"Stuck With U" by Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber // 5 Year Anniversary Song Review + 7" vinyl & signed CD
Released in May 2020, Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber's collaborative charity single, "Stuck With U", is a cute and optimistic love song about being stuck inside with someone you love. The track has a soft doo-wop vibe, making it feel nostalgic and comforting, which perfectly fit the time it was released.
"So, lock the door and throw out the key, can't fight this no more, it's just you and me," they sing in the chorus. "And there's nothin' I, nothin' I, I can do, I'm stuck with you, stuck with you, stuck with you".
Originally written as a solo track, Ariana came up with the idea to add Justin to the song, turning it into a duet that became an instant hit. It became Justin's sixth and Ariana's third number one single, also joining their long list of songs that have surpassed a billion streams.
"We just wanted to make something fun that also helps and kind of makes people feel less alone and be hopefully somewhat uplifting," Ariana said in an interview with Beats 1. "Literally it's a very isolating time, mentally too. So we wanted to put music out because music is the thing that makes people feel good. It's the thing that speaks most to people's spirits and we just wanted to lift them. And hopefully it's making people feel good."
The second verse also paints a sweet picture of isolation with the right person, "kinda hope we're here forever, there's nobody on these streets," they sing. "If you told me that the world's endin', ain't no other way that I can spend it."
Beyond the sentiment of the song, "Stuck With U" was also released in support of an incredibly important cause as well. All net proceeds were donated to the First Responders Children's Foundation, to fund scholarships of children of frontline workers whose lives have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The song's music video also captured the very distinct moment in history that it represented, recorded at home in the early days of the pandemic, of Justin and Ariana at home with their partners, alongside other submitted clips from fans and friends during lockdown. It's a sweet snapshot of an otherwise very unsweet time, bringing warmth to an era of uncertainty.
I hope Justin and Ariana collaborate again in the future, as good as this song is, there's still so much more they could create together. "Stuck With U" is a sweet love ballad, but it was made quickly under very specific circumstances. It would be exciting to see them team up on something even bigger, a song that truly showcases their full potential as collaborators.
Alongside the release of "Stuck With U" in 2020, they also sold a number of physical variants of the single as well. I purchased one of the 7" vinyl singles, the alternate cover "glow" pressing. I love this cover of the single, it really captures the mood of the song with the darkness surrounding the drawing of the house, with light and vibrant colors illuminating the inside.
The vinyl itself was supposed to be a special variant, based on the original listing it was supposed to either be white or glow-in-the-dark. But after months and months of waiting for it to finally ship, it ended up being just the standard black variant. It's not a huge deal, but the whole buying process was definitely annoying.
I also purchased a CD single, which was (allegedly) signed by both Justin and Ariana. Honestly, the jury is out on whether or not they actually did sign this or if it was autopen signature, but regardless, they are two of my favorite artists and it's still a really cool collector's item to have. I have many other signed items by both of them with their actual signatures so whether this one is legit remains up for debate.
The house-shaped cutout on the CD case is such a unique touch, it really makes the packaging stand out. Despite the slight frustrations at the time, I'm still glad to have these pieces in my collection. It's a fun little piece of music history and definitely a memento of that very strange time in history.
Comments
Post a Comment