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What Do You Mean?” is a single by Justin Bieber. It was released on August 28, 2015. The song was announced on On Air With Ryan Seacrest. The song debuted a top the Billboard Hot 100 with 337,000 downloads sold in its first week, becoming Bieber's first number one hit in the U.S. and the 23rd song in the chart's history to open at number one. He also became the youngest male artist to debut at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

Background[]

Poo Bear had already written 110 songs for the Purpose project. Justin wanted him to write another song and Poo Bear was frustrated by that. Bieber booked him a session at Record Plant where he went through music.

"What Do You Mean" happened while Josh Gudwin was in the process of mixing the album. Justin and Josh were in the studio, and the album was almost done. As Gudwin was mixing the album and Justin was listening back to the mixes, Bieber told him to hit up Mason Levy. So, he hit up Mason and got a bunch of tracks. Josh Gudwin listened to them, picked his favorite ones, then played them for Poo Bear.[1] About 30 musical ideas in, Poo Bear heard flute music. It was an EDM tropical sound and it rememberd him of OMI's “Cheerleader”. He wrote it from a frustrated place in 25 minutes.

On June 22, 2015 at 1:31 AM, Poo Bear wrote a couple of lines: “When you nod your head yes, do you really mean no? When you say don’t move, do you really mean go?”[2] He made the full song in 35-40 minutes. Poo didn't believe in the record and sent it over to Justin who was in Australia, he said it was a smash.[3] He also sent it over to Scooter who said “that’s the single” that same night. After Scooter said that, Justin went in and recorded it.[4] The song came out around 40 days later. It was Poo Bear's 103rd song that he and Justin had worked on.[5]

Trivia[]

  • In 23 hours the lyric video reached 7,566,078 views which is the most viewed lyric video in 24 hours.
  • The single was the fastest number one on iTunes.
  • Justin broke Official Charts record with his first UK Number 1.
  • What Do You Mean holds the record for the biggest first week ever at Spotify, breaking a record set just a few weeks before by One Direction with Drag Me Down.
  • This song was his first Number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing[]

  • Digital download
  1. "What Do You Mean?" – 3:27
  • CD single
  1. "What Do You Mean?"
  2. "What Do You Mean?" (Instrumental)

Music video[]

A lyric video for “What Do You Mean?”, directed by Laban and featuring skateboarders Ryan Sheckler and Chelsea Castro, was released on August 28, 2015.

The official music video, directed by Brad Furman and starring John Leguizamo and Xenia Deli, premiered on August 30, 2015 following the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

The video took two days to shoot.[6]

Performances[]

Lyrics[]

Justin DM'ed 49 people on twitter with time on the clocks and with one lyric that we had to solve in order.

[Chorus]
What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move, but you tell me to go
What do you mean? Oh, what do you mean?
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean?
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean?
Better make up your mind, what do you mean?

[Verse 1]
You’re so indecisive of what I’m sayin’
Tryna catch the beat, make up your heart
Don’t know if you’re happy or complainin’
Don’t want for us to end, where do I start?

[Pre-Chorus]
First you wanna go to the left, then you wanna turn right (Oh oh)
Wanna argue all day, makin’ love all night (Oh oh)
First you’re up, then you’re down, and then between (Ooh ah)
Oh, I really wanna know

[Chorus]
What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move, but you tell me to go
What do you mean? Oh, what do you mean?
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean?
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean? Better make up your mind
What do you mean?

[Verse 2]
You’re overprotective when I’m leavin’
Tryna compromise, but I can’t win
You wanna make a point, but you keep preachin’
You had me from the start, won’t let this end

[Pre-Chorus]
First you wanna go to the left, then you wanna turn right (Oh ah)
Wanna argue all day, makin’ love all night (Oh ah)
First you’re up, then you’re down, and then between (Ooh ah)
Oh, I really wanna know

[Chorus]
What do you mean? Oh, oh (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? (Oh, what do you mean?) Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move, but you tell me to go
What do you mean? (I wanna know)
Oh, what do you mean? (Ooh)
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean? (Oh, baby)
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean? Better make up your mind
What do you mean? (Don’t be so selfish, baby, yeah) Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? (You’re so confusin’, baby) Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move (Hey), but you tell me to go
What do you mean? (Be more straightforward)
Oh, what do you mean? (Hey, wah, pa, pa)
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean? (Hey, wah, pa, pa)
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean? Better make up your mind
What do you mean?

[Chorus: Justin Bieber]
What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move, but you tell me to go
What do you mean? Oh, what do you mean?
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean?
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean?
Better make up your mind, what do you mean?

[Verse 1: Justin Bieber]
You’re so indecisive of what I’m sayin’
Tryna catch the beat, make up your heart
Don’t know if you’re happy or complainin’
Don’t want for us to end, where do I start?

[Pre-Chorus: Justin Bieber]
First you wanna go to the left, then you wanna turn right
Wanna argue all day, makin’ love all night (Oh oh)
First you’re up, then you’re down, and then between (Ooh ah)
Oh, I really wanna know

[Chorus: Justin Bieber]
What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? (Oh what do you mean, yeah)
When you don’t want me to move (Hey yeah), but you tell me to go
What do you mean? Oh, what do you mean?
Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean?
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean? Better make up your mind
What do you mean?

[Verse 2: Justin Bieber]
You’re overprotective when I’m leavin’
Tryna compromise, but I can’t win
You wanna make a point, but you keep preachin’
You had me from the start, won’t let this end

[Pre-Chorus: Justin Bieber]
First you wanna go to the left, then you wanna turn right
Wanna argue all day, makin’ love all night (Oh ah)
First you’re up, then you’re down, and then between (Ooh ah)
Oh, I really wanna know

[Chorus: Justin Bieber]
What do you mean? Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes, but you wanna say no
What do you mean? (Oh, what do you mean?) Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move, but you tell me to go
What do you mean?

[Verse 3: Black Thought]
You keep playing games, really that's not kosher
Instead of blessing me now like you're supposed to
You take me your boy love roller coaster
Tryna get off when you're on like Oprah girl
That's a negative, like a pessimist
You say it ain't love, I say yes it is
What I'm guessing is, the big question is
Why you sending me all these mixed messages?

[Chorus: Justin Bieber & Black Thought]
What do you mean? (Yeah) (Don’t be so selfish, baby, yeah) Oh, oh
When you nod your head yes (Yeah), but you wanna say no
What do you mean? (Girl what you mean?) (Oh what do you mean, yeah) Hey, yeah
When you don’t want me to move (Hey), but you tell me to go (Oh no no)
What do you mean?
Oh, what do you mean? Yeah (Huh)
(Said) Said you’re runnin’ outta time, what do you mean? (Oh what do you mean?)
Oh, oh, oh, what do you mean? Better make up your mind
What do you mean?

Awards and nominations[]

YEAR AWARD NOMINATION RESULT
2015 Capricho Awards International Clip Won
GAFFA Awards International Hit of the Year Nominated
Telehit Awards Video Mas Popular del Año Nominated
vevo Cerfitied Awards Certified
2016 Billboard Music Awards Top Streaming Song (Audio) Nominated
Danish Music Awards Arets Internationale Hit Nominated
Guinnes Records Most streaming track on Spotify in one week Won
Juno Awards Single of the Year Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Japan Best Pop Video Nominated
MuchMusic Video Awards Must Buzzworthy Canadian Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Song of the Year Nominated
People Choice Awards Favorite Song Won
Radio Disney Music Awards Best Song to LipSync to Won
TRL MTV Awards (Italy) Air Vigorsol Best Fresh Video Won


References[]


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