Alya Mehrtash staff writer
After two years of being MIA from the music scene, Ed Sheeran has finally released new music. His collaboration with Justin Bieber, “I Don’t Care,” had been highly anticipated, since both artists haven’t released music in over a year. Sheeran’s last album, “Divide,” was released in 2017, and Bieber’s most recent album, “Purpose,” was released in 2015.
Unfortunately, the song itself was quite underwhelming. In light of both artists’ absence from the music scene, fans were anticipating a spectacular comeback. This song, however, is too basic to be deemed as such. “I Don’t Care” emulated the redundant composition of many other mainstream pop songs, which is unfortunate considering the unique artistry and talent both artists usually bring to the table.
This is not to say, however, that it isn’t a good song. With its catchy, buoyant melody, “I Don’t Care” is bound to be stuck in your head. Regardless of its conventional qualities, it’s still a fun, upbeat song that’s perfect to dance to and will most definitely be a 2019 summer anthem. In fact, the “Los Angeles Times’” Mikael Wood wrote that the song “was designed to be played at barbecues and pool parties from now until September. Surrender now: It most definitely will be.”
The beat of the song is not the only thing that makes it fun, though. The affectionate lyrics contribute to the song’s cheerful energy, as well. In the chorus Sheeran sings, “‘Cause I don’t care when I’m with my baby, yeah, all the bad things disappear and you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody. I can deal with the bad nights when I’m with my baby.” Through these lyrics, the artists are able to invoke this happy, loving feeling among listeners and allow them to feel the joy of experiencing life with a loved one simply by listening to the song.
Unsurprisingly, the new release has been a huge success for Sheeran and Bieber. Since its release on May 10, “I Don’t Care” has already amassed over 60 million streams on Spotify alone, and that number continues to rise. It also made top charts internationally on both Spotify and iTunes.
Sheeran and Bieber will be releasing a music video for the song on YouTube on Friday. “I Don’t Care” is available to stream on all music platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.
Highlights gives “I Don’t Care” an overall rating of four out of five.