You probably think the partnership between Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber is just a simple case of two mega-stars cashing a check. Two massive names, one catchy hook, and a guaranteed spot at the top of the charts. Easy, right? Well, not quite. Honestly, the story of how these two ended up becoming one of the most successful duos in pop history is way weirder than you’d expect. It involves a song Ed originally thought was too mean to sing himself, a "lost" duet that just recently surfaced in a strange way, and a shared history of being social outcasts at the world’s most glamorous parties.
The world first really paid attention when Love Yourself dropped back in 2015. It was everywhere. You couldn't escape it. But most people didn't realize that Ed Sheeran actually wrote that track for his own album, Divide.
He almost threw it away.
The Song That Was "Too Harsh" for Ed
It’s kinda wild to think about now, but Ed Sheeran was genuinely worried Love Yourself would ruin his reputation. In a 2017 interview with CBC Radio, he admitted the lyrics were "too personal" and "a bit harsh." If you listen closely to those words, it’s basically a polite British way of telling someone to go jump off a bridge. Ed felt it was too "bitey" for his brand. He didn't want to deal with the repercussions of his friends or exes hearing it and knowing exactly who he was talking about.
So, he handed it to Justin.
Bieber took that stripped-back, acoustic energy and turned it into a global phenomenon. It was the third consecutive number-one hit from his Purpose album. Ed still sings the backing vocals—you can hear his distinct rasp buried in the mix—but he was happy to let Justin be the face of the "kiss-off" anthem.
Then came 2019.
The two teamed up again for I Don’t Care. This wasn’t just a songwriter-for-hire situation; it was a full-blown duet. It broke the Spotify single-day streaming record with nearly 11 million streams in 24 hours. The song basically describes the two of them feeling like total losers at a high-end industry party, only feeling okay because they have their respective partners (Cherry Seaborn and Hailey Bieber) there. It was relatable. It was fun. And it solidified the fact that whenever Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber get in a room together, the music industry effectively stops.
The Mystery of the "Lost" Collaboration
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026. Fans started noticing something strange on Ed's new album, Play. There’s a track called Camera.
During an interview with SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up in September 2025, Ed let a bombshell drop. He revealed that Camera was originally supposed to be a duet with Justin Bieber for Justin’s album Justice. For whatever reason—scheduling, label politics, or just "vibes"—it never materialized as a collab.
"I've got a version with Justin on it," Ed said. "It's pretty cool, but it just exists in the ether."
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Think about that. One of the potentially biggest songs of the decade is just sitting on a hard drive somewhere because it didn't "fit" the timeline. Ed eventually released it as a solo track because he loved the message: that the best moments in life are the ones you don't actually film. It’s a bit ironic coming from two guys who have been followed by cameras since they were teenagers.
What People Get Wrong About Their Friendship
People love to paint these two as rivals or just "business associates." In reality, they’ve been in the trenches together for over a decade. They share a similar trajectory—young kids with guitars who became targets for intense public scrutiny.
- The Rihanna Connection: Ed actually revealed on The Tonight Show that Love Yourself was originally written with Rihanna in mind. Can you imagine that song with her "Good Girl Gone Bad" energy? It would have been a totally different beast.
- The Songwriting Factory: Ed doesn't just write for Justin; he writes with him. They’ve collaborated on tracks like Cold Water (with Major Lazer) and even popped up together on Lil Dicky's Earth.
- The "Social Anxiety" Bond: Both artists have been vocal about the pressure of fame. I Don't Care isn't just a pop song; it's a literal diary entry about wanting to go home and watch Netflix instead of being at a gala.
Why It Still Matters in 2026
We are currently in an era where "super-collaborations" often feel forced by algorithms. Labels look at data and smash two artists together hoping for a viral TikTok sound.
The Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber connection feels different because it’s rooted in actual songwriting. Ed is a craftsman; Justin is one of the most gifted vocalists of his generation. When you put a master builder with a master finisher, you get hits that don't just chart for a week—they stay in the cultural zeitgeist for ten years.
Honestly, the "lost" version of Camera is currently the "holy grail" for fans. There’s already speculation on Reddit that a deluxe version of Play might finally feature the Bieber vocals. If history is any indication, if that track ever leaks or gets an official release, it’ll be another record-breaker.
If you want to understand the impact these two have, don't just look at the billions of streams. Look at the credits. Look at the backing vocals. Look at the way they’ve swapped songs like trading cards for the better part of a decade.
Your Next Steps
If you're a fan of this duo, here is how you can actually dive deeper into their work:
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- Listen for the Ghost: Go back to Love Yourself and wear headphones. Focus entirely on the "oh, oh, oh" backing vocals in the final chorus. That’s Ed Sheeran’s raw, unpolished voice.
- Check the Credits: Look up the song Trust Fund Baby by Why Don't We or Make It Right by BTS. You'll see Ed's name, and you'll start to hear the specific "Bieber-style" phrasing he uses when he's writing for other pop stars.
- Keep an Eye on the "Ether": Follow the SiriusXM interviews and Ed's Instagram closely. He has a habit of "accidentally" dropping unreleased snippets when he's feeling nostalgic.
The partnership between these two isn't over. It’s just evolved from chart-chasing to a genuine creative friendship that most people in the industry would kill for.