Over the weekend, Justin Bieber began teasing that a new single would be arriving this week.
Monday morning, he made the news official. The single, which is a collaboration with BloodPop, will be released at noon on Thursday.
It is apparently called “Friends.”
Justin Bieber is one of the biggest stars in the world, so there is obviously a mass of interest concerning the release.
This one is uniquely interesting, however, due to its potential impact on chart history.
Since it is technically arriving on the final day of the sales and streaming tracking weeks (and fourth day of the radio tracking week), “Friends” can technically debut on next week’s Billboard Hot 100.
It will not truly make its mark — and potentially challenge for #1 — until the following week.
That week, interestingly, is when Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” which features Bieber, would be able to tie the all-time Hot 100 record.
“Despacito” will today be named #1 on a fourteenth consecutive edition of the Hot 100. If it can hold off DJ Khaled’s surging “Wild Thoughts (featuring Rihanna & Bryson Tiller),” its reign will grow to 15 next week.
The following week would therefore mark its shot at tying the sixteen-week reign achieved by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day.”
While the release date may seem strange — why not wait until your own song (yes, he’s a featured artist, but he’s obviously a huge part of “Despacito”) ties or breaks the record — there are other issues to consider.
— Perhaps Team Bieber fears “Despacito” will not actually get to 16 (let alone 17) weeks and thus sees this as a moot point.
— Perhaps Team Bieber does not believe “Friends” will reach #1 upon release and thus sees this as a moot point.
— Perhaps the idea behind the Thursday release is to handicap “Friends” (by keeping some activity in the current tracking week) and prevent it from dethroning “Despacito” — at least immediately.
— Perhaps Team Bieber is worried (if not confident) that another high-profile release will arrive at the end of August and wants to ensure “Friends” gets out in front. As Bieber is a featured artist on “Despacito,” his team may see blocking the record as acceptable collateral damage.
— Perhaps Team Bieber is more interested in the feat of owning three consecutive Hot 100 number ones (“I’m The One” – “Despacito” – “Friends”) than it is tying or breaking the “One Sweet Day” record.
In any event, the impending arrival of “Friends” adds intrigue to an already exciting time for the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
