In 2020, the uncertainty of the pandemic and what seemed like a perpetual quarantine put a definitive strain on many relationships. Friends and families were shut in together. Couples were also locked down for an indefinite amount of time, which resulted in irreparable fissures that led to breakups and divorces. During the lockdown, singer and songwriter Freddy Wexler also experienced a small marital conflict, which led him to write a No. 1 hit.
“Stuck With U,” released by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber in 2020, came out of a “silly” argument Wexler had with his wife. “At the end of it, I said, ‘Hey, I know we can get under each other’s skin, but if I had to be stuck with anyone, I’m so happy I’m stuck with you,'” Wexler tells American Songwriter. “I share that because sometimes song titles and lyrics are as simple as paying attention to things you say or that someone says in a conversation.”
Cowritten by Wexler, Grande, and Bieber, along with Gian Stone, Scooter Braun, Skyler Stonestreet, and Whitney Lauren Phillips, “Stuck With U” went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Bieber’s sixth chart-topper and Grande’s third.
Accompanying the single was a music video featuring footage of Grande and Bieber at home during quarantine and a montage of fan-submitted videos including some young fans who were unable to attend their prom in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Videos by American Songwriter
[RELATED: 5 Songs You Didn’t Know Ariana Grande Wrote for Other Artists]
The video also features cameos by Paula Abdul, Demi Lovato, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, Kate Hudson, Demi Lovato, 2 Chainz, Grande’s former Victorious co-star Elizabeth Gillies, Eric Stonestreet, Ashton Kutcher, and Mila Kunis, Chance the Rapper, Michael Bublé, Beiber with his wife Hailey, and more.
I’m not one to stick around
One strike and you’re out, baby
Don’t care if I sound crazy
But you never let me down, no, no
That’s why when the sun’s up, I’m stayin’
Still layin’ in your bed, singin’
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Got all this time on my hands
Might as well cancel our plans, yeah
I could stay here for a lifetime
So lock the door
And throw out the key
Can’t fight this no more
It’s just you and me
And there’s nothing I, nothing I, I can do
I’m stuck with you, stuck with you, stuck with you
[RELATED: Freddy Wexler Helped Billy Joel Write Again With “Turn the Lights Back On”]
First Responders
The song was written to “give a moment of joy to people in this crazy dark time of quarantine,” says Wexler. “Stuck With U” also gave back, with 100 percent of its proceeds from the sale and stream of the song benefitting The First Responders Children’s Foundation, which supports thousands of families of first responders, including healthcare workers, paramedics, firefighters, and EMTs who were on the frontlines during the pandemic.
“The generosity, and support that Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, and Scooter Braun have shown the men and women on the front lines of this ongoing pandemic has been a surreal and humbling experience for us,” said Jillian Crane, president of First Responders Children’s Foundation in a statement in 2021. “As an organization, we have been able to help the everyday heroes who have been on the frontlines of the pandemic, and their family’s immediate needs with the support that has only been made possible due to the collective effort of everyone involved, which we are thankful for.”
The single helped generate more than $5.5 million for the families of first responders, according to Wexler. “It’s really the proudest moment of my career to date,” he says.
In May 2021, Bieber and Grande put a Mother’s Day spin on the song asking fans to submit more footage of their mothers. The new video features fans worldwide dancing and singing with their moms, including Bieber and his mother Pattie Mallette, and Grande with her mom Joan.
The Freddy Wexler Company
From this experience, Wexler decided to tie each television and film project behind his multimedia company, The Freddy Wexler Company, to charity. “It’s all about premier storytelling,” says Wexler, “rooted in philanthropy and positivity.”
Working on a series of projects with Disney, Universal, MGM, and more, the company is already producing a film based on the true story of Keith Adams, the deaf football coach who led an all-deaf football team in California, the Riverside Cubs, to win the state championship and the musical fantasy Soul Superhero, about a young Black girl who teams up with a magical street performer, who helps her save her community through music.
“There’s a lot of synergies because I’m still super active as a songwriter, but now I’ve got a handful of film and television projects so I’m trying to have it all work as an ecosystem,” says Wexler, who recently helped bring Billy Joel out of songwriting retirement by co-writing and co-producing his 2024 single, and first in 17 years, “Turn the Lights Back On.”
“Sometimes I give people the advice that you have to let life take you where it takes you,” says Wexler. “And since creativity is so fleeting, if you feel inspired, go with it.”
Photo: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Coachella
