Music
Poo Bear's 10 biggest collaborations
Poo Bear’s longevity in this music business cannot be understated.
It’s been over twenty years since Poo Bear's first major writing credit, and he hasn’t slowed down one bit since then. From being a hungry twenty year-old trying to push records to Diddy in 2000 to now earning multiple chart-topping success in 2020, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd’s pen has been tested and certified.
A versatile songwriter, he’s lent vulnerability to artists (Jill Scott, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Amerie), international successes Kelly Rowland, Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee), party-rocking club bangers (Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, DJ Khaled, 112), and chart-toppers (Justin Bieber).
His ear and creativity for music is amazing, and we celebrate it by going through the ten biggest collaborations of his career.
2 min
Poo Bear: Afraid of Forever
From homeless to hit-maker, Poo Bear is the man behind some of pop music’s biggest smash hits
112 "Peaches & Cream" (2001)
You always remember you first hit, and if you were around for R&B at the turn-of-the-millennium, there was no escaping “Peaches & Cream.” R&B group 112 needed to keep the flame hot for their third studio album "Part III" and Poo Bear (twenty years old at the time) was one of many genius writers (Mario Winans, Sean Combs, Courtney Sills, Aljamaal Jones) that contributed to this steamy-yet-slinky, club banger. The single would become one of Poo Bear’s earliest hits (and still remains 112’s biggest hit to date) with the song peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination in 2002.
Usher "Caught Up" (2004)
The "Confessions" era of Usher was a game-changer in music. At its zenith, it carried an era where R&B and hip-hop were unanimously owning the Billboard charts. Poo Bear delivered incredible songwriting work on the album’s fifth single “Caught Up,” a funky, dance record that closed the chapter on Usher’s "Confessions" era. With production assistance from Dre & Vidal, the song would become Usher’s fifth consecutive top 10 single from the album and has become a memorable cut in Usher’s career catalogue.
Danity Kane "Sleep On It" (2006)
Not necessarily a single like most of the other songs on this list, but an incredibly memorable deepcut from an era of fans who tuned into Making The Band every week on MTV. Danity Kane became Diddy’s latest group and in the early sessions of making the album, they were graced with this song from multi-platinum producer Scott Storch and acclaimed-songwriter Poo Bear. “Sleep On It” is a favorite from fans of the song, and without earning a single status it landed on the Billboard charts in 2006. Poo Bear’s 15 minutes of MTV shine wasn’t put to waste as he gave the new girl-group a banger.
Kelly Rowland "Work" (2006)
The combination of Scott Storch and Poo Bear put in work throughout the 2000s, and Kelly Rowland became the recipient of another smash record. “Work” didn’t stick the landing in the United States, but it earned its reputation as a banger overseas. An international success, “Work” climbed to the top of the UK R&B charts. It also performed well in countries such as France, Turkey, Italy, and Australia among others. Poo Bear’s pen on “Work” helped build the foundation for Kelly Rowland’s international success that would continue throughout the 2000s and 2010s.
Chris Brown "She Ain’t You" (2011)
Chris Brown’s comeback in 2011 was highlighted by a slew of powerful singles, and “She Ain’t You” helped continue the trend for the young R&B singer. Poo Bear, alongside Chris Brown, Free School, DJ Replay, Kevin McCall, contributed to the writing on this nostalgic, summer smash. The “Human Nature” sampled single kept Brown lingering in the upper parts of the Billboard charts and earned him another platinum success.
Jason "Poo Bear" Boyd
© Dustin Downing/Red Bull Content Pool
Justin Bieber "All That Matters"
Before the ear-worms that would follow in the second half of the 2010s, Justin Bieber and Poo Bear’s earliest collaboration was on the 2013 compilation album "Journals." With the singer searching to revisit the R&B gems in the early part of his career, he reached out to Poo Bear for some of the most earnest songs of his career. The stretch consisted of other singles such as “Hold Tight,” “Recovery,” “All Bad” and “Change Me,” but none stuck out like the acoustic, steamy banger “All That Matters.” The song would become the highest-charting single of all tracks on the album, and would remain a fan-favorite in his catalogue.
Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee "Despacito" (Remix) (2017)
Poo Bear’s catalog runs deep, but his contribution to the “Despacito (Remix)” may be his biggest collaboration of this chart. When Justin Bieber was called upon for the remix to the smash Latin success record, Poo Bear came in tow in just one of the many successful collaborations between the two. Poo Bear crafted the melody and lyrics in LA, and sent it over to Bieber’s camp – who was still in the middle of the South American leg of their tour. The result: sixteen consecutive weeks on top of the Billboard Hot 100 and 13 million singles sold. A true-game changing remix.
Justin Bieber "What Do You Mean" (2015)
Justin Bieber returned in 2015 with a new album entitled "Purpose," an album that represented a major shift to a more mature sound for the blossoming pop superstar. After lending Justin some of his most well-received songs on the 2013 "Journals" album, Poo Bear was enlisted for this new effort and ended up contributing to almost the entire album. Their biggest collaboration on the album ended up coming in the form of the album’s lead single “What Do You Mean.” The catchy dance single earned Bieber the first number one single of his career, and may have earned Poo Bear a spot on Justin Bieber’s list of go-to collaborators for years to come.
DJ Khaled "I’m The One" featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, & Lil Wayne (2017)
Another number-one for Poo Bear and The Biebs. DJ Khaled returned in 2017 with the single “I’m The One” featuring an all-star cast of music artists, but it’s Bieber’s hook (and maybe the fun production from Khaled & Nic Nac) that may have sent the song straight to the top. In a preview interview with Red Bull, Poo Bear cites the experience as “really fast.” “He sent it out to Chance the Rapper, Quavo, and Lil Wayne and now we look up and we’re number one! So it’s a blessing and it happened so fast!”
Justin Bieber "Intentions" featuring Quavo (2020)
From the year 2000 to 2020, Poo Bear’s run continues on the charts and we can see it today with the success of Bieber’s latest single “Intentions” featuring Quavo. The song is the second single off his R&B-tinged album "Changes" and as of June 2020 has remained in the Top 10 of the Hot 100 for over 16 weeks. While the single remains a success for Justin himself, for us it’s a testament to the strength, lasting-power, and talent of one of music’s most prominent songwriters of the 21st century.
58 min
Poo Bear: Afraid of Forever
From homeless to hit-maker, Poo Bear is the man behind some of pop music’s biggest smash hits.