STAY (with Justin Bieber)

"Stay" is a song that delves into the complexities of a troubled relationship, focusing on themes of regret, codependency, and a desperate plea for a partner to remain despite the narrator's flaws. The lyrics, delivered by both The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber, express a raw and honest acknowledgment of personal failings and broken promises. The line, "I do the same thing I told you that I never would / I told you I'd change, even when I knew I never could," sets the stage for a confession of being stuck in a cycle of destructive behavior. This isn't a song about overcoming personal demons, but rather about the fear of facing them alone. The narrators are self-aware enough to recognize their faults but feel incapable of change, leading to a desperate clinging to their partner as a source of stability and validation. Justin Bieber's verse continues this theme, admitting to trust issues and the fear of sabotaging the relationship, yet simultaneously declaring his inability to live without his partner. The song captures the emotional turmoil of a relationship where love is intertwined with toxicity and the intense fear of abandonment. Ultimately, "Stay" is a vulnerable admission of imperfection and a powerful expression of the need for companionship, even when one feels undeserving of it.

The song's narrative centers on a protagonist who is acutely aware of their own destructive patterns within a relationship. They confess to repeatedly making the same mistakes they promised they would never make again, admitting they vowed to change despite knowing they probably couldn't. This self-awareness is coupled with a deep-seated fear of losing their partner, as they acknowledge they won't find anyone as good. The core of the song is a desperate plea for their partner to stay, highlighting a profound sense of dependency.

The first verse, delivered by The Kid LAROI, delves into a state of emotional turmoil and self-destructive behavior, mentioning getting drunk and waking up still feeling the effects. This imagery underscores the internal chaos and the realization of wasted time. He expresses a raw vulnerability, stating he would be “fucked up” if his partner isn't there, emphasizing the emotional crutch this person has become. The pre-chorus builds on this desperation with wordless, emotive vocalizations that convey a sense of spiraling.

The chorus is the anchor of the song, a repetitive and powerful cry for stability. The lyrics, "I do the same thing I told you that I never would / I told you I'd change, even when I knew I never could / I know that I can't find nobody else as good as you / I need you to stay, need you to stay," encapsulate the central conflict: the internal battle between knowing one's flaws and the overwhelming need for the other person's presence to feel whole.

Justin Bieber's verse offers a slightly different, yet complementary, perspective. He speaks of missing his partner's touch when they are apart and credits them as the reason he believes in love. However, this is immediately followed by an admission of his difficulty with trust and the fear that he will inevitably ruin the relationship. Despite this, he assures his partner he would never leave them stranded, acknowledging that they have always been supportive. His plea for them to stay is intertwined with the admission that he cannot live without them, revealing a similar codependency.

The song's bridge and outro reiterate the central plea, with both artists joining forces to chant "I need you to stay." This repetition hammers home the song's primary theme of desperate attachment. The narrative doesn't resolve the underlying issues of the relationship; instead, it captures a raw, intense moment of emotional need, where the fear of loneliness outweighs the knowledge of their own toxic behavior. The song is a snapshot of a tumultuous relationship, defined by a cycle of mistakes, regret, and an overwhelming desire for the other person's unwavering presence.

The creation of "Stay" was a spontaneous and organic process that began in 2020. The Kid LAROI was at producer Blake Slatkin's house with fellow producers Omer Fedi and singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. Puth began playing a melody on a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer, and LAROI immediately liked it and wanted to develop it into a song. According to Slatkin, The Kid LAROI wrote and recorded his parts, including the hook and his verse, in a single take within about five minutes. Though some elements were refined later, the core of the song was born in that burst of inspiration.

The Kid LAROI held onto the song for about a year. After collaborating with Justin Bieber on the song "Unstable" for Bieber's album Justice, LAROI felt that Bieber's voice would be a perfect addition to "Stay." He sent the track to Bieber, who was immediately drawn to it. Bieber then went into the studio and freestyled his verse for the song. The final songwriting credits include The Kid LAROI (Charlton Howard), Justin Bieber, Charlie Puth, Omer Fedi, Blake Slatkin, Magnus Høiberg (Cashmere Cat), Michael Mule, Isaac De Boni (FnZ), and Subhaan Rahmaan. The song was produced by Cashmere Cat, Charlie Puth, Omer Fedi, and Blake Slatkin.

"Stay" was officially released on July 9, 2021, as the lead single from The Kid LAROI's mixtape F*ck Love 3: Over You. Prior to its official release, LAROI had teased snippets of the song on social media, building anticipation among fans.

"Stay" is characterized by a fast-paced, driving rhythm that gives the song its energetic feel. The tempo is upbeat, which creates an interesting juxtaposition with the song's more somber and desperate lyrical content. The song is set in the key of D♭ major (though some analyses suggest B♭ minor) and follows a relatively simple and repetitive chord progression throughout, making it highly accessible and memorable. The rhyme scheme is also straightforward, primarily relying on couplets (AABB) within its verses, such as "I get drunk, wake up, I'm wasted still / I realize the time that I wasted here." This simple rhyme structure enhances the song's pop sensibility and makes the lyrics easy to follow and sing along to. The chorus employs repetition more than intricate rhyme, with the key phrase "need you to stay" acting as the central lyrical and rhythmic hook. The rhythm of the vocal delivery often syncs tightly with the synth-driven instrumental, creating a cohesive and catchy pop track where the melodic and rhythmic elements are closely intertwined to maximize its infectious quality.

Musically, "Stay" is a prime example of genre-blending, combining an upbeat, 80s-inspired synth-pop and electropop instrumental with vocal deliveries rooted in pop-rap and pop-rock. The song's foundation is a catchy, upward-darting keyboard riff played on a Roland Juno-60 synthesizer, which serves as a recurring motif and the main melody of the chorus. The production, handled by a team including Charlie Puth and Cashmere Cat, is described as "hyper-slick" and features heavy drums and splattering synths, creating a polished, high-energy sound that contrasts with the lyrical themes of emotional distress. Vocally, both The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber utilize a dynamic range, switching between their head and chest voices. The Kid LAROI's delivery has a slightly grittier, melodic hip-hop feel, while Bieber's is smoother and more aligned with pure pop. Lyrically, the song employs direct and repetitive phrasing, particularly in the chorus ("I need you to stay, need you to stay"), which functions as a memorable and insistent hook. This repetition emphasizes the song's central plea and contributes to its infectious, anthemic quality.

"Stay" was a monumental commercial success, solidifying The Kid LAROI's position as a global superstar and adding another major hit to Justin Bieber's extensive discography. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, where it spent seven non-consecutive weeks, and also topped the charts in 21 other countries, including Australia and Canada. It was the longest-reigning number one on the Billboard Global 200 at the time, spending eleven weeks at the top. The song's success was significantly amplified by its popularity on social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where it became a viral sensation. The music video has amassed over a billion views on YouTube. "Stay" received numerous accolades, including the ARIA Award for Best Pop Release in 2021 and the APRA Music Award for Song of the Year in 2022. Its blend of 80s synth-pop with modern pop-rap was noted by critics and is seen as representative of contemporary pop trends that merge different genres. The song's themes of vulnerability and emotional honesty resonated with a global audience, particularly during a time of widespread uncertainty.

While "Stay" is largely direct in its lyrical approach, it uses the concept of a time-frozen world in its music video to symbolize the feeling of being stuck in a moment of emotional turmoil and relationship crisis. In the video, directed by Colin Tilley, both The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber are the only ones moving while everyone around them is frozen in time. This visual metaphor represents the internal state of the protagonists, where their world has effectively stopped due to the gravity of their relationship problems. It highlights their isolation and the feeling that they cannot move forward without resolving the conflict with their partner. The frozen scenes can also be interpreted as a desire to pause a moment of departure, to literally make their loved one "stay" by stopping time itself. The frantic movements of the artists within this static environment visually represent their inner chaos and desperation amidst a situation that feels unchangeable.

The most prominent recurring motif in "Stay" is the lyrical phrase "I need you to stay," which is repeated insistently throughout the chorus and outro. This repetition serves as the emotional and structural core of the song, hammering home the central theme of desperate longing and dependency. It transforms a simple request into a powerful, almost desperate plea, highlighting the narrator's fear of abandonment. Another key recurring lyrical motif is the confession: "I do the same thing I told you that I never would / I told you I'd change, even when I knew I never could." This phrase opens the chorus and reappears, underscoring the cyclical nature of the narrator's mistakes and their self-awareness of their inability to break the pattern. Musically, the song is built around a distinctive, upbeat synthesizer riff that was created by Charlie Puth on a Roland Juno-60. This synth line is the song's main instrumental hook, appearing in the intro and returning throughout, providing a sense of continuity and contributing significantly to the song's catchy, recognizable sound.