Released on October 15, 2020, this single garnered over 8 million views within the first 24
hours of release. Musically, the short two-and-half-minute song steps out of normal pop
music routine of overproduction, with Bieber on vocals accompanied only by Benny Blanco
on keyboard. The ballad is raw, vulnerable, and emotional. The same minimalist treatment
is given to the dark, one-shot video which features actor Jacob Tremblay as the 13-year-old
Justin Bieber. In the song, performed on Saturday Night Live the day after its release, the now
26-year-old Bieber reflects back on what he was experiencing during the halfway point of his life.
3(D) Review: “Lonely” by Justin Bieber and Benny Blanco
November 6, 2020