Justin Bieber’s First Place is an R&B-leaning standout from his surprise seventh studio album Swag, released July 11, 2025, and produced by Eddie Benjamin, Carter Lang, Knox Fortune, Sir Dylan, and Bieber himself.
Written with a tight circle of collaborators including Tobias Jesso Jr. and Kevin Rhomberg, the song pairs uptempo percussion with lyrics that move between celebration and vulnerability.
It debuted at #59 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Bieber’s 116th chart entry.
From its opening line, “How did we get back again? How’d we get mixed up in the first place?,” Bieber sets a conversational tone, as if letting the listener in on a private exchange.
The pre-chorus, “We get high and we go down again,” loops in a way that mirrors the cyclical nature of certain relationships.
In the chorus, “first place” isn’t about winning a competition, rather it’s Bieber telling someone they matter most to him, tying the feeling to a birthday celebration.
There’s a retro flavour to the production that recalls the bounce and phrasing of Michael Jackson’s R&B era, giving the First Place meaning an extra dimension.
The First Place music video, released August 13, 2025, takes that feeling and sets it against a stark Icelandic backdrop.
Shot in black and white by Rory Kramer at Flóki Studios on the Trollaskagi Peninsula, it mixes sweeping snow-covered landscapes with intimate studio footage.
Bieber is seen in the water, unwinding in a hot tub, snowboarding down icy slopes, and recording vocals, as if the sessions themselves are part of the song’s heartbeat.
The choice of Iceland is more than visual, it’s where much of Swag took shape, and the film feels like a continuation of that creative escape.
The monochrome palette strips away distraction, focusing on movement, expression, and the quiet in-between moments.
On Swag, Billboard placed First Place at number 14 in its track ranking, noting how its upbeat arrangement contrasts with the line “it’s been this way for a long time.”
Within the album’s larger arc, which blends paparazzi audio, lo-fi sketches, and experimental R&B textures, the track feels like a personal check-in.
Bieber acknowledges recurring patterns in his life while choosing to frame them as moments worth celebrating.
For fans seeking out First Place Justin Bieber highlights, it’s one of the clearest glimpses into his current state of mind.
On YouTube, commenters have pointed to the way Bieber’s harmonies and lead vocals merge, creating a sense of closeness.
Others have picked up the line “you’re in first place” as a personal mantra, using it in captions and posts to express their own priorities.
What makes First Place stand out is its decision to keep circling through its most memorable lines rather than building to a big finale.
By repeating the pre-chorus and chorus, Bieber shapes the track into a loop that reflects its own lyrics.
It feels like the work of someone who knows that not every story ends with a final act. Sometimes it is about keeping the same person beside you through every turn.
First Place carries the kind of clarity that can cut through noise, like a quiet moment where the path ahead feels obvious, even if it’s only for the length of a song.
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See The Full lyrics to First Place from Justin Bieber
Verse 1
How did we get back again?
How’d we get mixed up in the first place?
The window’s openin’
You can’t spread your wings in a bird cage
Pre-Chorus
We get high and we go down again (Ooh, we go down again)
We go ’round and right back where we been
And the days go by, the nights, they never end
Do it all again (Do it all again), mmm
Chorus
‘Cause when it’s on sight, it’s on sight, all of it, all of it can wait (Yeah)
It’s a celebration like it’s your birthday (It’s your birthday)
So amazin’, I just wanna taste it (I wanna taste you)
Let’s celebrate in the best way like it’s your birthday
Post-Chorus
Oh (All I see is you now, all I see is you now), you in first place
Oh (Don’t wanna lose you now), and that’s thе worst case
Oh, yeah (Birthday, birthday, birthday)
Oh, yeah, oh, yеah (It’s your birthday, birthday), you’re in first place
Verse 2
Where do I begin? (Oh)
It’s been this way for a long time, oh
Something’s got to give (Something gotta, something gotta give)
‘Cause you keep on tickin’ on my mind (Oh)
Pre-Chorus
We get high and we go down again (We go high, we go high)
We go ’round and right back where we been (Right where we been)
And the days go by, the nights, they never been (The nights, they never been)
Do it all again, do it all again, mmm
Chorus
‘Cause when it’s on sight, it’s on sight, all of it, all of it can wait (Yeah)
It’s a celebration like it’s your birthday (It’s your birthday)
So amazin’, I just wanna taste it
Let’s celebrate in the best way like it’s your birthday
Post-Chorus
Oh (All I see is you now, all I see is you), you in first place
Oh (Don’t wanna lose you now), don’t wanna, don’t wanna, that’s the worst case (And that’s the worst case)
Like it’s your birthday, birthday, birthday, babe
Like it’s your birthday, birthday (You’re in first place)