Behind The Song: Justin Bieber- "Love Yourself"
By Amanda Wicks
"Love Yourself" marked the third single off Justin Bieber's fourth studio album Purpose, and in it he lays out all the reasons he's done with his ex: She uses his name to get into clubs, she hates his friends and she can't get enough of her reflection in the mirror. But he saves the best insult for the hook. "My mama don't like you, and she likes everyone," Bieber sings.
Bieber co-wrote "Love Yourself" with Benjamin Levin and Ed Sheeran, and the latter's particular acoustic approach helped set it apart from Purpose's other EDM-laced tracks. It's an easy-paced, stripped down affair that shows off Bieber's crooning vocal ability. "We went through a lot of hardships, a lot of battles, and you come out on top when you're passionate and when you're real and when you're authentic and when people can see it," he told Radio.com about the way he has developed as an artist, and it shows in the more mature "Love Yourself."
Related: Justin Bieber's New Outlook on 'Purpose'
The song would go on to become Bieber's third consecutive number one song on the U.S. charts with everyone from Alessia Cara to Dashboard Confessional covering it, including Sheeran, who delivered a rare live performance at a benefit gig in 2016.
Find out if "Love Yourself" wins Song of the Year or Best Pop Solo Performance at the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards, which will be held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 12. It will air on CBS at 8pm ET.