Pray (Justin Bieber song)
Encyclopedia
"Pray" is a song performed by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber
. The song was written by Bieber with Omar Martinez and Adam Messinger
and Nasri of The Messengers
, with the latter duo producing the track. The song is taken as a single in several European countries from his first compilation album, My Worlds: The Collection
. In the United States and Canada, the song is included on My Worlds Acoustic
. According to Bieber, he was inspired by Michael Jackson
's "Man in the Mirror
" (1988) when writing the song. The song is a contemporary Christian song
, while deriving from pop
and R&B
influences, and using a world music
backdrop. It is based primarily upon instruments, however does make small usages of electronic sounds.
"Pray" received generally positive reviews, with critics appreciating the message portrayed in the song. It reached the lower-half on the singles charts in Germany and Austria, and charted in several regions where it was not released as a single such as the United States and Australia. The song's music video premiered on Facebook on December 11, 2010. The video, which also has religious undertones, features clips of places affected by natural disasters, sick children, possessed homes, and more, which are intercut with Bieber performing. Bieber debuted and performed the song on the American Music Awards
, accompanied by a full choir.
and Nasri Atweh
of The Messengers. While Bieber was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest
on his radio show, Bieber talked about the songs initial writing stating the song was influenced by Michael Jackson
, Bieber elaborated, "It's a very uplifting song, very motivational. It definitely comes from the heart. It's very beautiful. I definitely thought of Michael [Jackson's] 'Man in the Mirror
' when I was writing it." The song was released as a CD single
in Germany on December 3, 2010. "Pray" is a mid-tempo song that uses a "world-music
beat" as a backing. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Group
, "Pray" is set in common time
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B major
with Bieber's vocal range spanning from the low-note of F3 to the high-note of B4. The song follows in the chord progression
of B/G–B/F–E–B.
Present throughout the songs background is the use of violins and a choir, as well as guitar, string instruments, congas and a cajon. However it does make subtle use of synths and electronic sounds. Musically and lyrically, it is influenced by contemporary christian music
, and has a gospel
feel, while including standard pop
and R&B
. The song opens with Bieber singing, "And I pray" over a keyboard, while the songs chorus repeats one simple refrain, "I close my eyes and I can see a better day/ I close my eyes and pray." In the lyrics, Bieber "recognizes the pain and suffering in the world" and then offers "a passive solution" through lines such as "Children are crying / soldiers are dying / Some people don't have a home," before compromising, "I know there's sunshine beyond that rain / good times beyond that pain." Vocally, Bieber's vocals are sung in a lower key compared to previous singles.
noted the song as a recommended download from the album. Dan Savoie of Rockstar Weekly
said the song "is a more advanced lyric and shows a more political side to the young singer, but the gospel feel of the song really works with his voice." Savoie went on to say "The song just moved Bieber from the category of pop child star to responsible young man." Monica Herrera of Billboard
wrote that the song was "a treacly but well-meaning ballad that taps into Bieber's spiritual beliefs."
chart, the song charted at number five, while on the Belgian Tip chart for Wallonia, the song charted at number fifteen. On the Austrian Singles Chart, "Pray" peaked at number sixty-five, spending a week on the chart. "Pray" debuted at fifty-one on the German Singles Chart, and spent eight weeks on the chart. Despite not being released as a single in these countries, due to sales after the digital releases of My Worlds: The Collection and My Worlds Acoustic, "Pray" debuted at number ninety-four on the Australian Singles Chart, and number 112 on the UK Singles Chart
. It also debuted at number ninety-one in the US Billboard Hot 100
and reached number sixty-one the following week.
likened the video to the saying, "There are times when putting pictures to the words does indeed make a song more powerful than simply listening to the track." Calling the video "outstanding for the holiday season" Lamb said the theme of "bringing hope and joy into the lives of others" related to "the celebrations that bring all of us together in hope for a brighter future for our world."
"Pray" debuted and was performed for the first time at the 2010 American Music Awards
. The performance opened with Bieber sitting playing the piano while singing. Midway through the performance Bieber arose from the piano and took center stage, he was accompanied by a choir singing background vocals. The performance was ended with Bieber kneeling singing the songs title, the performance was greeted by standing ovation from the audience. According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
Bieber, "threw in that showmanship that's made him famous." Thomas Conner of Chicago Sun-Times
noted Bieber as the standout performance of the night, saying it was proof that he could sing, besting "the wavering pitches" of Taylor Swift
and Miley Cyrus
.
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
. The song was written by Bieber with Omar Martinez and Adam Messinger
Adam Messinger
Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. Besides his solo work, he is part of the writing and production duo "The Messengers" along with Nasri Atweh.-Career:...
and Nasri of The Messengers
The Messengers (producers)
The Messengers is a Grammy nominated Canadian songwriting and production team currently based in Los Angeles, California. The duo consists of singer/lyricist Nasri and multi-instrumentalist/arranger Adam Messinger....
, with the latter duo producing the track. The song is taken as a single in several European countries from his first compilation album, My Worlds: The Collection
My Worlds: The Collection
My Worlds: The Collection is the first compilation album released by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. As the international alternative to the Walmart and Sam's Club exclusive My Worlds Acoustic , My Worlds: The Collection was released in numerous European countries on November 19, 2010...
. In the United States and Canada, the song is included on My Worlds Acoustic
My Worlds Acoustic
My Worlds Acoustic is the first remix album by Canadian recording artist Justin Bieber. It was released on November 26, 2010 and was initially sold exclusively at Walmart retail stores and Sam's Club...
. According to Bieber, he was inspired by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
" (1988) when writing the song. The song is a contemporary Christian song
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
, while deriving from pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
influences, and using a world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
backdrop. It is based primarily upon instruments, however does make small usages of electronic sounds.
"Pray" received generally positive reviews, with critics appreciating the message portrayed in the song. It reached the lower-half on the singles charts in Germany and Austria, and charted in several regions where it was not released as a single such as the United States and Australia. The song's music video premiered on Facebook on December 11, 2010. The video, which also has religious undertones, features clips of places affected by natural disasters, sick children, possessed homes, and more, which are intercut with Bieber performing. Bieber debuted and performed the song on the American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
, accompanied by a full choir.
Background and composition
"Pray" was written by Bieber with Omar Martinez and Adam MessingerAdam Messinger
Adam "Messy" Messinger is a Canadian songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist currently based in Los Angeles, California. Besides his solo work, he is part of the writing and production duo "The Messengers" along with Nasri Atweh.-Career:...
and Nasri Atweh
Nasri (singer/songwriter)
Nasri Tony Atweh known by his mononym Nasri is a Canadian-born recording artist, songwriter, and producer now based in Los Angeles, California...
of The Messengers. While Bieber was being interviewed by Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
on his radio show, Bieber talked about the songs initial writing stating the song was influenced by Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Bieber elaborated, "It's a very uplifting song, very motivational. It definitely comes from the heart. It's very beautiful. I definitely thought of Michael [Jackson's] 'Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirror
"Man in the Mirror" is a song recorded by Michael Jackson and written and composed by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. It peaked at number one in the United States when released as a single in January 1988 off his seventh solo album, Bad. It is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed songs and...
' when I was writing it." The song was released as a CD single
CD single
A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...
in Germany on December 3, 2010. "Pray" is a mid-tempo song that uses a "world-music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
beat" as a backing. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
, "Pray" is set in common time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
with a tempo of 80 beats per minute. It is composed in the key of B major
B major
In music theory, B major is a major scale based on B. The pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A are all part of the B major scale. Its key signature has five sharps....
with Bieber's vocal range spanning from the low-note of F3 to the high-note of B4. The song follows in the chord progression
Chord progression
A chord progression is a series of musical chords, or chord changes that "aims for a definite goal" of establishing a tonality founded on a key, root or tonic chord. In other words, the succession of root relationships...
of B/G–B/F–E–B.
Present throughout the songs background is the use of violins and a choir, as well as guitar, string instruments, congas and a cajon. However it does make subtle use of synths and electronic sounds. Musically and lyrically, it is influenced by contemporary christian music
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
, and has a gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
feel, while including standard pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
. The song opens with Bieber singing, "And I pray" over a keyboard, while the songs chorus repeats one simple refrain, "I close my eyes and I can see a better day/ I close my eyes and pray." In the lyrics, Bieber "recognizes the pain and suffering in the world" and then offers "a passive solution" through lines such as "Children are crying / soldiers are dying / Some people don't have a home," before compromising, "I know there's sunshine beyond that rain / good times beyond that pain." Vocally, Bieber's vocals are sung in a lower key compared to previous singles.
Critical reception
Referring to the song as a "junior varsity" take on "Man in the Mirror", Allison Stewart of Washington Post said "as an indicator of the Bieb's awakening social consciousness, it's a good start." Melinda Newman of HitFix called the song a "lovely testament to the power of prayer," commenting that it was not only for "true believers" not just "true Beliebers." Calling it Bieber's "Man in the Mirror" moment, Newman also said while it did not have the "staying power or resonance of the Michael Jackson classic," she said the themes of how to how to affect change were the same. Lucy Jones of The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
noted the song as a recommended download from the album. Dan Savoie of Rockstar Weekly
Rockstar Weekly
Rockstar Weekly is a Canadian music website, operated out of Surrey, British Columbia, that reports on music, film, fashion, and popular culture.-History:...
said the song "is a more advanced lyric and shows a more political side to the young singer, but the gospel feel of the song really works with his voice." Savoie went on to say "The song just moved Bieber from the category of pop child star to responsible young man." Monica Herrera of Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
wrote that the song was "a treacly but well-meaning ballad that taps into Bieber's spiritual beliefs."
Chart performance
"Pray" was only released as a single in select European countries, and had moderate success. On the Belgian Flanders TipUltratop
Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
chart, the song charted at number five, while on the Belgian Tip chart for Wallonia, the song charted at number fifteen. On the Austrian Singles Chart, "Pray" peaked at number sixty-five, spending a week on the chart. "Pray" debuted at fifty-one on the German Singles Chart, and spent eight weeks on the chart. Despite not being released as a single in these countries, due to sales after the digital releases of My Worlds: The Collection and My Worlds Acoustic, "Pray" debuted at number ninety-four on the Australian Singles Chart, and number 112 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It also debuted at number ninety-one in the US Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and reached number sixty-one the following week.
Music video and live performance
In the music video, Bieber highlights several social injustices around the world. Clips are shown from footage of earthquake-torn Haiti, a suffering post-Katrina New Orleans, and Bieber himself visiting sick children in hospital beds. More scenes feature military soldiers being reunited with their families, and homes being possessed because families cannot pay mortgage. The video is intercut with scenes of Bieber performing. Like the song itself, the video also includes religious undertones, including the video ending with the quote, "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer." Bill Lamb of About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
likened the video to the saying, "There are times when putting pictures to the words does indeed make a song more powerful than simply listening to the track." Calling the video "outstanding for the holiday season" Lamb said the theme of "bringing hope and joy into the lives of others" related to "the celebrations that bring all of us together in hope for a brighter future for our world."
"Pray" debuted and was performed for the first time at the 2010 American Music Awards
American Music Awards
-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
. The performance opened with Bieber sitting playing the piano while singing. Midway through the performance Bieber arose from the piano and took center stage, he was accompanied by a choir singing background vocals. The performance was ended with Bieber kneeling singing the songs title, the performance was greeted by standing ovation from the audience. According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
Bieber, "threw in that showmanship that's made him famous." Thomas Conner of Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
noted Bieber as the standout performance of the night, saying it was proof that he could sing, besting "the wavering pitches" of Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
and Miley Cyrus
Miley Cyrus
Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
.
Charts
| Chart (2010–2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
94 |
| UK Singles (The Official Charts Company) | 112 |