Justin Bieber surprised fans on Friday with the release of his new 21-track R&B-inspired album SWAG. One unexpected detail from the album’s credits is the inclusion of Eminem as a composer-lyricist on the song “Yukon.”
However, Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, did not write new lyrics or appear as a guest on the track. Instead, Bieber interpolated a line from Eminem’s 2010 song Untitled, which appeared on the deluxe edition of Recovery.
In the opening verse of “Yukon,” Bieber sings, “I can help you get a move on, like U-Haul, and I know.” This line closely mirrors Eminem’s lyric in Untitled: “Get up, baby, get a move on like a U-Haul, you can rack your brain.” Eminem has used the U-Haul metaphor in his music more than once, including in his 2020 song She Loves Me.
Bieber has shown his admiration for Eminem before, having been seen wearing an Eminem T-shirt during a walk with his wife Hailey in 2022.
“Yukon” also features nods to other hip-hop influences. Throughout the track, ad-libs from rapper 2 Chainz can be heard, and he is credited as a background vocalist. The song was produced by Carter Lang.
The release of SWAG came with little warning. Fans spotted promotional billboards in New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Reykjavík, Iceland, just a day before the album dropped.
Sources close to Bieber told Billboard that SWAG marks the beginning of a new creative phase for the 31-year-old singer, with a more pop-focused album reportedly in the works.
