Brow Beat

Chance the Rapper Gets a Big Break From Justin Bieber. Hear “Confident.”

Chance The Rapper &  Justin Bieber, 2013
Chance The Rapper & Justin Bieber, 2013

Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker. Photos by thecomeupshow/Flickr & Nicky Loh/Getty Images

Chance the Rapper has spent the last few months quietly blowing up. After releasing Acid Rap this spring, he’s made guest appearances on tracks by the likes of James Blake, Childish Gambino, and Lil Wayne, and last week Spin gave the mixtape a well-earned No. 2 spot on their list of the albums of the year. Back in August, the 20-year-old Chicago rapper even placed on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, just because so many people were selling his free mixtape without permission.

But today Chance gets what might be his biggest break yet, from one of R&B’s biggest stars. I’m talking, of course, about Justin Bieber. Bieber has been transitioning further and further into R&B territory on his “Music Monday” releases—he even got R. Kelly’s blessing with their recent duet—and “Confident” has him doing another straightforward R&B track, singing about “sexual romancing” and “lipstick on my satin sheets” over thumping bass and wah-wah guitars.

Chance himself doesn’t get quite enough room to really go off, but he does get to introduce his high energy, verbal dexterity, and signature “IGH IGH IGH” to a few million more listeners. They better get used to it.

“Confident” is on sale on iTunes now.