hope & forever love in Ghost video". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  20. ^ Magan, Valerie (March 20, 2021). "Justin Bieber Gets Too Woke for His Own Good on Justice: Review". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c "Justin Bieber Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  22. ^ "The ARIA Report: Week Commencing 29 March 2021". The ARIA Report. No. 1621. Australian Recording Industry Association. March 29, 2021. p. 4.
  23. ^ a b c "Justin Bieber Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  24. ^ a b "Justin Bieber – Ghost". Tracklisten. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Justin Bieber – Ghost". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  26. ^ a b "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202112 into search. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  27. ^ a b "Justin Bieber – Ghost". Singles Top 100. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  28. ^ Zellne, Xander (March 30, 2021). "Justin Bieber Infuses Hot 100 With 13 Songs From New Album 'Justice'". Billboard. Retrieved September 14, 2021.
  29. ^ a b c Trust, Gary (February 14, 2022). "'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' From 'Encanto,' Rules Billboard Hot 100 For Third Week". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  30. ^ Trust, Gary (February 22, 2022). "'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' From 'Encanto,' Tops Billboard Hot 100 for Fourth Week". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  31. ^ Trust, Gary (February 21, 2022). "Justin Bieber Makes History as 'Ghost' Hits No. 1 on Pop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  32. ^ Trust, Gary (February 28, 2022). "'We Don't Talk About Bruno,' From 'Encanto,' Leads Billboard Hot 100 For Fifth Week". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  33. ^ a b "RIAS Top Charts". Recording Industry Association Singapore. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  34. ^ a b "Top 20 Most Streamed International +Domestic Songs Week 4 (21/01/2022- 27/01/2022)". Recording Industry Association of Malaysia. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  35. ^ a b "Justin Bieber Chart History (Indonesia Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  36. ^ a b "Justin Bieber Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  37. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (October 8, 2021). "Justin Bieber Cheers Diane Keaton Up In His New 'Ghost' Video". Uproxx. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  38. ^ Espinoza, Joshua (October 7, 2021). "Justin Bieber Shares 'Justice (Complete Edition)' With Three New Tracks and Drops 'Ghost' Video". Complex. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  39. ^ a b c Allaire, Christian (October 7, 2021). "Diane Keaton Stars in Justin Bieber's New Music Video, Wearing Her Own Clothes". Vogue. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  40. ^ a b c d Johns, Nikara (October 8, 2021). "Justin Bieber Drips Style Icon Diane Keaton in Gucci for 'Ghost' Music Video". Footwear News. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  41. ^ a b c d Southern, Keiran (October 7, 2021). "Diane Keaton stars alongside Justin Bieber in Ghost music video". PA Media. Retrieved October 10, 2021 – via Yahoo! News.
  42. ^ Tuccillo, Andrea (October 8, 2021). "Diane Keaton and Justin Bieber team up for his 'Ghost' music video". Good Morning America. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  43. ^ a b c Legaspi, Althea (October 8, 2021). "Justin Bieber and Diane Keaton Work Through Grief in 'Ghost' Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  44. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (October 8, 2021). "Watch Justin Bieber's new Diane Keaton-featuring video for 'Ghost'". NME. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  45. ^ Curto, Justin (October 8, 2021). "Diane Keaton Grieves, Parties With Justin Bieber in 'Ghost' Video". Vulture. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  46. ^ a b Jones, Abby (October 8, 2021). "Diane Keaton Stars in Justin Bieber's 'Ghost' Music Video: Watch". Consequence. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  47. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (October 8, 2021). "Diane Keaton Is Way Too Qualified To Star In Justin Bieber's 'Ghost' Video, But There She Is". Stereogum. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  48. ^ Kirkpatrick, Emily (October 7, 2021). "Diane Keaton Stars in Justin Bieber's New Music Video". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  49. ^ Gajewski, Ryan (October 6, 2021). "Diane Keaton Is Justin Bieber's Muse in Must-See Teaser for 'Ghost' Music Video". E! Online. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  50. ^ a b Avila, Daniela (October 13, 2021). "Diane Keaton Opens Up About Starring in Justin Bieber Music Video: He 'Was Kind to Everyone'". People. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  51. ^ "Credits / Justice / Justin Bieber ['Ghost' is track 11]". Archived from the original on March 29, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021 – via Tidal.
  52. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  53. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
  54. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  55. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Canada AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  56. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  57. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  58. ^ Komerički, Goran (February 8, 2022). "Pjesma 'Cold Heart' i dalje predvodi Airplay Radio Chart, osam izvođača zauzima trećinu visoke radijske rotacije u Hrvatskoj" [The song 'Cold Heart' still leads the Airplay Radio Chart, eight performers occupy a third of the high radio rotation in Croatia] (in Croatian). Hrvatska radiotelevizija. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  59. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 20229 into search. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  60. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202210 into search. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  61. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 29, 2021.
  62. ^ "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 8/2022". IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  63. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
  64. ^ "Tónlistinn – Lög" [The Music – Songs] (in Icelandic). Plötutíðindi. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  65. ^ "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  66. ^ "The Official Lebanese Top 20 – Justin Bieber". The Official Lebanese Top 20. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  67. ^ "2022 8-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  68. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Mexico Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  69. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 48, 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  70. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  71. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 28, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  72. ^ "Local & International Streaming Chart Top 100 Week 09-2022". The Official South African Charts. Recording Industry of South Africa. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  73. ^ "Justin Bieber – Ghost". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
  74. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  75. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  76. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  77. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  78. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved February 26, 2022.
  79. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  80. ^ "Justin Bieber Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  81. ^ "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. March 19, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  82. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2021" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  83. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2021 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  84. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Justin Bieber – Ghost". Music Canada. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  85. ^ "Danish single certifications – Justin Bieber – Ghost". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  86. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Justin Bieber – Ghost". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  87. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Justin Bieber" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  88. ^ "British single certifications – Justin Bieber – Ghost". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  89. ^ "American single certifications – Justin Bieber – Ghost". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  90. ^ Corradini, Paola (October 6, 2021). "Justin Bieber - Ghost (Radio Date: 08-10-2021)" (in Italian). EarOne. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
Retrieved from ""