The last few years have been riddled with unfortunate health issues for Justin Bieber, but still, the former child star continues to make guest appearances for his friends throughout the music industry. So far in 2023 we’ve heard him sing on “Private Landing” with Don Toliver and Future for the former’s Love Sick album, and more recently, with SZA on the acoustic version of her “Snooze” song. Elsewhere in the world of R&B, Bieber is one of the many artists to appear on Diddy’s The Love Album: Off The Grid, which hit DSPs this Friday (September 15).
Midway through the 23-track-long project is where the “Baby” hitmakers song, “Moments” landed. It’s a heartfelt, romantic effort, which shows off the ever-impressive range in Bieber’s voice. “You got me all in my feelings, why’s it takin’ this long? / I need you runnin’, runnin’, runnin’ to my arms,” he lyricizes on the chorus, letting desire take him over.
Diddy’s New Album Features Justin Bieber, Teyana Taylor, And More
Production on “Moments” was put together by a handful of experts, including Sean Combs himself. Others on the list are Rob Knox, Stevie J, Slimway, Phil The Keys, and Chris Payton. So far, the emotional R&B song looks to be a favourite amongst listeners of the New Yorker’s LP. Other popular titles we’ve been loving include “Another One Of Me” featuring The Weeknd, French Montana, and 21 Savage, as well as “Tough Love” with Swae Lee.
Listen to Justin Bieber’s beautiful vocals on Diddy’s “Moments” above, then tap into The Love Album: Off The Grid on Spotify/Apple Music. Are you hoping to see the Canadian crooner make a comeback in the near future? Let us know in the comments, and check out his appearance in SZA’s new “Snooze” visual at the link below.
I don’t wanna take your love for granted I just wanna cherish every second You and me together, what a blessing Please just tell me that you get the message
After dropping a cinematic visual in which the two play lovers, SZA and Justin Bieber have shared a new version of “Snooze.”
The new version is a stripped down acoustic imagining of the S.O.S. cut, on which SZA’s vocals remain the same as the ones on the original. Bieber comes in on the second verse, also singing the lyrics of SZA’s original.
Elsewhere, the two harmonize, giving the song a sweet, cozy touch.
Last year, SZA teased a “SZA summer” at the Met Gala, teasing that her album, S.O.S. would be out that summer. Though the album didn’t arrive untiI that December, it manifested into something great for the singer. The song “Kill Bill” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and has since been her most successful single to date. She earned another top 10 single with the original version of “Snooze,” which has since peaked at No. 7.
In addition to Bieber, the song’s accompanying video features a cameo from Benny Blanco, who is seen eating French fries off of SZA’s backside.
Tomorrow (September 15), SZA and Drake are dropping a new collaboration, “Slime You Out,” which will surely end this SZA summer on a high note.
As you can see above, the features are plentiful. There is only one song without a featured artist, which would be notable for any album but especially for a project of this length.
Diddy has teased some featured artists more than others. On August 30, Diddy confirmed that “Another One Of Me” will be The Weeknd’s final collaboration of his career. For weeks, Diddy has teased clips of Justin Bieber in the studio, promising that “R&Bieber is back” and explaining why “Moments” is a full-circle moment for them.
Diddy has not explicitly confirmed the album’s cover art. He’s posted loads of red-themed imagery, but one image of a diminutive Diddy in a red grid is the presumed cover.
Singles
Diddy has not released any singles, as of the time of this writing. Instead, he has gone all-in on teasing tracks with the behind-the-scenes videos, as we’ve already covered above.
Tour
A tour in support of The Love Album: Off The Grid has not yet been announced, as of the time of this writing. However, the 2023 VMAs on Tuesday (September 12) could serve as an ideal platform to reveal a single, tour plans, or both.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
SZA has been teasing her video for the SOS track “Snooze.” The anticipation is high considering her epic video for her hit “Kill Bill,” packed with action and melodrama. It even had a cameo from Vivica A. Fox, who appeared in the iconic film of the same title.
The “Snooze” video does not disappoint. It flashes through different scenes of her with an array of lovers, one of them being Justin Bieber. There’s also Woody McClain, Young Mazino, and Benny Blanco. There’s a lot of cuddling, and one lover even eats french fries off of her bottom. There are some fights, and Bieber smokes a lot of weed. At one point, she seduces a robot, which was previously teased in a clip.
About appearing in the “Kill Bill” video, Fox said, “When I got it, I was surprised, to be honest with you. Cause they called… [It] took them five days to finally decide that they were going to hire me, ’cause I think they wanted Uma Thurman.”
“But when you think about it, it’s a little bit more fitting for SZA and Vivica to be together because we’re both African American women, and when it came out, people just ran with it,” she continued. “They were like, ‘They’re going to make Kill Bill 3, finally.’ Because people have been waiting for Kill Bill 3 for such a long time and see my daughter get revenge on Uma.”
SZA dropped off a new music video for her 2022 SOS track “Snooze” today. In the video, the St. Louis-born performer is joined by several celebrity guests. Benny Blanco, Young Mazino, Woody McClain, and even Justin Bieber star as her various love interests, portraying the ebbs and flows of their relationships. The songstress even tries out a fling with a robot before ultimately finding the right man. Fans are ecstatic to see how far SZA has come, and appear to be loving the new video.
The ending of the video also features a snippet from an unreleased track, reportedly titled “OD.” She teased the new visual earlier this month, previewing her robot romance along with the unreleased track. “Bts from snooze video but not snooze audio,” she captioned the clip. It’s unclear when fans can expect the official release of the new song, however, listeners are hopeful that it could appear on the deluxe edition of SOS.
In February of this year, SZA revealed that the deluxe edition of SOS will feature 10 new tracks. “After I do the deluxe, I’m hoping to be able to accept that this chapter is done,” she explained. “I’m looking forward to actually feeling proud of myself and not just smiling and nodding at accolades but really feeling it internally and knowing that I’m good enough.” A fake tracklist for the album later circulated, but the artist quickly shut it down. An official tracklist and release date for the deluxe edition of SOS has yet to be confirmed.
The announcement of the deluxe album also came just after SZA kicked off her SOS tour, which has seen her make over 35 stops around the world. She made her way across the U.S. and Canada before setting off on the international leg of the tour in June. She’ll be making a return to North America next month, leading with dates in Miami, Nashville, Philly, and more. The tour is expected to close at the end of October with a performance in Phoenix. Keep an eye on HNHH for more updates on SZA.
Scooter Braun has been the subject of recent headlines pertaining to his high-profile clients. Throughout the past few days, rumors have circulated about Braun parting ways with some of his biggest artists. The famous manager, executive, and entrepreneur has been involved in the careers of Kanye West, David Guetta, Martin Garrix, and many more. In addition to his SB Projects company, which handles the management of notable artists, Braun founded Schoolboy Records. He is also involved with TQ Ventures, Mythos Studios, RBMG Records, and the eSports team 100 Thieves.
Further, Braun founded the holding company Ithaca Ventures, which South Korean entertainment company Hybe Corporation acquired. Following the acquisition, Braun became the CEO of Hybe’s American branch. Aside from recent news, his most publicized business deal occurred in 2019 when Ithaca Ventures acquired Big Machine Records, giving him ownership of Taylor Swift’s master recordings. The purchase led to a highly publicized dispute between the two, and their debacle continues to loom over the latest stories about Braun.
Scooter Braun parting ways with some of his most prominent artists has led to mass speculation over possible causes. As of today, there is little information from official sources about why artists are leaving Braun’s management. Some speculate discrepancies between Braun and his clients, while other sources report that he is allegedly leaving management altogether. His latest tweet from two days ago reads, “Breaking news… I’m no longer managing myself.” Aside from that tweet, very few of these reports are official. Here are some artists who have left Scooter Braun behind, including those who still have yet to confirm their status with their manager.
US businessman Scooter Braun (L) and Canadian singer Justin Bieber arrive for YouTube Originals’ “Justin Bieber: Seasons” premiere at the Regency Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles on January 27, 2020. (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR / AFP) (Photo by LISA O’CONNOR/AFP via Getty Images)
One of Scooter Braun’s career-defining moves as a manager was discovering a 13-year-old Justin Bieber. Since 2008, the two remained closely connected throughout their careers as Braun helped Bieber reach superstar status at a young age. Puck News initially reported that Justin Bieber was seeking new management and had not spoken to Braun in months. Despite the report, Bieber is reportedly still under contract with his longtime manager, and neither party has issued statements regarding their status. Some news outlets claim Bieber has left Braun’s management, while others have refuted those statements.
Demi Lovato
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 22: Demi Lovato performs onstage during the OBB Premiere Event for YouTube Originals Docuseries “Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil” at The Beverly Hilton on March 22, 2021 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for OBB Media)
After four years of management, Demi Lovato has parted ways with Scooter Braun and SB Projects. According to Billboard, the “amicable” split was a mutual decision. Lovato initially signed with Braun in 2019, and he managed her through the releases of her most recent albums, 2021’s Dancing With the Devil… the Art of Starting Over, and 2022’s Holy Fvck. Her departure from Scooter Braun’s management was the first to be in this recent string of reported splits with his other clients.
LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 24: Recording artist Ariana Grande performs onstage at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena on September 24, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Ariana Grande’s supposed split from Scooter Braun’s management was reported the same day news outlets were made aware of Demi Lovato’s departure. There are conflicting reports on whether Ariana Grande is actually leaving her manager. Billboard cited sources that were certain of the split, while Variety’s unnamed sources refuted those claims. Braun has managed Ariana Grande’s entire music career, starting with her debut album Yours Truly. The singer has been actively promoting the album’s 10th anniversary with the help of SB Projects. The company’s social media posts coincided with the news of her departure. Although neither Braun nor Grande has commented, People claims that the pop star left SB Projects on “friendly terms.”
Idina Menzel
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 11: Idina Menzel performs onstage during the CNN Heroes Gala 2016 at the American Museum of Natural History on December 11, 2016 in New York City. 26362_011 (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Turner)
In addition to news surrounding splits from Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande, Scooter Braun had other clients leave his management this year. Broadway star and film actress Idina Menzel parted ways with her former manager in January. She initially signed with SB Projects in 2019. Although her decision to walk away from Braun is unrelated to the most recent developments, many of his biggest clients have parted ways with him this year alone.
J Balvin
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 27: J Balvin performs on NBC’s “Today” at Rockefeller Plaza on August 27, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
Much like Idina Menzel, J Balvin signed with Scooter Braun in 2019 and also parted ways with him earlier this year. In May, the Latin superstar ended his deal with Braun and is now managed by Roc Nation. His exit from SB Projects has only added to the latest drama in the Scooter Braun saga. J Balvin and Menzel were the first to walk away this year. Balvin’s departure points to a pattern where Braun sees many of his biggest clients consecutively part ways with his historical management empire in a short time.
Overall, many of the artists who have allegedly left Scooter Braun as a manager still have yet to comment. However, it appears that the businessman and executive is keeping himself busy. He seems to be focusing on his role as CEO of Hybe America. One possibility is that Braun is turning his attention towards K-Pop as BTS is Hybe’s biggest artist. Another theory is that he continues growing his repertoire with other artists and companies. Hybe recently signed Ozuna and acquired Quality Control Music, the label known for artists like Migos and City Girls. While Scooter Braun has parted ways with many of his high-profile clients, he still has a roster full of notable names like Zac Brown Band, Quavo, YG, The Kid Laroi, and more.
In the music industry today, it’s rare to see artists find managers that they’re able to work with as they evolve for more than a few years. Of course, there are exceptions like Justin Bieber and Scooter Braun. They’ve been together since the Canadian was just a young boy from Stratford, Ontario sharing singing videos in his living room. Due to his many health struggles, Bieber has taken some time out of the spotlight as of late. On Friday (August 18), reports began circulating via Puck that he and Braun haven’t spoken in several months.
According to the original gossip tip, the “Baby” hitmaker has been shopping around for new management options. Rumour has it that lawyers are even involved. However, just hours after that news hit the net, Entertainment Tonight shared an exclusive report stating that Braun and his client have no bad blood between them. “Justin and Scooter are still working together. Justin is not taking meetings to look for new management. The two recently worked on something together,” multiple people have told the outlet.
It’s unclear exactly what they’re cooking up, but the last time we heard from the vocalist was early on in 2023. At the time, he joined Future to bring back everyone’s favourite R&Bieber vibes on Don Toliver’s Love Sick album. Their joint effort is called “Private Landing,” and has left fans hoping we’ll hear the 29-year-old revisit his Journals era. Months before that, he and the Cactus Jack artist connected on another hit single, “Honest.”
While there have been questions raised about the status of his relationship with one of his longest-standing clients, Scooter Braun’s talent roster definitely isn’t hurting. Apart from having both The Kid LAROI and Ariana Grande under his wing, the industry executive also recently signed rising rap diva Kaliii. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin hosted an exclusive white party at his luxurious Hamptons residence, attracting A-list celebrities to celebrate Independence Day. The star-studded event, attended by industry titans, models, and influencers, featured exquisite cuisine, high-end beverages, and impromptu musical performances. With attendees like Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Travis Scott, and Justin Bieber, Michael Rubin’s annual party became […]
