| "I'll Show You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Promotional single byJustin Bieber | ||||
| from the albumPurpose | ||||
| Released | November 2, 2015 (2015-11-02) | |||
| Recorded | 2015 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:19 | |||
| Label | Def Jam | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producers | ||||
| Justin Bieber promotional singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I'll Show You" onYouTube | ||||
"I'll Show You" is a song recorded by Canadian singerJustin Bieber for his fourth studio albumPurpose (2015). Written by Bieber, Josh Gudwin,Sonny Moore, Michael Tucker andTheron Feemster, the song was produced bySkrillex and Blood. It was released as a promotional single from the album on November 2, 2015, byDef Jam. A mid-tempoElectronic pop 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 theRecording Industry Association of America. The song's music video was shot inSouth 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 hisPurpose World Tour.
While working on his then-upcoming studio album, Justin Bieber enlisted American DJSkrillex to produce songs for the record after successfully working with him on "Where Are Ü Now", which was a song that he sent to Skrillex andDiplo for their projectJack Ü and that became a worldwide hit and helped to revamp his career.[2] 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."[3] 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."[4] Skrillex also invitedMichael Tucker, under his producer nameBlood, to help him produce some tracks for the album, with one of them being "I'll Show You".[5] 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 [Bieber] really liked, and we were both proud of."[6] It was later released as apromotional single from the album on November 1, 2015.[7]
"I'll Show You" was written byJustin Bieber, Josh Gudwin,Sonny Moore, Michael Tucker andTheron Feemster, with production being done bySkrillex and Blood. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com byUniversal Music Publishing Group, the song is composed in thekey ofA minor with atempo of 100beats per minute. Bieber's vocals range from the note ofE4 toE5.[8] The song is a "chilled-out EDM" ballad,"[1][9] having "shadowy R&B atmospheric synthesizers,"[9][10] a trap percussion line and thick beds of synthesizers.[11] For Bianca Gracie ofIdolator, "[the] brooding tune picks up where the R&B-flecked 'Journals' left off,"[12] 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?' and 'Sorry.'"[13] During the track, Bieber uses a "suave yet hurt croon",[10] as well as "lower, calmer, sturdier, and delicately cradled by Skrillex's glass-case-of-emotion production,"[14] having an emotional,[15] rich, deep tone."[13]
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.[10][16] During the opening lines, "My life is a movie, and everyone’s watching," he "underlin[es] his typical braggadocio with insecurity and quiet paranoia."[14] Menyes noted that the song has "introspective" lyrics, "go[ing] a little bit deeper into his struggles with depression and his public image,"[13] 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."[13] The chorus "reveals his lamentations as a setup for his ashes-rising,"[14] 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."[14][17] 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."[9]
The song received acclaim from music critics. Andrew Unterberger ofSpin 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."[14] Sam C. Mac ofSlant Magazine opined that the song "takes anOwl City-worthy ballad and beefs it up [...] completing 2015's most empirically perfect singles rollout."[11] Caroline Sullivan ofThe Guardian noted that the song "is drenched in icy reverb,"[18] while Bianca Gracie ofIdolator pointed out that "[i]t is Bieber in his rawest form."[12]Annie Zaleski ofThe A.V. Club praised Skrillex's production for "inject[ing] life into 'Purpose', citing the " tropical-forest electro mist" song as an example.[19] 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."[13] Amy Davidson ofDigital Spy declared that "there's something poignant about his pleas to restore a sense of humanity around him."[20] Alex Macpherson ofThe National called it "all languid, stretched-out bass until an oddly weedy synth riff hoves into earshot to function as the hook."[21] Michelle Geslani ofConsequence of Sound commend Bieber and Srkillex for "continu[ing] to show off their musical chemistry with 'I’ll Show You'," observing that "Skrillex provides the perfect backdrop for Bieber's suave yet hurt croon."[10] 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."[17]
"I'll Show You" proved to be very successful for apromotional single. 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.[22] In the United States, the song debuted at number 51 on theBillboard Hot 100, selling 52,000 copies, which also made it start at number 17 onDigital Songs.[23] After the video's release, the song climbed to number 27,[24] while during its third week, after the album's release, the song jumped to number 19, becoming his fourteenth top-twenty song.[25] It was later certified platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America for selling over a million copies. In the United Kingdom, the song peaked at number 15, becoming his eleventh solo top-twenty song.[26] 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.[27]
A music video for the song was released on November 2, 2015, and it was directed byRory Kramer.[9][28] It features glacial lagoons and rivers inSouth Iceland, including the waterfallsSeljalandsfoss andSkógafoss.[29] 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."[30] There's also a scene where Bieber is "[braving] ice water in just his [underwear]."[31]Billboard considered it "a beautiful clip full of nature's glory."[30]
Credits adapted fromPurpose album liner notes.[32]
| Chart (2015–2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[27] | 16 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[33] | 35 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[34] | 38 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[35] | 41 |
| CanadaHot 100 (Billboard)[36] | 8 |
| Czech Republic Singles Digital (ČNS IFPI)[37] | 10 |
| Denmark (Tracklisten)[38] | 8 |
| France (SNEP)[39] | 57 |
| Germany (GfK)[40] | 45 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40)[41] | 13 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[42] | 14 |
| Italy (FIMI)[43] | 28 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[44] | 7 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[45] | 5 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[46] | 9 |
| Portugal (AFP)[47] | 22 |
| Slovakia Singles Digital (ČNS IFPI)[48] | 4 |
| South Korea International Chart (Gaon)[49] | 83 |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[50] | 22 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] | 12 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] | 40 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[53] | 15 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[54] | 19 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[55] | Platinum | 70,000‡ |
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[56] | Diamond | 250,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[57] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[58] | Platinum | 90,000‡ |
| Italy (FIMI)[59] | Gold | 25,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[60] | Platinum | 15,000* |
| Norway (IFPI Norway)[61] | Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| Poland (ZPAV)[62] | Platinum | 20,000‡ |
| Sweden (GLF)[63] | Platinum | 40,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[64] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[65] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Country | Date | Format | Label | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | November 1, 2015 | Digital download | Def Jam | [7] |
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