"
Confident" is a song by Canadian recording artist
Justin Bieber featuring American recording artist
Chance The Rapper, from Bieber's second compilation
Journals (2013). Written by Bieber in addition to Kenneth Coby, Maurice "Verse" Simmonds, Chancelor Bennett and produced by
Soundz, "Confident" was released as a single on December 9, 2013, by
Island Records, as the tenth and last song from a ten-week digital download campaign entitled Music Mondays, in which one new song was released every Monday night, held from October 7, 2013 to December 9, 2013.
"Confident" received positive feedback from music critics, who deemed it as a highlight from the album. Commercially it was a failure, debuting and peaking at number 41 and only staying on the chart for 1 week in the United States and while it reached the top forty in Canada, it only spent 2 weeks on the chart. Internationally, it peaked at numbers eight and one in Belgium and Denmark, respectively. The accompanying
music video for "Confident" directed by
Colin Tilley depicts the singer stalking his confident love interest until they share a kiss in its end. Chance The Rapper brought out Bieber at the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival to perform "Confident" in 2014.
Background[edit]
On October 3, 2013, Bieber announced that he would release one new song every Monday for ten weeks in a campaign entitled Music Mondays, leading up to the release of his
Justin Bieber's Believe theatrical film, which will see a limited one-week release on Christmas Day 2013. The first song released by Bieber was "
Heartbreaker", on October 7, 2013, while the last, "Confident" was released on December 9.
[3][4] The same day, Bieber announced that the ten Music Monday releases would be packaged with an additional five new songs in a compilation entitled
Complete My Journals.
[5] Although the album was initially set for release on December 16, 2013, the date was pushed back one week to December 23, as Bieber intended to include one more song on the compilation. Though it does not appear on the album itself, the bonus track, "Flatline," is available for a free download on the
iTunes Store.
[6] Journals would be available on iTunes until January 2, 2014, and all sixteen songs will be available for purchase individually thereafter.
[5]
Composition[edit]
"Confident" is a song composed by
hip-hop and
reggae elements which features American recording artist
Chance The Rapper.
[1][2]Lyrically, it is different from his previous Music Mondays releases and focuses on a new love interest, singing "She's confident/Oh no no, oh no no/And I'm down with it".
[7] Later, Chance The Rapper raps about twerk education and playing the comedic counterpart to Bieber's straight-faced heartthrob.
[7] According to Ben Rayner from
Toronto Star, the song was a "sexual momentum" on the album.
[2]
Critical reception[edit]
Jason Lipshutz from
Billboard deemed "Confident" as the strongest track from Music Mondays.
[7] Glenn Gamboa from
Newsday also complimented the track, saying it showed the singer moving into "
hip-hop with a catchy, memorable groove and first-rate help from Chance the Rapper. It's a sign that Bieber will move through his current struggles into even greater success".
[1] Alex Griffin from website Mad Good Music shared a similar comment, stating the song "wouldn’t sound out of place on a Justin Timberlake album and has the pair discussing how they’re transfixed with the most confident girl in the room, with a typically hyper Chance verse, laden with his screeching adlibs".
[8]
Music video[edit]
An accompanying
music video for the song was filmed on December 18, 2013, by director
Colin Tilley.
[9] It was released on January 29, 2014.
[10] He had previously posted two photos from its shooting through
Instagram in December.
[11] In the video, Bieber tries to seduce a young woman, played by Cailin Russo, in a gas station but he missteps with an ineffective pun-based pickup line. Although he definitely piques her interest, she says he has to “try harder than that” to get her. Bieber spends most of video following her around and singing and dancing about how into her he is. A group of dancers is also shown dancing with Bieber. During its end, the singer surprises his love interest with a sensual kiss; he then asks her, "Can I have your number now?" while she gives a positive response.
[12]
The video received positive reviews. Emily Longeretta from Hollywood Life commented, "We knew Justin was smooth, but he took things to a whole new level this time!"
[12] Spin's Chris Martins stated the video was fun.
[13] Writer Ton Breihan from
Stereogum noted that it was paying homage to
Michael Jackson's "
The Way You Make Me Feel" music video (1987).
[14]
Live performance[edit]
Track listing[edit]
Chart performance[edit]
Certification[edit]
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