Poo Bear is an American record producer, vocal producer, singer and songwriter.
Relationship[]
| “I would hear him on the radio and think, “Whoa, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to work with this kid.” I never once tried to write a song for Justin, because I felt like he was so put together already that there was no song I could submit for him. I felt like he was in a league of his own.” |
| Poo Bear's first impression of Justin[1] |
Poo Bear and Justin Bieber first met in Las Vegas, in January 2013, through Bieber's friend Lil Twist, with whom he was recording. "Twist would take my music and he would play it for Justin, and Justin would be like, 'Yo, what is that? I want that," Poo Bear recalls. "Twist would be like, 'That's Poo Bear, you gotta talk to Poo Bear about that.'[2][3] Poo Bear was instantly struck at how “human” Justin was behind-the-scenes. “He’s a person, and he’s not like a lot of celebrities. A lot of celebrities become superstars, and they don’t know how to turn it on and off. At the end of the day, when I’m trying to have a regular conversation with you, I don’t want you to treat me like I’m interviewing you. I just want to talk to you like a human. That was what struck me about Justin. He’s a human.”[4]
The day after Lil Twist's birthday party in Vegas, Justin would listen to Poo Bear's songs and heard Alone, that was blowing up on satellite radio.[5]
Poo Bear admitted his initial relationship with Mr. Bieber wasn’t necessarily productive. “I was making bad decisions with a minor — smoking weed and getting into trouble,” he said. “It was really unacceptable, but we went through those times together, and that made us closer than any other writer and artist could be.”[1]
Justin Bieber was the first artist that Poo worked with consistently who actually promoted him. He was the only artist to actually go on these different radio runs and anytime people asked him who did this, he’d say he did the album with Poo Bear.[1][6]
Career[]
2013: Journals[]
Justin was picking songs that Poo had from his personal album. During this, Poo Bear would try to write something that he'd think would just be for Justin Bieber, but Justin would always go back to what Poo would do for himself.[7]
“There would be times where I would bring up, like ‘Hey, can we do some EDM, a little electronica with a hint of R&B?'” says Boyd. “He’d be like, ‘No, I want to sing R&B.’ In the back of my mind I’m like, ‘Man. I’m working with the biggest pop star in the world, and we’re doing R&B.’ I love R&B because it got me to where I am today, but at the same time R&B just doesn’t sell.”[8]
2014-2015: Purpose[]
Justin's team started getting threatened by Poo Bear because they were spending so much time together. Poo Bear just wanted to write songs, he didn't understand why they were against him. Ultimately Poo Bear tried a trojan horse theory with “Where Are Ü Now” where he told Justin to tell the team he wrote this song and not Poo Bear. Poo Bear had seen they had intentionally sabotaged Journals so he thought everything he would write they'd sabotatge until Justin wouldn't want to work with him anymore. When the song with Skrillex came out Poo Bear asked the team how the song was going. They said it was his biggest comeback record and said "But you didn't write this record right?" to which Poo Bear said he did. Poo Bear was then able to work on Purpose.[9]
Boyd told Rolling Stone. “It’s incredible. And if I had to compare it to something, not the sound of it but the impact and amount of songs that are undeniable, I would have to compare it to Thriller.”[8]
2017[]
In May 2017, Poo Bear revealed they were finishing the next album.[10]
2021: Justice[]
During quarantaine Poo Bear had created 13 to 15 songs with Justin.[11] Poo Bear wasn't allowed to work on Justice.[12]
Trivia[]
- Justin appears in Poo Bear's music video "Work For It".
- He has Justin's albums, Journals and Purpose, tattooed.[13]
Collaborations[]
Justice (2021)
- 2021: Angels Speak
Singles
- 2018: Hard 2 Face Reality
- 2021: lonely christmas
Unreleased
- 2014: Hard 2 Face Reality
- 2014: Double Negative
- 2014: Blend
- 2014: Thick or Thin
- 2014: Wish You Would
- 2014: Coincidence
- 2015: Get Used To Me
- 2015: Feel Sumptn
Credits[]
Journals (2013)
- All That Matters (writer)
- Hold Tight (writer / co-producer)
- Recovery (writer / co-producer)
- Bad Day (writer / co-producer)
- All Bad (writer / producer)
- PYD (featuring R. Kelly) (writer / co-producer)
- Change Me (writer)
- One Life (writer)
- What's Hatnin' (writer)
- Swap It Out (writer / producer)
- Alone (writer / co-producer)
Purpose (2015)
- Mark My Words (writer)
- What Do You Mean? (writer)
- Company (writer / co-producer)
- No Pressure (writer / producer)
- No Sense (writer)
- Life Is Worth Living (writer)
- Where Are Ü Now (writer)
- Children (writer)
- Purpose (writer / producer)
- Been You (writer)
- Get Used To It (writer)
- We Are (writer / producer)
- Trust (writer)
- All In It (writer / background vocals)
- Hit the Ground (writer)
- The Most (writer)
- What Do You Mean? (Remix) (writer)
Changes (2020)
- All Around Me (writer / producer)
- Habitual (writer / producer / background vocals)
- Come Around Me (writer / producer / background vocals)
- Intentions (writer / producer / background vocals)
- Yummy (writer / producer)
- Available (writer / producer / background vocals)
- Forever (featuring Post Malone and Clever) (writer / producer)
- Running Over (featuring Lil Dicky) (writer / producer)
- Take It Out On Me (writer / producer)
- Second Emotion (featuring Travis Scott) (writer / producer)
- Get Me (featuring Kehlani) (writer / producer / vocal producer)
- E.T.A. (writer / producer)
- Changes (writer / producer)
- Confirmation (writer / producer)
- That's What Love Is (writer / producer)
- At Least For Now (writer / producer)
- Yummy (Remix) (featuring Summer Walker) (writer / producer)
Justice (2021)
- Angels Speak (vocals / writer / producer)
- Redeye (writer)
- 2017: Despacito (Remix) (writer)
- 2017: I'm the One (writer)
- 2017: 2U (writer / vocal producer)
- 2018: Hard 2 Face Reality (writer)
- 2018: No Brainer (writer)
- 2019: I Don't Care (writer / background vocals)
- 2019: Don't Check On Me (writer)
- 2019: bad guy (writer)
- 2019: 10,000 Hours (writer)
- 2021: Don't Go (writer)
- 2021: lonely christmas (writer and producer)
- 2022: Beautiful Love (writer)
Unreleased
- 2013: Close To Me (writer)
- 2013: Stress (writer)
- 2014: Infectious (writer)
- 2014: Double Negative (writer)
- 2014: Insecurities (writer)
- 2014: Coincidence (writer)
- 2014: Wish You Would (writer)
- 2014: Hurry Up and Wait (writer)
- 2014: Overrated (writer)
- 2014: Antidepressant (writer)
- 2014: Live in the Moment (writer)
- 2014: Thick or Thin (writer)
- 2014: Hey Girl (writer)
- 2014: Fearless (writer)
- 2014: Long Way Home (writer)
- 2015: Trust In Me (writer / background vocals)
- 2015: Feel Sumptn (writer)
- 2015: Break From Love (writer / producer)
- 2015: Unknown Purpose song (featuring Kanye West)[14][15] (writer)
- 2015: What Did I Do To Deserve Your Love (writer)
- 2019: Forgiving Me (You Keep) (writer / producer)
- 2019: Greatest Distraction (writer)
Gallery[]
Videos[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Weatherby, Taylor (May 8, 2017). "Writer/Producer Poo Bear Talks Making ‘Fruit Salad’ With Justin Bieber on ‘Purpose,’ ‘I’m The One’ & ‘Despacito’". Billboard.
- ↑ Golden, Zara (November 11, 2015). "How Justin Bieber Grew Into Himself, According To Poo Bear". The Fader. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ↑ Coscarelli, Joe (October 15, 2015). "Poo Bear, Speaking Softly and Carrying a Bieber Comeback". The New York Times.
- ↑ Scott, Jason (November 19, 2013). "Exclusive Interview: Justin Bieber’s Producer Poo Bear Teases That The Singer’s Next Album Will Be “World-Driven”". PopWrapped.
- ↑ "THE MAN WHO WROTE ALL OF JUSTINS BIEBERS MUSIC, POO BEAR CALLS OUT SCOOTER BRAUN AND THE GRAMMYS". YouTube. August 1, 2022.
- ↑ Mizoguchi, Karen (March 19, 2018). "Hit Songwriter Poo Bear 'Excited' About New Music with Justin Bieber & Jennifer Lopez on Debut Album". People.
- ↑ Fu, Eddie (November 17, 2022). "Behind the Boards with Poo Bear: Producer and Songwriter Talks Justin Bieber, Usher, DJ Khaled, and More". Consequence of Sound.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lee, Christina (September 9, 2015). "Songwriter Poo Bear: Justin Bieber’s New Album Is His ‘Thriller’". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ "Ep. 173 - POO BEAR ("What Do You Mean")". Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters. August 17, 2021.
- ↑ Mizoguchi, Karen (March 19, 2018). "Hit Songwriter Poo Bear 'Excited' About New Music with Justin Bieber & Jennifer Lopez on Debut Album". People.
- ↑ "In an interview with ET Canada, Poo Bear mentioned that him and Justin Bieber have created around “13 to 15 new tracks” during quarantine.". Twitter. July 2, 2020.
- ↑ Cridland, Tom (May 13, 2021). "Poo Bear talks about his writing for and friendship with Justin Bieber". YouTube.
- ↑ "Poo Bear: Afraid of Forever". YouTube. May 30, 2018.
- ↑ Roth, Madeline (September 18, 2015). "Justin Bieber On Working With Kanye West: ‘I Just Sit And Listen’". MTV.
- ↑ "Princess Long Long (龍瓏) & Poo Bear Interview - ICN". YouTube. August 5, 2015.