Years-Old Song Becomes Justin Bieber’s First Hit on One Chart.
Justin Bieber hasn’t released new music in some time, and at the moment, he seems to be focused on other things. The pop singer recently became a dad for the first time, as his wife Hailey recently gave birth to their son in August. While he’s not promoting any music right now, that hasn’t stopped one of the Grammy winner’s album tracks from becoming a charting success—again.
“Life Is Worth Living” blasts onto a Billboard chart this week, becoming an unexpected, and delayed, hit. The tune opens at No. 25 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, the list of the most popular tracks on the social media platform with which it shares its name.
Bieber has never before landed on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, despite being one of the world’s most famous and successful pop musicians. The list was introduced by Billboard a little more than a year ago, and the singer hasn’t been very active during that time. He’s one of many artists who reach the TikTok-only roster long after finding great success on many other tallies.
“Life Is Worth Living” enters the TikTok Billboard Top 50 as the third-highest-ranking debut of the week. Bieber steps in behind Olivia Rodrigo’s “Deja Vu” (No. 9) and “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (No. 20).
He does manage to beat several other newcomers, as well as a handful of returning wins. Bieber starts his first hit on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 in front of new arrivals from Bad Bunny, Christina Aguilera, and the Marias, among others. No Doubt and Phoebe Bridgers bring previous successes back to the tally as well.
“Life Is Worth Living” may be new to the TikTok chart, but the song itself has actually been around for nearly a decade. It was originally released in November 2015, as a cut on Bieber’s massive album Purpose. Fans of the superstar—and some who simply love playing around on the app—have returned to the cut in a sudden surge of consumption of the song, with many likely discovering it.
While it was never officially released as a single, “Life Is Worth Living” still managed to become a chart hit. The tune peaked at No. 49 on the Hot 100, which is an impressive placement for a tune that wasn’t properly promoted. It has since been certified gold by the RIAA for shifting at least half a million equivalent units.
