Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" became one of the biggest hits of 2015. But the real story starts inside songwriter Ed Sheeran's tour bus. He didn't want to include it on his own album, he nearly gave it to Rihanna, and the original lyrics were drastically different.
A Song Born from Anger on a Tour Bus
In 2015, Ed Sheeran was on tour. While writing with producer Benny Blanco on the tour bus, a melody came first. Blanco asked him: "What if you wrote about something real? Any relationship stuff going on?" Sheeran initially refused: "I don't want to write about that." But Blanco's response changed everything.
"Then just write about not wanting to write about it."— Benny Blanco to Ed Sheeran
"That" wasn't a topic—it was the feeling itself. Too personal, too raw. Sheeran channeled that emotion directly into the song, and the entire composition came together on that tour bus.
The Original Lyrics Weren't "Love"
Here's where it gets surprising. The original hook of this song wasn't the gentle phrase we know today. In interviews, Sheeran revealed the earliest version used much harsher language. It was initially written with Rihanna in mind, and that version carried a very different tone from what we hear now.
Eventually the lyrics were softened to become "Love Yourself," but the song's DNA still carries that sharpness. It's gentle to hear, but it's actually one of pop history's most elegant brush-offs.
"A Song That Was Never Supposed to Be Released"
The most ironic twist comes next. In a 2017 interview, Ed Sheeran revealed the song was originally written for his album ÷ (Divide). But he decided not to include it—essentially shelving it.
"That song was meant for Divide, but it would have never come out. Justin took it and made it his own way and released it as a single, and it became last year's biggest song—a song that was never supposed to be released."— Ed Sheeran, Billboard Interview
When speaking with Ryan Seacrest, Bieber said the song was "definitely about someone from his past." He never revealed specifics, but the authenticity was unmistakable. Sheeran's personal anger became a universal heartbreak anthem through Bieber's voice.
The Lesson of an Abandoned Song
The journey of "Love Yourself" reveals the paradox of creation. The emotion too personal to write became the song's foundation. The track he didn't want on his album became a global #1 hit in someone else's hands. Sometimes the best art is born when the artist themselves doubts its value. A melody from Ed Sheeran's tour bus—nearly abandoned—became a worldwide phenomenon through Justin Bieber's voice.
